Page 26 - Pakistan Link - March 26, 2021

P26 – PAKISTAN LINK – MARCH 26, 2021 PAKISTAN
RELATIONS FROM P1 none in doubt that he wanted to inject greater the two countries are required to meet yearly. denly awakening to the need for normalcy with
off. With both harboring nuclear arsenals— venom in India’s relations with Pakistan—part of However, India had suspended this routine since Pakistan. If nothing else, quiet on the Pakistani
whose actual numbers none may hazard to BJP’s Hindutva-driven agenda of a Hindus-only November 2018, when the last of such meetings front gives India space to focus more intently on
guess—even the most diehard of Cassandras India. was held in Lahore. its eastern frontier.
shuddered to speculate about its devastating fall- IK’s, on his part, has never left anyone There are hints, simultaneously, of bilateral At the same time, the months-old Farmers’
out. guessing, or in doubt, that he would like to have diplomatic relations being restored at the am- agitation should be a factor in forcing India to
But, then, the dark clouds suddenly seemed good and friendly relations with India. None bassadorial level. Pakistan had recalled its High mend fences with Pakistan. Pakistan could—if it
to be lifting after the Biden administration’s should entertain any misgiving about his sincer- Commissioner from Delhi after the provocative so chooses—turn the screws on India by quietly
mildly articulated hope that the two South Asian ity. He’s so well known, in India, for his friendly unilateral move, of August5, 2019, by Modi. In- fueling the fires in the Farmers uprising against
nations would work for ushering in a better cli- disposition from the days when he was a cricket- dia followed suit by recalling its envoy from Is- Modi’s fascist agrarian policies, in favor of his
mate of peace in their bilateral relations. idol to fans there. As leader of Pakistan, IK made lamabad. They may, hopefully soon, be return- corporate backers.
The first sign of de-escalation came in a clarion call to India to take one step forward to ing to their posts. Resumption of trade and of Modi and his BJP-Sarkar’s track record
mid-February when commanders monitoring which Pakistan, on his watch, would respond by religious pilgrimage may also be on the cards. IK doesn’t, quite give any unbiased pundit the as-
the LoC, on both sides of the divide, agreed to taking two steps. had deftly opened up the route to Pakistan for surance that there’s genuine change of heart in
abide by the terms of the 2003 agreement and IK’s reiteration of his sincere desire and Sikh pilgrims to their shrines in Pakistan. It was Delhi in favor of Pakistan. Modi is far too radi-
stop testing each other’s nerves. That was some dream to bring sanity back into India-Pakistan visa-free and became an instant hit with Sikhs, cally beholden to his RSS agenda to change his
comfort for the civilians living along the LoC, in relations was followed, significantly, the next day not only in India but from around the world. spot overnight. His lack of sincerity is leaking
both Indian and Pakistan-administered halves of of the two-day Islamabad Dialogue, when Gen- So, the mountain is leaking symptoms of from the wording of the letter of felicitation sent
Kashmir. eral Qamar Bajwa addressed the moot. He was moving. But is it all because of Biden leaning on by him to his Pakistani counterpart, on the oc-
Equally noticeable was a calmer and less- even more categorical than IK in calling upon the shoulders of both India and Pakistan? casion of Pakistan Day, March 23. Nowhere in
polluted ambience on the media front, especially both sides to “bury the past and move forward.” Well, to an extent, it may be partly true. the letter does he greet the government of Paki-
in India whose news media has been totally tak- The Pakistani military establishment has Nothing suits Washington more than calm wa- stan. Instead, ‘the people of Pakistan’ have been
en over by votaries of Modi and his ruling BJP. In been routinely caricatured by power-barons and ters between India and Pakistan at this time. greeted thrice. On top of it, while insisting on In-
a sense, nature seemed to contribute on its own media-gurus, alike, as the real villain of the piece. Biden, obviously, needs fewer headaches else- dia’s desire for “cordial relations with the people
part with the quieting of Indian news media’s Indian pundits—of all stripes—have been taking where, most importantly in Afghanistan, where of Pakistan” he rubs in the point that for this to
principal agent-provocateur, Arnab Goswamy. swipes at the Pakistani brass for muddying the the peace process is in a highly critical and sensi- happen, “an environment of trust, devoid of ter-
His arraignment in a number of criminal cases waters and not letting Pakistani political leaders tive phase. ror and hostility is imperative.”
had such a salutary effect in calming the waters deal freely with India. ISI, in Indian books, is the Pakistan’s pivotal role in any settlement on This crafty construct of ‘desire’ blended
and clearing the air off his lunatic rants and bom- source of all evil that transpires in any form or Afghanistan couldn’t be more elaborated. Paki- with ‘terror’ is a typical Indian refrain in regard
bastic. format in India. It has never been let off the hook stan, on its part, would welcome nothing more to Pakistan, regularly painted as a terrorism-
However, the Pakistani PM, Imran Khan for total responsibility—in Indian eyes—for the salutary than calm on its eastern front with In- sponsoring state in India’s fertile imagination.
seized the bull by its horns in his inaugural ad- mayhem of November 2008 in Mumbai. dia. Many a pundit may, therefore, err in con- Cussedness, Modi-style, doesn’t bode well for
dress to the Islamabad Security Dialogue, on General Bajwa, with his candid and un- cluding that this peace offensive on the part of a healthy and positively progressive climate of
March 17, when he called upon India to make equivocal call to bury the hatchet, has now sto- Pakistan’s military and civilian leaderships is peace between the two South Asian nations. In-
the first move to end the longest spell of frozen len all the thunder from the sails of his cussed nothing more than a tactical move. No, Pakistan dia will have to mellow down from its holy-cow
relations between the two neighbors. The long Indian critics. Will they, in the face of, proverbi- should welcome normal relations with India as posture.
winter, it may be recalled, had started with India’s ally, a Daniel coming to judgment still target him an asset of perpetual benefit. Another requirement is, of course, for it
unilateral move, of August 5, 2019. It was, that a and his military establishment for stalling peace? One could argue that as far as India is con- to resile from its cavalier stance on Kashmir.
reinvigorated Narendra Modi, flushed with vic- Other signs of a perceptible thaw are in evi- cerned, seeking a thaw with Pakistan at this junc- Without India accepting the disputed nature
tory garnering for him a second term at the head dence, too. There’s, at this moment, a Pakistani ture may be an entirely tactical move, for more of Kashmir, a lasting peace with Pakistan will
of India, had abrogated those articles of Indian delegation of experts in Delhi, talking to their than one reason. An obvious point of reference remain elusive. It’s Modi’s call to decide what
constitution that guaranteed the special status of Indian counterparts to find a common ground of India’s compulsion to normalize relations kind of peace and neighborly relations his
Indian-Occupied Kashmir (IOK). of resolution of dispute over the construction of with its western neighbor, Pakistan, is its dire India would prefer to have with Pakistan. -
Kashmir, for all intents and purposes, is the at least three hydro-power plants on rivers that situation on the eastern front, with China. The K_K_ghori@hotmail.com
core issue between India and Pakistan and Mo- belong to Pakistan under the 1960 Indus Waters thrashing given to India by the Chinese in Lada- (The writer is a former ambassador and
di’s arrogant sundering of IOK’s special status left Treaty. Under the terms of that treaty, experts of kh, last winter, may be the reason for Modi sud- career diplomat)
MARYAM FROM P28 On the bureau’s request, NAB Strings’ Musical Journey Comes to an
appearance before the bureau, the Punjab headquarters and surround-
NAB Lahore building had been sub- ings had also been declared a red
jected to “deliberate intense stone- zone. End after 33 Years, Announce
pelting”, which was akin to “creating NAB had summoned Maryam
an obstacle” in the NAB investiga- in August last year, but clashes be- Bilal Maqsood and Faisal Kapadia
tion. tween PML-N workers and police
Persons involved in such acts broke out outside its Lahore office
could be jailed for up to 10 years upon her arrival to record a state- he band that gave us hits like
under accountability laws but “de- ment in the land acquisition case. ‘Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar’ and ac-
spite these legal powers, NAB has so All PML-N lawmakers in the Tclaimed albums like Dhaani
far shown extreme patience and re- national and Punjab assemblies had and Duur has officially come to
straint”, the statement said. been directed by the party leader- the end of its musical journey.
It noted that Maryam had been ship to accompany Maryam on her Bilal Maqsood and Faisal Kapa-
issued notices to appear before NAB appearance. The party’s Lahore chap- dia via the band’s official Instagram
investigation teams for a second time ter had also been asked to mobilize account on Thursday announced
on March 26. the maximum number of workers to the fate of their iconic band Strings.
“However, considering the make it a “big political power show”, “This post is a bit different from the
NCOC recommendations, and in Dawn reported. usual. We have decided that today,
view of public interest, NAB has Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief 25/03/2021, is the day we graciously
taken the principled decision that ac- Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is also get to conclude Strings.
cused Maryam Nawaz’s appearance the president of opposition alliance “The past 33 years have been
in NAB Lahore tomorrow has been Pakistan Democratic Movement incredible for both of us. It’s so rare
postponed,” read the statement, add- (PDM), had also announced that to have the chance to be able to do
ing that a new date for her appear- workers of his party would reach the things like this and we are infinitely only to make a comeback with Maq- form of music.”
ance would be announced at “an ap- NAB office on Friday. grateful to all of our fans for mak- sood and Kapadia in 2000.
propriate time”. ‘Institution of political engi- ing it possible. We hope you found Known as much for their clas- Kanwal Naseer Passes away
The meeting also decided to di- neering’: Speaking to reporters in it worthwhile as well,” they wrote in sic hits as their memorable live per-
rect the NAB administration to re- Lahore soon after the bureau’s an- their message. formances, the band built a loyal Islamabad: Radio
verse all security measures that were nouncement, Maryam reiterated that “While the band technically fanbase over the years. and TV artist and
being taken in preparation for the ap- she would “not become an easy prey may not be together anymore, both In an interview with Herald, well-known broad-
pearance, according to the handout. for NAB”. of us share an inseparable bond that Maqsood had said: “It’s going to caster Kanwal Nas-
The statement stressed that “Whatever oppression and vic- will connect us no matter where life take time before people will sit back eer passed away
“NAB strictly opposes any measures timization and revenge NAB was takes us.” and remember kay Strings aur Vital on Thursday after
in which various tactics are used to going to take has been done. It is The poignant note ends with a Signs aur Barbarians thay jinhon a brief illness in Is-
allegedly bring a national institution time for atrocities to be ended,” she “thank you so much for everything”. nay yeh music shuroo kee thee.” lamabad. She was 73.
under any pressure.” remarked. When contacted by Images, When asked in the interview Born in 1948 in Lahore, Knaw-
Following the PML-N’s decision She strongly criticized the anti- Maqsood said, “We just thought it what goal the duo had in mind when al had several feathers in her cap:
to gather maximum party leaders graft watchdog, terming it an “insti- was the right time”, adding there was starting the band, Kapadia said: “At she was the first female anchor, first
and workers outside the NAB pro- tution of political engineering that nothing more to it. that time, we didn’t have a goal. We female newscaster, and first female
vincial headquarters on March 26, comes to the aid of [Prime Minis- According to stringsonline.net, just wanted to be famous.” announcer of Pakistan Television,
the bureau had sought “foolproof ter] Imran Khan whenever he needs the internationally acclaimed pop “We did it for fun,” Maqsood reported Radio Pakistan. She joined
security” from the government, ask- help”. rock band was initially formed by had added. “Then when we saw the media at the age of 17 and re-
ing it to deploy Rangers and police “If [he] wants to silence an op- four college students — Bilal Maq- this musical trend developing, we mained associated with PTV and
personnel. ponent or cannot fight an opponent sood (vocals and guitars), Faisal Ka- thought we’d try and see if people Radio Pakistan for five decades.
NAB had said its Lahore office on political grounds and his political padia (vocals), Rafiq Wazir Ali (syn- could enjoy our music. People She made her first announce-
might “come under attack” from po- opponent needs to be put in jail for thesizer) and Kareem Bashir Bhoy liked it, so we decided that it would ment at the PTV on November 26,
litical workers and others on the oc- six months, then NAB is used,” she (bass guitar) — in 1988. be nice if our name was included 1964. She won Pride of Performance
casion of Maryam’s appearance. alleged. In 1992 the quartet disbanded, amongst those who popularized this and other awards for her work.
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