The Pakistan of Prime Minister Imran Khan wants peace with India.
One day at a time.
One positive step at a time, forward and firm, cognizant of the good and the bad gone by, in full awareness of the enormity of present challenges, clear and visionary focus on future, and determination unlimited is the manifesto of the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The principal emphasis being the overhauling of the economy has become the propeller on which the progress is steady without even the slightest compromise on points of sincerity, vision, integrity and dedication of the policy-makers for workable implementation for short and long-term stabilisation of all institutions of Pakistan.
Khan's recent visits to the UAE, Malaysia, China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman are in harmonisation with the agenda of Pakistan’s new government: strengthening old ties for recalibration of areas of bilateral interests, based on mutual respect and enhancement of multi-tiered interaction.
No time to waste
Pakistan does not have time to waste, and every day brings a new challenge.
What is unchallenged is the razor-sharp focus of Khan and his government on federal and provincial level to keep Pakistan moving forward.
While working on a reform-based betterment of myriad economic, infrastructural and institutional factors, there is one thing that is consistent even in a superficial overview of Khan’s work as the prime minister of Pakistan whose issues currently are huge and options in a short supply: Khan’s empathy.
As he is determined to fix the fundamental and the apparent, there is singular focus on bringing to the mainstream the issues of the forgotten, those who despite their very real, and mostly, painful existence, seem to be invisible.
Not to Khan.
Today when refugees, increasingly, find themselves in countries where their existence is marked with exclusion, Pakistan, the second top refugee-hosting country in the world, is working on a different line.
Prime Minister Khan, on February 25 tweeted: “I have issued instructions today that Afghan refugees who are registered can open bank accounts and from now onwards, they can participate in the formal economy of the country. This should have been done a long time ago.”
Move appreciated
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, praising Khan’s move, commented: “I commend Prime Minister Imran Khan, the government and the people of Pakistan for taking this important step in support of Afghan refugees — a forward-looking, generous gesture of solidarity of global significance.”
Indrika Rawatte, Director UNHCR Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, also appreciated Khan’s announcement: “This is a bold demonstration of humanitarian leadership in a world that is not inclusive.”
On February 24, Prime Minister Khan in a response to Narendra Modi’s statement: “Why don’t we fight poverty and illiteracy together? The prime minister agreed and assured me: ‘I am the son of a Pathan and I speak the truth…will always be true to my words.’ The time has come to see if Mr Khan will stand by his words.”
Khan reiterated Pakistan government’s willingness to cooperate with India regarding the tragic Pulwama attack of February 14.
Khan, in unambiguous words, said: “...if India gives us actionable intelligence, we will immediately act. PM Modi should give peace a chance.”
Unprovoked ceasefire violation
Khan further said: “In my meeting with PM Modi in December 2015, we had agreed that since poverty alleviation is a priority for our region, we would not allow any terrorist incident to derail peace efforts. However, long before Pulwama, these efforts were derailed in September 2018. Sadly.”
India decided not to wait for a proper course of action. On February 26, India attacked Pakistan.
In what is said to be the first such attack after the 1971 war, India in a clear and unprovoked violation of the 2003 LoC ceasefire carried out a pre-dawn airstrike in Kashmir, the disputed land that is the cause of a continuously acrimonious non-relationship between Pakistan and India.
In today’s war-riven world in which millions of displaced persons face a fate of starvation, misery and death, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, to name a few, and in a world striving to end conflicts, the attack of nuclear India on nuclear Pakistan is not merely an unnecessary, violent provocation.
It could also be a very dangerous factor in exacerbation of existing regional instability, and a trigger for a new prolonged conflict between the two neighbours that, instead of moving forward, seem to be getting embroiled in more animosity.
The Pakistani government and Pakistani army are on the same page.
India claims that it has destroyed a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) camp killing 200-300 militants. Pakistan, denying India’s version, has responded that nothing but some trees were destroyed.
During his press conference DG ISPR Major-General Asif Ghafoor said: “The spot is open for anybody and everybody: all ambassadors, defence attaches, UN Military Observer Group. We'll even say that civilians or/and army reps from India, they can come, through an authorised entry, into Pakistan, see it for yourself, go back and tell your PM where that impact is...”
As per the New York Times “...it was unclear what, if anything, the attack jets hit on the Pakistani side, raising the possibility that India was making a calculated bet to assuage public anger but minimise the risk of a major Pakistani military response.”
Simple question
Today the big question Pakistan has is simple: Why did India attack Pakistan one day after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s clear statement to India — a reiteration of his earlier words — that Pakistan would immediately act if it receives actionable evidence against Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad, apropos its involvement in the Pulwama attack?
Pakistan stands united with Prime Minister Khan, the government and the armed forces of Pakistan in whatever stance they may take to respond to India. Pakistan poised to be on its way of strong economic and internal stability is also unwilling to initiate an armed engagement with India.
Despite justified anger, other than some noise in media and on Twitter, there are NO chants of revenge and war in Pakistan. There is no warmongering based on misplaced notions of nationalism and a primitive urge for retribution.
There should and there will be a response, but it won’t be an announcement of war. Pakistan wishes to end all regional instability, and its partnership with the US to end the Afghan war is a testament to reassessment of its foreign policy.
Pakistan’s response will not merely be a commitment to formation of its new inclusive, peaceful and based-on-bilateral-interests foreign policy it will also be an indication of its preparation of its new role as a major regional and international participant in the changing global power dynamics.
As Indian media and Twitter erupted into jubilation of an attack whose logistics are officially denied by Pakistan, and many Indians in open glorification of war without taking into consideration the dire repercussions of even a small-scale conflict in the war-affected world and our region in particular, Pakistanis instead of giving a similar response flooded social media with jokes and memes, highlighting the damage 12 Indian Mirage 2000 did to six trees, making a few insignificant holes in the ground.
Restraint
What is also important here is that while Pakistan should exercise restraint in the face of India’s aggression, Pakistan must get rid of ALL elements that through terrorism wreak havoc within or outside Pakistan.
What is also important here is that while Pakistan should exercise restraint in the face of India’s aggression, Pakistan must get rid of ALL elements that through terrorism wreak havoc within or outside Pakistan.
Those who harm even one innocent human being are the biggest enemy of Pakistan, humanity and Islam.
And what I see as a vocal endorser of peace between Pakistan and India: One major difference between Imran Khan and Narendra Modi is that Khan’s leadership is about learning from the past to work for a better, united and peaceful Pakistan, while Modi’s entire focus seems to be on ensuring BJP’s divisive Hindutva hegemony all across India for the next 10 years.
I hope I’m wrong about the latter part.
Amidst rising hostility between Pakistan and India, and as India attacked Pakistan on February 25, the government of Pakistan on February 25 issued ten-day visit visas for 3,000 Sikh pilgrims for their participation in the Vaisakhi mela and commemoration of the anniversary of the creation of Khalsa.
That is the Pakistan I am proud to call my homeland, that is the Pakistan of 220 million Pakistanis, and that is the Pakistan of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
