News Desk |
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan informed of his decision to constitute a seven-member committee to deliberate Pakistan’s diplomatic, legal and political response to the India’s illegal decision of scraping away the special constitutional rights of Indian-occupied Jammu & Kashmir.
A notification issued in this regard states, “The Prime Minister has been pleased to constitute, with immediate effect, a seven (07) member team who shall make recommendations to formulate the legal/political/diplomatic response on the latest developments related to Indian occupied Kashmir.”
PM @ImranKhanPTI constitutes a 7 member team to formulate legal, political & diplomatic response to the latest developments in #Kashmir after #Article370Scrapped. It includes:
1. FM Qureshi
2. Attorney General
3. Foreign Secretary
4. DG ISI
5. DGMO
6. DG ISPR
7. Ahmer Bilal Soofi pic.twitter.com/gDfr0iKhrB— Sana Jamal (@Sana_Jamal) August 6, 2019
The notification reveals that this seven-member team will include Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, Attorney General of Pakistan Anwar Masood Khan, Director General ISI Lt. Gen Faiz Hameed, Director General ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor, and Special Envoy to the PM, Ahmed Bilal Sufi, along with Director General of Military Operations.
The Premier warned of another Pulwama-like false flag attack and issued warnings against any conventional military confrontation between the two countries.
Prime Minister Imran Khan also summoned another session of the National Security Committee on Wednesday. This marks the second session of the NSC within a week, in the aftermath of New Delhi’s actions of revoking the special constitutional status of IoK.
In this session, Pakistan’s top civil and military leadership will deliberate over the strategy to issue a befitting response to India’s illegal revocation of Article 370.
BJP Wants “Hindu Raj”
Addressing the joint session of the Parliament on Tuesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan noted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is acting upon the ideological framework orchestrated by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Hindu extremist organization that demands complete Hindu rule in the subcontinent, and negates the rights of all religious minorities, especially Muslims.
(1/3) Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan Policy Statement Speech with English Subtitles at Joint Session National Assembly Islamabad (06.08.19)#Pakistan 🇵🇰 #Kashmir #StandwithKashmir pic.twitter.com/rgv6IzckR8
— PTI (@PTIofficial) August 6, 2019
Imran Khan said, “The BJP has ushered in a racist ideology that brutally targets Muslim. In Kashmir, we see them acting upon their ideology of Hindutva, which has prompted them to violate their own constitution, the verdict of the Supreme Court, and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.
Read more: New Delhi informed Mike Pompeo & John Bolton of decision to abolish Kashmir’s special status
The premier noted that this decision should not come as a surprise, as the revocation of Article 370 was a hugely controversial element that discussed in the election manifesto put forward by the BJP. Imran Khan stressed that this unlawful decision will intensify the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination, and this is not just a matter that concerns India or Pakistan, but in fact, it has global repercussions.
(2/3) Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan Policy Statement Speech with English Subtitles at Joint Session National Assembly Islamabad (06.08.19)#Pakistan 🇵🇰 #Kashmir #StandwithKashmir pic.twitter.com/bA4LsE6Otg
— PTI (@PTIofficial) August 6, 2019
The premier also noted that the Modi-led administration will attempt to crush dissent by force, which will lead to another Pulwama-like attack. He said, “Then, they will blame us (Pakistan) for orchestrating the attack.”
Prime Minister Imran Khan noted that in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack, he persistently apprised the BJP leadership of the repercussions of conflict between two nuclear-armed neighbors, however, the Modi-led administration “was in no mood to resolve problems through dialogue.”
(3/3) Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan Policy Statement Speech with English Subtitles at Joint Session National Assembly Islamabad (06.08.19)#Pakistan 🇵🇰 #Kashmir #StandwithKashmir pic.twitter.com/frsA0DB55z
— PTI (@PTIofficial) August 6, 2019
The Premier warned of another Pulwama-like false flag attack and issued warnings against any conventional military confrontation between the two countries.
Way Forward: Pakistan’s Response
Jan Achakzai, seasoned political analyst with vast ties in diplomatic circles, observed that Pakistan has a wide range of diplomatic, legal and political measures to send a stern response to India.
Pakistan must focus on manipulating the fault lines of India, particularly its businesses and financials, and mobilize the Kashmiri diaspora in the west.
The Baloch analyst noted that Pakistan can launch a defensive response by leading a diplomatic surge against India at the United Nations, UNSC, and other bodies, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, ASEAN, and IOC amongst others. He noted that Pakistan can approach the International Court of Justice, alongside halting imports and denying air access to all Indian flights headed to Afghanistan and beyond permanently.
A) Thread
Defensive & Offensive options 4 Pakistan vs 🇮🇳
1) Defensive (short term):—diolomatic surge: U.N., UNSC, IOC, ASEAN, GCC, SCO
—ICJ
—Criminal Court of Justice
—halt imports
—denial air access 2 Indian flights 2 Afghanistan & beyond permanently
—deleverge India in 🇦🇫— Jan Achakzai / جان اچکزئی (@Jan_Achakzai) August 7, 2019
Achakzai noted that Pakistan must “incentivize Iran to replace India with China in the Chabahar Port to make India’s route in Afghanistan dysfunctional.” Jan Achakzai also recommends Islamabad to send back all Indian diplomatic staff, and “raise the stakes for India in Afghanistan.”
The Chairman of the Center for Geo-Politics and Balochistan noted that punishing India through proxies is no longer an option given the ongoing FATF proceedings, however, Pakistan can compromise India’s dependence on the oil markets of the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
B)
—Incentivise Iran 2 replace 🇮🇳 w/ 🇨🇳 in Chahbhar port or make its route dysfunctional in 🇦🇫
—Chuck out diplomatic staff
—raise stakes 4 🇮🇳 in 🇦🇫
What is NOT possible?
—“Punish through proxy” no option due 2 FATF
— 🇮🇳 depends on Kuwait, UAE, KSA 4 oil market can be bridged— Jan Achakzai / جان اچکزئی (@Jan_Achakzai) August 7, 2019
Jan Achakzai noted that Pakistan can also provide financial support to Kashmir separatists and opposition, much like India does in Balochistan.
C)
2) Offensive Options (medium term)
—through macro stability, fiscal & monetary & other supporting policies, make economy robust enough 2 sustain itself 4 long haul w/ out loans
—support financially Kahsmiri opposition like 🇮🇳 is doing in Balochistan.
—raise cost 4 India:— Jan Achakzai / جان اچکزئی (@Jan_Achakzai) August 7, 2019
The political analyst notes that Pakistan must focus on manipulating the fault lines of India, particularly its businesses and financials, and mobilize the Kashmiri diaspora in the west.
D)
—manipulate faultlines of 🇮🇳 particularly business & financials
—hurt 🇮🇳’s soft image as a country unsafe 4 FDI & portfolio investment
—mobilise diaspora Kashmiris 2 sustain war of attrition in IOK 4 next 100 years.
—Smash dream of East/West corridor 2 CA.
—Make it national— Jan Achakzai / جان اچکزئی (@Jan_Achakzai) August 7, 2019
Achakzai noted that Pakistan must “make it a national security imperative to pay Kashmiri tax for sustaining robust campaigning (Think Tank, propaganda, cyber offensive, & soft lobbying in East & West etc.).”
E)
… security imperative 2 pay Kashmiri tax 4 sustaining robust campaigning (Think Tank, propaganda, cyber offensive, & soft lobbying in East & West etc).
—At least 7/8 % growth rate can fund other over & covert measures.
(Note—Medium terms mean 20 years at least)— Jan Achakzai / جان اچکزئی (@Jan_Achakzai) August 7, 2019
The Baloch analyst concluded, “We as a nation cannot forget & forgo Kashmir due to today’s limitations of leverages—power differential; realpolitik; apathy.”
He noted that Pakistan needs to undertake “smart, well thought out & measured policies spanning over medium terms.”
F) We as a nation can not forget & 4 go Kashmir due 2 today’s limitations of leverages—power differential; realpolitik;apathy
—Smart, well thought out & measured policies spanning over medium terms ll deliver.Are we ready 4 cold, calculated policies rather knee jerk outbursts?
— Jan Achakzai / جان اچکزئی (@Jan_Achakzai) August 7, 2019