Aman ki Asha is a deception

Daily.Pk

It is befuddling to see two faces of India; one face breathing fire and yearning to annihilate Pakistan, and the other singing melodious tunes of peace and friendship. One year before, Indian civil and military leaders were indulging in high pitch saber rattling. Their strike formations had moved up into battle locations and fighter jets had scrambled to strike targets in AJK and Muredke.

Indian media and public were up in arms beating war drums. Divorcing sanity and rationalism, Indian leadership accused Pakistan of its involvement in Mumbai attacks and charge-sheeted it without any shred of evidence. They had refused to listen to any explanation and spurned offer of joint investigation. Whatever one-sided evidence was provided to Pakistan was flimsy and fabricated. They got irritated when lies got exposed but USA and UK covered up their concoctions by fully backing them up and putting the entire blame on Pakistan. Their bellicosity has not died down to this date and they are still bent upon trying to coercively impose their will on Pakistan.

On 29 December, Indian army Chief Deepak Kapoor stoked embers of war for the second time in quick succession. No sooner this uncalled for jingoistic statement was made another equally puzzling move was made under the caption of Aman ki Asha (desire for peace). A seminar was organised in New Delhi jointly sponsored by India Times and Jang Group from 10-12 January to promote peace between two arch rivals. Notwithstanding the harmless and well-meaning title, timings of the same were rather odd since it does not fit into the vitiated atmosphere deliberately stoked by India. It is persistently inflating its defence budget and its armed forces are getting laced with latest art-of-weapons and its nuclear program is being radically expanded and upgraded. Added to it are its offensive designs and covert operations against Pakistan. It is in no mood to resolve disputes and ease tensions. From the time India signed peace treaty with Pakistan in January 2004 and promised to resolve all disputes through composite dialogue, India has not moved an inch towards resolution of any dispute. Major disputes are Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, dams on rivers and water. Past master in foot dragging and making false promises, India kept buying time and under the garb of friendship deceived Pakistan by stabbing it in the back. Its intelligence agencies have been indulging in sabotage and subversion and supporting disruptive forces in Pakistan and making several regions turbulent. Even when RAW’s involvement in Balochistan, FATA and Swat came to light our leaders preferred to remain quiet so as not to antagonize India.

Taking our policy of appeasement as a sign of weakness, RAW and Mossad in consultation with CIA cooked up Mumbai drama. Indian political leaders and media upped the ante and held Pakistan squarely responsible for the carnage without a shred of evidence. Their mentors in USA and UK lent credence to their false claims. The incident planned in a shoddy manner backfired and prestige of shining India got badly bruised. Indian public termed it as an intelligence failure. Intelligence agencies, Indian Navy, Coast Guard, Mumbai security apparatus as well as Army were censured since a band of ten terrorists managed to breach the cordon and held the port city hostage for over 72 hours. Response of security forces was simply pathetic, resulting in lots of fatalities including foreigners and loss of face. When Pakistan did not get over awed and held its ground firmly on diplomatic and military planes coolly, maturely and boldly, it nonplussed plot makers in India. As the dust settled down and glaring loopholes in the wicked plan started to prop up, it further perplexed them. It irritated them to find Pakistan objecting to their fake pieces of evidence and got panicky when their lies got exposed. Not knowing what to do, they were left with no other option but to keep crying as victims of terrorism and stubbornly clinging on to their ridiculous stance that India would not renew dialogue unless Pakistan acted upon its silly demands of punishing the culprits and dismantling terrorist networks. While expecting a lot from Pakistan, India refuse to admit that it is involved in subversive activities, well knowing that Pakistan has collected heap of evidence.

Hosts of steps taken by Pakistan were disregarded and like USA, it also started to stupidly sing the mantra of ‘do more’. This piggish stance has become all the more necessary to hide their embarrassment since Ajmal Kasab, the lone witness on which the whole case was cleverly spun by Indian agencies has begun to unravel truths while recoding his statement in the law court. He has categorically denied having killed anyone on 26/11 and revealed that he was kidnapped and put in jail much before the incident and on the day of occurrence he was taken to the site, shot and injured. Involvement of local terrorists aided by elements within Indian army and RAW in Samjhota Express and Malegaon acts of terror has already been proven. In the backdrop of demonstrated Indian bellicosity, Aman ki Asha came as a surprise and left many in Pakistan gaping in wonder as to what to believe and what not to believe. Pro-Indian elements within Pakistan have however hailed the initiative. They have been ignoring Indian clandestine operations together with jingoism and have projected Indo-US theme that religious extremists and not India is the existential threat to security of Pakistan. They laugh and mock those who say that war on terror is US war and not our war. They also ignored Gen Kapoor’s offensive statements but jumped with excitement at the proposed seminar on Aman ki Asha and lauded the idea profusely. In their series of write ups they have projected it as a breakthrough and a step in the right direction towards Indo-Pak détente. None bothered to contemplate that no Indian leader has brought any change in his tone and hawkish style, or taken any confidence building measures (CBM) to ease up tension.

List of invitees was prepared from among them. Aman ki Asha is not meant to promote peace but to once again harm Pakistan through guile and deceit. It has been conceived and sponsored by RAW with devious motives. Real motive behind it is to sidestep real issues of conflict and once again indulge in nonsensical CBMs. It is an effort to hoodwink world comity and to again take Pakistan for a ride.

India has somehow come to the conclusion that as a result of Indo-US-Israel-UK eight-year collective efforts, Pakistan has been sufficiently weakened from within and is now in dire strait. They feel that time is ripe to dictate terms either through military coercion or through peace mantra and extract maximum concessions. They want peace to be imposed on Indian terms which they perceive will be readily accepted by Pakistan. Pro-Indian lobbies particularly among ultra liberals in Pakistan will actively pursue their agenda.

If India is really interested in peace, it will have to first undo some of the blatant wrongs it inflicted upon Pakistan. It must immediately put an end to its intrusive and meddlesome activities in Pakistan, it should abide by Indus Basin Treaty of 1960 and stop stealing water and building dams on rivers flowing into Pakistan, abide by Indo-Pak agreement on Siachen inked in 1989, resolve Sir Creek issue on which already lot of ground has been covered, stop its vile propaganda against Pakistan, develop relations on the basis of trust, friendship, respect and equality. Above all, longstanding Kashmir dispute which is the main bone of contention should be resolved in accordance with UN Resolutions and pledges of Nehru.

A H Raja

Another Slap On The Face For ‘Aman Ki Asha’ Apologists

Sumayya Chawla | PKKH Editorial Team

The great ‘Aman Ki Asha’ inspired love affair between Pakistan and India has just been hit by a bus and chances are that it won’t survive. This came as all of the 11 Pakistani cricketers, most of them from the T20 Worldcup winning side last year were kept out of the third edition of the Indian Premiere League including all-rounder Shahid Afridi who was the highest rated player expected to be the most expensive. This is truly astonishing given that Pakistan is the reigning World Twenty20 champion, and their exclusion devalues the entire competition. What a huge loss for cricket and what utter disappointment for millions of fans. Given that the World Champions are not to be seen in action, it is only logical to say that this makes the IPL anything but ‘World Class’.

Despite the great love story being sold to the people of Pakistan and India by their respective media, there is still not enough love in the world that can hide the hypocrisy and two-facedness that has always characterized India’s dealing with her neighbour. This is just the icing on the cake. It is also very interesting to note that despite the violent attacks on Indian nationals on Australian soil, and the threats issued by the militant Hindu extremist outfit Shiv Sena against Australians playing in India, the Indians were more than happy to have a love-in with the Aussies at IPL. One cannot help but think that this says a lot for the Indian national pride and sense of solidarity with their counterparts being humiliated and abused by the Australians.

Given the threats being issued by Hindu fanatics against foreign players visiting India, it is perhaps a really good thing that Pakistani players are not going to be put in a position where their lives might be at risk from extremist elements and religious fanatics. While the great Bollywood soap opera called ‘Aman ki Asha’ meets an unhappy yet predictable ending, Pakistanis must now realize that the only ‘goodwill gestures’ they will ever receive from across the border are; covert terrorism on its land, caskets of Pakistani prisoners tortured to death in Indian jails for overstaying visas, and poorly disguised threats of war.

UPDATE: Shahid Afridi, Captain of Pakistan’s T20 Team has blasted the IPL over today’s debacle, calling it a carefully orchestrated ‘insult’ to the Pakistani nation and vowing never to participate in the competition in future. Shahid Afridi, who led Pakistan to last year’s T20 World Championship in England, was expected to be the most expensive player in today’s bidding before Pakistani players were sensationally snubbed.

China backs independent Palestinian state

RIYADH/WASHINGTON/OCCUPIED-AL-QUDS: China on Wednesday endorsed efforts to create an independent Palestinian state as Saudi Arabia hardened its accusations that Israel is preventing a settlement of the Middle East conflict.

“China will continue its support for the Palestinian effort to establish an independent state,” Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said on a visit to Riyadh.

Yang said at a news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal that China supports the principles of a two-state solution under the Saudi-driven Arab Peace Initiative, which calls for an independent Palestinian state based on 1967 borders and with al-Quds as its capital.

Saud, meanwhile, stepped up the rhetoric over Israel’s refusal to freeze the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and begin talks with the Palestinians.

“This is the longest conflict in modern times,” Saud said. “The reason why this conflict is long is the refusal by Israel of all the attempts to end this conflict.

Arab countries have done their job with the Arab Peace Initiative, which gives Israel security, and gives the Arab countries the restoration of their lands.

“But peace should be established by two sides, not just one side. If one side does not want peace, peace will not be achieved,” he said.

The comments came as both the US and Saudis have increased efforts to push the Palestinians and Israelis into final-status peace talks that would result in an independent Palestinian state.

Amid a sharp increase in regional diplomacy, White House National Security Adviser James Jones met Saudi King Abdullah late on Tuesday on the first stop of a regional tour that will take him to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

US Middle East special envoy George Mitchell is also expected to visit soon.

The two sides remained at odds over the key issue of Israeli settlements.

The Palestinians and their Arab backers—with Saudi Arabia one of the most important—insist that peace talks cannot resume until Israel freezes the construction of Jewish settlements in the West bank and East al-Quds.

Israel and the United States say talks should proceed with no preconditions.

Earlier, the United States Tuesday voiced its support for a wall being built by Egypt to block a network of tunnels stretching out from the Gaza Strip, arguing it would stop arms smuggling.

“We believe that weapon-smuggling should stop and that measures taken to stop that weapon-smuggling should be, could be carried out, yes,” said State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid.

The vast network of tunnels from Gaza to Egypt, constructed in the sandy earth to bypass a crippling Israeli blockade, has become an economic lifeline for the Palestinians.

The network has weathered Israeli air strikes and Egyptian attempts to flood tunnels with water and gas, but there are accusations that they are used to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip run by the Islamic Hamas Movement.

Citing national security, Egypt is now building an underground iron wall in a new bid to tighten its porous Sinai border with the restive Palestinian territory.

Cairo—which states support for Palestinians and has long mediated between both Israel and Hamas and among Palestinian factions—has only implicitly admitted constructing the iron barrier and has provided no details on its size.

Media reports, however, said it would be 30 meters (100 feet) deep and 10 kilometres (six miles) long. But Duguid stressed Washington also supported “greater access for humanitarian supplies to get into Gaza.

As last reports came in, a court on Wednesday sentenced Israeli Islamist leader Raed Salah to nine months in prison for assaulting a police officer, a spokesman for his movement said.

“The court sentenced Sheikh Raed to nine months in prison and gave him a six-month suspended sentence for rioting and attacking a policeman,” Islamic Movement spokesman Zahi Njedat told AFP.

Salah has until February 28 to appeal the decision, his lawyer Khaled Zabarka said, adding that his client had not yet decided whether to do so.

The alleged assault took place during demonstrations that erupted in and around al-Quds’s Old City in February 2007 when Israel embarked on an illegal construction project near the flashpoint al-Aqsa mosque compound.

Muslim demonstrators said the repair work near the Dung Gate threatened the foundations of the nearby compound, which is the third holiest site for Muslims, who refer to it as Al-Haram Al-Sharif (The Noble Sanctuary).

India Must surrender sovereignty back to Kashmir

DR.ABDUL RUFF Colachal

World cannot be fooled by “innocent” India any more on Kashmir issue, as the concerned and unconcerned agencies are now fully attuned with the latest struggle of Kashmiris for self-determination, freedom, independence from an arrogant India that occupies it illegally since 1947.India wrongly thinks that the Kashmir problem would disappear either by killing all Kashmiris in a sustained manner or by ignoring it. Addressing the deep Kashmiri public sentiment with open mind is a challenge and gun could not be the State’s medium of expression in the current scenario or any time in future.

India State Fraud and Terrorism

Strangely enough, Indian leaders who kill Muslims in militarized Kashmir under Indian occupation, while insulting and torturing them in India are given audience by leaders of USA and other Western powers who are supposedly fighting “terrorism” and care for rule of law and democracy. If an individual or a gang steals things, that would be a crime and if a murder is committed by an individual or a gang, again, that would be a crime punishable. The criminals are produced before the courts and they are punished. But if a country does the same, stealing and killing of people, inside or nearby or in neighboring nations, that, it seems, would not be a crime and, hence, not punishable. When a state indulges in crimes it considers it as its prerogative and takes pride in state sponsored crimes and other forms of atrocities.

Kashmiris are revolting against Indian occupation, oppression and genocides. Kashmiris stand betrayed by their own leaders first by Hindu ones, now their own Muslims. Betrayal Muslims by the governments, parties, media lords and by their own Muslim leaders who use Muslims for the vote bank politics and other conservative Hindu causes in polls is compounded by the official “cleansing” of Muslim dominated areas in Jammu Kashmir. India has tried over and against to add more Hindus to Kashmir. Resolution of Kashmir sovereignty issue could be achieved by sympathetically considering the merit of Kashmiri demand for freedom form occupying India.

Like its “strategic partner USA does, the terrorist move of conservative India has got just one point agenda: Insult, insult and kill the Muslims around, particularly in Kashmir and silence them totally. Indian system employs skillfully the rampant corruption to keep the people busy with silly things while Indian governments go on rampage of the Muslims and their interests. Indian Muslims are brainwashed to the extend that they think and behave like Hindus, most of them even consider themselves as Muslims and feel grateful that they are allowed to be Muslims. At national and regional levels, Muslims are divided along Hindu political party lines; From Delhi to Tamil Nadu the same rule is applied. In Tamil Nadu, for instances, Most of the Muslims are either in DMK or AIDMK, both have cleverly used the Muslims against the “terrorism” background and did nothing for their advancements. On the contrary, they are tortured in jails to tell the central government that they are with “India “. Funnily, even these Muslims work land even live for these parties and they keep politics above their religion and the genuine interests of Muslims. It is not just a case of TN Muslims and politics, but the very national scene. To come to the point, India wanted just one-Muslim mindset which is 100% purely pro-Hindu mindset for all non-Muslims as well and applied the same logic to Kashmiri Muslims also, but, as it is clearly witnessed in Kashmir national pursing, miserably failed.

India opposes peaceful movement

May be Kashmir has been made a “disputed territory” merely for the legality purposes under UN protection, but in fact it is a territory, stolen by force by its hegemonic neighbor India, annexed in 1947 and subsequently heavily militarized by Indian military establishment by siphoning off huge national resources that could have been better used for the betterment of common people, especially the downtrodden and beggar classes. The frauds, killers and destroyers in Kashmir cannot go scot-free, please!

As a colonial practice, India considers Kashmiris the salves of New Delhi and few wealthy Kashmiris are groomed for occasional benefits from New Delhi. Amarnath Yatra of Indian Hindus, discovered by UK, led to Muzaffarabad march by Kashmir Muslims driven to walls by Jammu Hindus who unleashed economic and food terrorism for Srinagar Kashmiris. Since state terrorism and genocide remains the hall mark of Indian policy in Kashmir, the Kashmiri march towards Muzaffarabad in protest against Indian economic atrocities against Kashmir Muslims resulted in the loss of several more lives for freedom struggling Kashmiris, but their resolve to attain independence from occupying India got further strengthened because of the nefarious and threatening methods of tricky hegemonic India. But, also, the Indian move to “clinch” the illegal Amarnarth land deal at any cost from Kashmiris by using all possible techniques, genocide inclusive, has been totally thwarted by Kashmiris. India is now sure people of Kashmir are struggling for their independent rights and the uprising and mass movement for freedom is spontaneous.

And, unfortunately, as usual, more Kashmiris blood has been flown under the bridge since the historic Muzaffarabad March. Indian strategists could feel sadistically satisfied with the deaths of Muslims there and claim a seat at US high table on that account. Recent developments in Kashmir following the failed illegal Amarnath land swindling issue have overturned the oft Indian smart claims and their nefarious mindset. India stands overtly exposed now at international level. It always said Kashmiris are terrorists and they really don’t want freedom but only want to create problems for the “innocent” Indians and others.

But now India is unable to tolerate peaceful demonstrations by Kashmiris in Kashmir. India provokes Kashmiris to take to violence and strengthen Indian tall mischief. Jammu Muslims of Doda, Kishtwar, Poonch and other areas are being threatened and intimidated for participating in peaceful protests. They should continue to support the resistance movement here. Original struggle started from 1931 and is not just the creation of 1990. First it was against the oppression of cruel Dogra rulers and then against the Indian rule. The struggle will continue till Kashmir’s freedom.

Notorious draconian AFSPA has been invoked to fight the freedom struggling Kashmiris and this law reconciles with the changed scenario when people were holding peaceful demonstrations and their leaders stressing virtues of peaceful conduct. This law in fact has now brutalized the entire scenario in the areas where it is applicable as can be assessed from recent events in which security forces used force only selectively.

Hindu Democracy means Terrorism in Kashmir?

Hindu-dominated conservative India has ill-conceived notions about what its neighbors should and should not do to essentially appease New Delhi. Because, India thinks it is “great power” with “connections” with many “great” countries, inducing USA. This conservative India has conservative ideas about international prestige. Arrogant India thinks, quite falsely, that showcase of military strength alone could earn seat at “high tables” internationally. Indian first premier Nehru foresaw this, quickly annexed Kashmir and militarized it. His followers just went on killing the innocent defenseless Kashmiris. But Indian media shamelessly brand the Victims of Indian terror in Kashmir as “terrorists” and the killer India as the “innocent sufferer”. It is unfortunate that powers like Russia, UK and France also joined the terrorist countries like Israel in supplying weapons to India to kill the Kashmiris to whom India should have surrendered their sovereignty long back.

Not only the freedom leaders but even the people of Kashmir have, during recent mass protests, in most profound terms denounced any form of violence despite severest provocations. It is unfortunate that issues like opening of Muzaffarabad road to trade which was piloted by two Prime Ministers belonging to the two opposite poles should have taken half a million people to demonstrate and scores to sacrifice lives to get back on agenda. That too after prolonged talks for hundreds of times at various levels!

India is still wandering about stopping arrogance and suppression of peaceful movements. They have warned New Delhi against its quick fix solutions of “fire-fighting” nature in Kashmir and gun cannot be State’s medium of expression. Like the freedom leaders, some of the pro-India leaders also warned against suppression of Kashmir struggle for freedom. Patron of PDP, former chief minister and central Home-minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on Sept 18 cautioned New Delhi not to suppress aspiration of Kashmiris and respond to public sentiment by taking concrete measures for resolution of Kashmir dispute. He wrote a letter to the Indian PM Manmohan on March 5 2007 and pointed out “it is very important that J&K’s relations with rest of the country should not be symbolized at the local level by the soldier and his gun alone.” The pre-condition most of the times laid by Government of India for working towards the resolution of the Kashmir problem was cessation of violence in the area. Urging New Delhi to revive and push forward the Kashmir resolution process with political courage and sincerity of purpose, he said, “It is time we respond to the public sentiment and take concrete political measures for the resolution of the problem instead of resorting to strong-arm tactics to suppress their aspirations.”

There is absolutely no reason in not talking to the people of Kashmir and listening to their grievances which were being given expression through non-violent protests. PDP chief said his party had constantly been reminding of dangers in slowing down the process of Kashmir resolution.

However, unfortunately for Kashmiris, like other pro-Indian leaders who look to New Delhi for suggestions on solution of Kashmir, Mufti has not clearly stated, as before, the need for sovereignty to define the destiny of Kashmiris. When these pro-India leaders speak they have in mind the New Delhi bosses. That is unpardonable.

Indian weapons arsenals & State Terrorism

India has deployed advanced weaponry to showcase the efficacy of latest weaponry to its neighbors. But the world has better equipment and nuclear and conventional arms toilets. It needs no elaboration that the deployment of fighter jets in Kashmir could be disastrous not only the defenseless Kashmiris and for subcontinent’s peace. Recent show of Indian military might in Kashmir and Indian flirting with Israeli strategists in Jammu are notorious acts. India is capitalizing the fact defenseless Kashmiris don’t possess any modern equipment to deal with insensitive India.

It needs no elaboration that the deployment of fighter jets in Kashmir could be disastrous not only the defenseless Kashmiris and for subcontinent’s peace. Recent show of Indian military might in Kashmir and Indian flirting with Israeli strategists in Jammu are notorious acts.

Kashmir freedom leaders have condemned the Indian terror move in strongest possible ways. Chairman Hurriyat Conference Syed Geelani correctly stated that India has lost all hopes of keeping Kashmiris under its brutal control any more. Kashmiris are now matured enough not only see thought Indian divisive games, but also seek immediate withdrawal of forces and return of sovereignty back to Kashmiris.

Inaugurating the 15th century Aali Masjid at Eidgah after its renovation, Chairman Hurriyat (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said Sep 17 (Ramadan 17) that the deployment of six Sukhoi 30 multi roll aircraft in Kashmir is a matter of concern for the entire region. Mirwaiz said any wrong step by any of the two nuclear powers in the region will be disastrous for the entire subcontinent. (A prominent historical and architectural landmark of Srinagar, Aali Masjid, which many people say used to be haunted was constructed by Sultan Hassan Shah, a 15th century Kashmiri ruler. The day is remembered for Jung Badr (First successful battle of Muslims in Madina against the pagan of Mecca) and death anniversary of Maulana Muhammad Yousuf Shah who was forced to migrate to Pakistan administered Kashmir after 1947. The Masjid served as a major platform for the freedom struggle during the oppressive Dogra rule in early 20th century). Mirwaiz cautioned New Delhi that the relentless use of force by troopers here will prove counter productive and nobody will succumb to these pressure tactics. “India is using force here since decades and trying to impose its sinister design but to no effect. Congratulating Pakistan government for constituting a Kashmir Committee headed by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Mirwaiz said: “ Pakistan being a main party to this issue, we hope they will continue efforts to solve Kashmir dispute.”

Some of the pro-India leaders do warn about state terrorism in Kashmir. Former JK chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on Sept 18 cautioned New Delhi not to suppress aspiration of Kashmiris and respond to public sentiment by taking concrete measures for resolution of Kashmir dispute. Warning New Delhi against its quick fix solutions of “fire-fighting” nature in Kashmir and gun cannot be State’s medium of expression. He wrote a letter to the Indian PM Manmohan on March 5 2007, in which he had pointed out “it is very important that JK’s relations with rest of the country should not be symbolized at the local level by the soldier and his gun alone.” PDP chief said his party had constantly been reminding of dangers in slowing down the process of Kashmir resolution.

Kashmir News from UN Headquarters

True, marking a clear departure from the history of hatred and hostility in the region, the peace process initiated in 2003, yielded momentous dividends in the shape of the ceasefire along the borders, opening up of cross-LoC routes for passenger traffic and visits by the representatives of the civil society, media professionals, businessmen and ordinary citizens to and from the two sides of Kashmir. The lack of follow-up and misplaced priorities after 2005, unfortunately, pushed not only the confidence building measures under the carpet but also put the peace process on the back-burner. And the result is there for everybody to see. India adopts a “wait and see’ approach after every peace talk coercing the Kashmiris to fall in Indian line.

UN Secretary General has already warned India against terror methods in Kashmir. OIC Kashmir Contact Group met at the United Nations headquarters New York on September 24, 2008. The meeting was chaired by Secretary General, Professor Ekmeleldin Ihsanoglu, who reiterated full support and solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and remarked, “After the new developments in Jammu and Kashmir reiterate the continued support of the organization to the Kashmiri people in their struggle for self-determination. I condemned the use of force against the Kashmiri people and I called the Indian government to take immediate steps to end violence against innocent Kashmiris.” Turkish foreign minister, Ali Babajan pleaded for lasting settlement of the Kashmir problem and he hoped that India – Pakistan engagement will need fruitfully to a just and lasting solution in accordance with international legitimacy. Pakistani foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi reiterated the solemn commitment of the promise of self-determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He invoked the international community to redeem their support to the unfulfilled promise of self-determination and help in addressing the long festering issue because the benefits of the solution will be gigantic not only for India and Pakistan but for the region as well. The government in Pakistan, opposition and all other parties are united in their stand regarding Kashmir issue.

An Observation

Indian terror forces are waging a bloody war in Kashmir, exposing a clash between identities, imagination, and history as it is a conflict over Jammu Kashmir territory, resources and peoples. Kashmir valley, predominantly of Muslims, has been beset with violence as Indian terror security forces confront huge rallies by Kashmiris calling for independence from India. Since conservative India is ill-focused on Kashmir and, therefore, never expressed sympathies with the families of all those who lost their near and dear ones during the recent protests in Kashmir. After the a relative gun silence form Indian terror forces and after the discovery of secret grave-yards, the illegal Amarnath land deal by Indian Hindu leaders in Kashmir forest, have added over 40 more deaths to the Kashmiri martyrs tally. Kashmir’s newly buried men and women are maybe a mere addition to cold statistic of the dead in the Kashmir valley, but for the majority of its 6.7 million people, they are the new ‘martyrs’.

Kashmiris are becoming impatient with Indian criminal silence on the one side and Indian terror genocides in Kashmir on the other. It is time that bold, strong and, of course, measured initiatives are taken to strengthen the Kashmir people’s faith in the process of dialogue and peaceful resolution. A renewed and resolute political effort has to be made to reach out to the people of Kashmir. Democracy should not be confined only to killing innocent Kashmiris, illegal land deals, holding of elections in the State, the civil society and the institutions of democracy must get a free play. Freedom leaders need to be respected and their cause properly understood.

No doubt, India has huge weapons toilets, including nuclear that makes it feel proud of, but WMD are a serious risk. As it is known, India suffers from serious complexes, more of superiority than other wise, it thinks the arms toilets it posses would let have the Kashmiris under its feet. They are terribly mistaken, as the popular uprising showed. Kashmiris have the right protest against Indian move to nuclearize Kashmir region by placing and operating nuclear enabled jets in Kashmir and ask India not to use Kashmir as a buffer zone for its military misadventures against its neighbors like Pakistan and China. Kashmiris have the right to seek the the intervention of UN and UNSC in Kashmir forthwith.

The Government of India must move fast on the public demand for reduction of troops and revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the State to assuage the hurt public sentiment, besides speeding up cross-LoC confidence building process.

New Delhi must know the repressive tactics have failed in the past and it is going to face the same fate in future as well. And it is high time India changed its terrorist and coercive tactics. Kashmiris will definitely intensify their struggle for freedom while, the Pakistanis, with whom Kashmiris have historically and culturally bound ties, would make efforts to solve Kashmir issue according to the aspirations of Kashmiris and keep an eye on combined sacrifices as well.

India suffers from too many complexes and it is under self-imposed pressure not to concede sovereignty back to Kashmir. The new governor NN Vohra is better placed, though a strategists himself, to take the initiative to talk to the freedom leaders. There is absolutely no reason in not talking to the people of Kashmir and listening to their grievances which were being given expression through non-violent protests. The pre-condition most of the times laid by Government of India for working towards the resolution of the Kashmir problem was cessation of violence in the area. On behalf of the Government of India, its representative in JK, Vohra must engage in a constructive, comprehensive, purposeful and productive dialogue process, not only with Pakistan, but with the people of Jammu and Kashmir as well, to resolve the issue. The stabilization of political situation in Pakistan has offered another window of opportunity for the revival of the peace process and resolution of Kashmir.

It is widely anticipated expected that India would now by all means try to find an escape route and surrender sovereignty to Kashmiris. If, however, India goes ahead with further militarization and nuclearization of Kashmir, UN and UNSC should also strengthen freedom fighting Kashmir as well with latest high precision weapons arsenals to stop India state terrorism. USA should make India resolve the Kashmir sovereignty issue settled once for all in favor of freedom Kashmiris.

However, hopefully, Kashmiris shall win their sovereignty very soon!

———————–
DR.ABDUL RUFF Colachal
Researcher in International Affairs,
South Asia
E Mail : abdulruff_jnu@yahoo.com

Isha Khan   bdmailer@gmail.com

China tried to hack our computers, says India’s security chief

Daily.Pk

Chinese hackers are believed to have attempted to penetrate India’s most sensitive government office in the latest sign of rising tensions between the two rival Asian powers.M. K. Narayanan,

India’s National Security Adviser, said his office and other government departments were targeted on December 15, the same date that US companies reported cyber attacks from China.

“This was not the first instance of an attempt to hack into our computers,” Mr Narayanan told British newspaper in a rare interview.

He said that the attack came in the form of an e-mail with a PDF attachment containing a “Trojan” virus, which allows a hacker to access a computer remotely and download or delete files. The virus was detected and officials were told not to log on until it was eliminated, he said.

“People seem to be fairly sure it was the Chinese. It is difficult to find the exact source but this is the main suspicion. It seems well founded,” he said, adding that India was co-operating with America and Britain to bolster its cyber defences.

China has denied any role in the hacking attacks, which began on December 15 and also targeted US defence contractors and finance and technology companies, including Google. “Hacking in whatever form is prohibited by law in China,” said Jiang Yu, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman.

France criticizes US ‘occupation’ of Haiti

PressTv

The United States has deployed over 10,000 troops to quake-stricken Haiti.

France is demanding the United Nations investigate and clarify the dominant US role in Haiti, after Washington deployed over 10,000 troops to the quake-hit country.

The demand came after US forces turned back a French aid plane carrying a field hospital from the main airport in the Haitian capital.

The Pentagon says it has deployed soldiers in Haiti to help victims of Tuesday’s earthquake. This comes as US paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division took control of the main airport in the capital Port-au-Prince on Friday.

The move has raised ire among aid agencies with extensive experience of operating in disaster zones.

“This is about helping Haiti, not about occupying Haiti,” France’s Cooperation Minister Alain Joyandet said in an emergency EU meeting concerning Haiti on Monday.

He added that he expects a UN decision on how governments should work together in Haiti, while demanding a clarification of the United States’ role in the Caribbean nation.

Joyandet’s remarks echo those made by Venezuela and Nicaragua that expressed “deep concern” over the US deployment of troops in Haiti.

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton whose country is also blamed for not being quick enough to send aid to the quake-hit nation has denied the occupation charges, stressing on Saturday that the White House had no intention of taking power from Haitian officials.

The US has been accused of interfering in Haitian internal affairs in the past.

The US military played a role in the departure of the former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide before his second term was over in early 2004. Aristide has described his departure as a kidnapping.

Last week’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti is estimated to have left some 200,000 people dead and more than 1.5 million homeless, with at least 70,000 bodies collected from the rubble so far.

Holbrooke tells India to stop interfering in Afghanistan-Pakistan

NEW DELHI: India on Monday told the United States that it had no agenda in Afghanistan except seeing it emerge as a stable and peaceful country.

To this end, India would continue to work in Afghanistan on development projects but with no geo-political ambitions, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna told the visiting U.S. Special Envoy on Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, here.

Mr. Holbrooke was also told about India’s involvement in infrastructure building in Afghanistan.

The U.S. Special Envoy said he was looking forward to the international conference on Afghanistan, scheduled for January 28 in London, and expected a positive contribution from India.

He also informed Mr. Krishna of two preparatory meets scheduled in Turkey with India participating in one of them. Mr. Krishna is scheduled to attend the London meeting.

Mr. Holbrooke briefed the Minister on the steps taken by the U.S. in Afghanistan and the content of his talks in Islamabad and Kabul.

Sources in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Mr. Krishna indicated India’s keenness to see the situation stabilise in Afghanistan but professed disinterestedness on other issues of tactical military importance.

Emerging from the talks, Mr. Holbrooke said India was a “tremendously important participant in the search for peace and stability not only in south Asia but throughout the vast region that stretches from the Mediterranean to the Pacific.”

He reiterated the U.S.’ expectation of “more action” from Pakistan in routing the Taliban from its bases on the Afghan-Pakistan border despite being encouraged by its battle with the militants in the Swat Valley.

The main subject of his talks with the Pakistani leadership during his ongoing three-nation visit was the spread of the Taliban in the North West Frontier Province. Mr. Holbrooke did not think Monday’s attack in Kabul was surprising “since they are desperate people.”

He said:

“They are ruthless and the people who are doing this will certainly not survive this attack nor will they succeed, but we can expect this sort of thing on a regular basis.

“That is what Taliban are. They are part of extremist groups operating in the border areas between Afghanistan and Pakistan and they do these desperate things all the time and India knows all this.”

Chavez: US uses earthquake to occupy Haiti

Presstv

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accused the United States of taking advantage of the deadly earthquake in Haiti to occupy the Caribbean country.

Chavez on Sunday scoffed Washington’s move to send thousands of American soldiers to Haiti, describing them as “Marines armed as if they were going to war.”

“There is not a shortage of guns there, my God. Doctors, medicine, fuel, field hospitals, that’s what the United States should send,” Chavez said on his weekly television show.

“They are occupying Haiti undercover,” he warned.

The Pentagon says it has deployed more than 10,000 soldiers in Haiti to help victims of Tuesday’s earthquake. This comes as US paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division took control of the main airport in the capital Port-au-Prince on Friday.

“On top of that, you don’t see them in the streets. Are they picking up bodies? … Are they looking for the injured? You don’t see them. I haven’t seen them. Where are they?” Chavez went on to ask.

Chavez’s remarks echo those earlier made by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega who on Saturday expressed “deep concern” over the US deployment of troops in Haiti.

The US has been accused of interfering in Haitian internal affairs in the past. The US military played a role in the departure of the former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide before his second term was over in early 2004. Aristide has described his departure as a kidnapping.

Despite the sharp criticism, Chavez said he did not mean to diminish the humanitarian effort made by the United States and was only questioning the need for so many troops.

The Venezuelan president promised his nation would send as much gasoline as needed for transport and producing electricity in Haiti.

Caracas has sent several planes with doctors, aid and some soldiers to the island state and a Russia-Venezuela mission is due to leave for the stricken country on Monday.

Last week’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti is estimated to have left some 200,000 people killed and more than 1.5 million others homeless, with at least 70,000 bodies collected from the rubbles so far.

Delhi fears UK, US, pullout from Afghanistan

RupeeNews

* Islamabad, New Delhi tell UK special envoy both countries unlikely to support plans if ‘genuine security interests’ are not addressed

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the London conference on Afghanistan, the British roadmap for an exit strategy has unnerved policymakers both in India and Pakistan: while New Delhi considers the return of the Taliban inimical to its interests, Pakistan does not want a repeat of the 1988 Geneva agreement that allowed Soviet troops to withdraw without addressing Islamabad’s security interests.

British Special Envoy on Afghanistan Sherard Cowper-Coles, who was in the region last week, was told by both Indians and Pakistanis that they would not support an exit strategy until their “genuine security interests” had been addressed.

India has panicked to the extent that New Delhi sent its Military Intelligence chief to Kabul last week to assure the Karzai regime of support in the event of foreign troops’ disengagement.

While India has so far refused to send troops to Afghanistan, it remains committed to rebuilding the war-torn country. New Delhi is also working on a strategy to strengthen the Afghan Army.

The British plan – which will be tabled at the London conference – calls for the Taliban to share power in the next 18 months with the current regime and the group’s members to be integrated into the Afghan Army. With British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s own future hanging in the balance, he must explain the continuing British involvement in Afghanistan. Brown may be pushing the Afghan plan for his own sake, but it could have the secret approval of the US president.

But India fears the British plan would not only translate into heightened militant activity in Jammu and Kashmir, but would also amount to “amending” the Afghan constitution and revising the UN Security Council terrorist list. If the British plan is put into operation, Indian officials also fear it would lead to control of Afghanistan falling into the hands of the Taliban, Pakistan and the ISI.

Fearing that India may oppose their plan, major powers involved in the conference are apparently making it a point to take New Delhi on board – the UK’s special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan was here this week to explore where India would fit into the plan to be discussed in London; US special envoy Richard Holbrooke is scheduled for consultations here on Monday; the Russian security secretary is expected early next month to specifically discuss Afghanistan; and the US defence secretary is also arriving here next week for talks on Afghanistan.

Pakistan has been resisting the plan primarily because it envisages India joining a regional council on Afghanistan, to be set up after the London conference. It also believes that once the West exits Afghanistan, the Kashmir. Pakistan, India wary of UK’s Afghan exit plan By Iftikhar Gilani

India – China: Rift Widens

Daily.Pk

INDIA IS LOSING THE BALANCE

Sino india India which has openly signed a number of mutual agreements with China, calling the latter a strategic partner, has been playing a double game with Beijing by acting upon a secret strategy.

Although Sino-Indian differences have always existed due to Indian presumption that peace-loving China is its adversary, yet the same has entered into the alarming situation when on December 29, 2009, Indian Army chief General Deepak Kapoor openly revealed that Indian Army “is now revising its five-year-old doctrine” and is preparing for a “possible two-front war with China and Pakistan.” While New Delhi is no is match to Beijing in conventional and nuclear weapons, but this statement clearly shows that Indian rulers are ready to go even to the extent of war especially against China. However, with the statement of Kapoor, Sino-Indian rift which has been in its embryonic stage has come on the surface.

Last year, Indian leaders and media seriously reacted to an article of a Chinese think-tank, Zhan Lue who suggested the disintegration of India. As a matter of fact, it was the only personal opinion of a Chinese think-tank, having no official backing, but Indian high officials took it as the state voice of Beijing. In this respect, on August 11, India Today cited Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta disclosing: “China is likely to be more assertive on its claims, especially on its immediate neighbours…matching division should be changed to technological advancement on the Indian military side. We should reduce the Chinese footprints on the Indian Ocean.”

While criticising the article, former officer of the Indian intelligence agency, RAW RSN Singh remarked, “This kind of a report never comes without state approval. But India is fully prepared, if the Chinese think of any misadventure, they will be in for a shock.”

In fact, under the pretext of Chinese threat to the Indian Union, New Delhi has itself been planning to destablise, and even to disintegrate China. In this regard, on March 10, 2008 when anti-government violent protests by Buddhist monks erupted in Tibet’s capital, Lhasa including nearby provinces, India, backed the same, though outwardly denied. Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet who has lived in exile in India along with his 120,000 followers since a failed revolt against Chinese rule in 1959 has been tacitly encouraged by New Delhi—enabling him to mobilize armed groups and international support to create instability in the neighboring provinces of China. For this purpose, India has clandestinely established secret camps where Dalai Lama’s militants are being imparted armed training. In this respect, Indian RAW has sent a number of agents who have joined the ranks and files of the Tibetan insurgents of China, and they create unrest from time to time.

New Delhi shows that despite Sino-Indian border dispute, she does not favour an independenceBorder Disputes of Tibet and avoids any propaganda against Beijing. But Indian stand was indirectly expressed by its leaders and media. For example, the former foreign minister Yashwant Sinha had said, “We want good relations with China, but if we reach a point of conflict over Tibet, we should  be prepared for that eventuality.”

The state-run China Daily, on July 27, 2006, denounced the Lama as a “splittist” and pointed out that he has “collaborated with the Indian military and American CIA to organise Indian Tibetan special border troops to fight their way back into Tibet.”

It is notable that in order to conceal its covert activities, India has always blamed China for backing Maoist uprising. In this context, instead of addressing the root causes of the Maoist uprising, Indian government has recently intensified its blame game against China, alleging for supplying arms to these insurgents.

While everyone knows that in more than seven states, India itself faces separatist movements which are the result of acute poverty and social injustices. Particularly, Maoist movement has been raging in the form of peasant uprising in West Bengal. And its leader, Mupala Luxman Rao in 1969, protested against big Hindu landlords who left no stone unturned in molesting the poor people through their mal-treatment such as forced labour, minimum wages, unlawful torture and even killings. Now this movement which is indigenous has expanded to Indian other regions including Maharashtra. At present, it is a popular insurgency by the downtrodden who have massive support of people for their ideology.

In this regard, on October 31, 2009, The New York Times wrote, “India’s Maoist rebels are now present in 20 states and have killed more than 900 Indian security officers…India’s rapid economic growth has made it an emerging global power but also deepened stark inequalities in society.” However, by neglecting all these ground realties, and accusing Beijing, New Delhi has been advancing towards a self-destructive path. Taking cognizance of Kapoor’s threat against China and Pakistan, on January 2, Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) Chairman Gen. Tariq Majid has rightly indicated, “The Indian Army Chief’s statement exhibits a lack of strategic acumen. He further said that such a path could “fix India on a self-destructive mechanism.”

India’s misperceptions about Beijing in connection with Maoist movement could also be judged from the fact that it has also been accusing the latter for supporting Maoist insurgency in Nepal. Recently, India has also blamed China for backing a Maoist study center so as to cause uprising in Nepal. While these Indian allegations were already proved untrue when in the recent past, Maoist political party won the overwhelming majority in country’s first genuine elections.

As regards Indian new military build up against China, on May 31 last year, after 43 years, New Delhi re-opened its Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) airbase in northern Ladakh, which overlooks the strategic Karakoram Pass and is only 8 kilometers, south of the Chinese border-Aksai Chin area. India has also erected more than 10 new helipads and roads between the Sino-Indian border.

In this connection, Defence Ministry planners are working on building additional airfields and increasing troops—raising two new mountain divisions to be deployed along the 4,057-kilometer Line of Actual Control (LAC).

With the help of Israel and America, on 26 February 2008, India conducted its first test of a nuclear-capable missile from an under sea platform after completing its project in connection with air, land and sea ballistic systems.

In the recent past, Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta revealed that New Delhi “will soon float tenders to acquire six submarines”. Mehta also accused Beijing and explained that the “Indian Navy would keep a close watch on the movements of Chinese submarines which are operating out of an underground base in the South China Sea” and “wish to enter the Indian Ocean”. However, under the pretension of China factor, New Delhi and Israel with the tactical support of the sole superpower are plotting to block the sea lanes of the Indian Ocean for their joint strategic goals.

It is of particular attention that in May 1998, when India detonated five nuclear tests, the then Defense Minister George Fernandes had declared publicly that “China is India’s potential threat No. 1.” India which successfully tested missile, Agni-111 in May 2007, has been extending its range to target all the big cities of China.

America which signed a nuclear deal with India in 2008, intends to make India a mini-super power of Asia by containing China and destablising Pakistan as well as Iran. Pakistan’s province, Balochistan where China has invested billion of dollars to develop Gwadar seaport irritates both Washington and New Delhi.

However, Beijing and Islamabad cannot neglect their common defence when their adversaries are following a covert strategy. In this connection, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari had decided to visit China after every three months to further cement ties between both the old friends. Both the countries have signed eleven agreements to enhance bilateral cooperation in diverse sectors. So Sino-India rift is also part of the greater cold war between the US and China. Besides, Indian reservations regarding China’s infrastructural projects in Azad Kashmir are unjustified and discriminative.

Indian game plan against Beijing could also be assessed from the fact that on the one hand, New Delhi is grabbing waters of neighboring countries by building dams, while India is challenging the Chinese plans to build a dam on the river Yarlung Tsangpo in the upper reaches of Tibetan plateau, reiterating that it would adversely affect navigation in the Brahmaputra River.

Returning to our earlier discussion India which has wide-ranging agreements with Beijing, apparently emphasises mutual cooperation, but has been acting upon anti-China secret diplomacy. Hence, Sino-Indian rift has widened in the recent times.

Sajjad Shaukat