Kashmir’s Indigenous Freedom Movement

Kashmir is in the throes of violence because of an indigenous freedom movement.

It is obvious to anyone. The international community has a moral obligation to speak up but will not; morality is not a factor in the affairs of the world. Pakistan needs to present a narrative to the world but it is too incompetent to do it and displays criminal indifference to the matter. The Committee for Kashmir Affairs is conspicuous in its silence yet enjoys the perks and privileges of high office, the government appears irrelevant to the moment without a foreign minister. India takes advantage due to lack of interest shown by Pakistan in particular and the world at large. The only narrative we hear of is Pakistan fomenting violence through Jihadi groups. False Flag operations of Pathankot and Uri are bandied about as evidence of Pakistani complicity; Pakistan’s silence is not only damning but self-incriminatory.

Afghanistan has a huge contingent of Indian advisors sitting in Kabul. NATO/ISAF/US have lost the war and are confused about how to define the way forward. Australia decides to reinforce with 30 more men, Germany is gearing up for more. Afghanistan is fast becoming a narco state. The Taliban govern 60% of Afghanistan, the government is irrelevant as India dictates policy and the Western Coalition justifies its failures. Both have Pakistan as a ready scapegoat. Pakistan is blamed for the civil war in Afghanistan, once again its narrative is lost by default. The Afghans attack Chaman, the government is silent, the Afghans are evicted, the government is still silent and now the border opens and the ISPR announces because the government will not. A bomb explodes in Kabul, Pakistan as usual is blamed; and why not, when our own accuse the military even before the Afghans do.

Pakistan, with its reputation in tatters and its credibility next to zero, allows Mullah Aziz to walk around in Islamabad with an armed escort. Qadri’s death anniversary is celebrated by thousands. There are more madrassas in Islamabad than regular schools. Sammy Sandwich is given 30 million to boost his madrassa. Muneeb searches the sky for the moon. Cyber Laws silence critics, bloggers go missing. Yet everyone wonders why Pakistan is suspected of extremism.

Our government decides this is the right time to orchestrate the DawnLeaks by publishing false news implicating military involvement in facilitating terrorism. A soft stand on Kulbushan to dilute Indian complicity. Unexplained hobnobbing with Jindal. Own drawing room patriots use the occasion to blame the Army and the ISI; they say it’s their right and national duty to trash their own; they do it with the confidence of the ignorant but do it they must.

The enemy quotes our own government and our citizens who bash their own Army and Intelligence agencies, it’s a win-win for Pakistan’s enemies.  These insinuations and accusations are not true but we leave no stone unturned to prove how right the enemy is. Our two minutes of glory under the sun is enough to play to the galleries and into the hands of our enemy’s. We present animated arguments in our defence; “if I criticize anybody I am accused of being unpatriotic”, well in this case you are by any established standard. Kashmir is indigenous and Afghanistan is in a state of civil war, Pakistan has little or no influence in both due to lack of capacity and will. Pakistan needs to concentrate on cleaning up its own stables and must remove these ‘players’ from the argument all together. Separate religion from politics, execute madrasa reforms, implement NAP and make NACTA functional. None of this is the military’s responsibility or within its jurisdiction. To simply say well it’s the military that influences matters is hooting in the wind; more the ignorance greater the wind. It is time to call a spade a spade; the government needs to shape up and stop blaming the past.

Lt. General Tariq Khan (Retired), an erudite general from Pakistan’s Armored Corps and a decorated War Veteran, is an expert on critical issues related to Terrorism & Insurgencies. General Tariq Khan during the Battle of Bajaur, transformed and re-shaped Frontier Corps into a relentless fighting force and raised FC’s own special forces popularly known as SOG. Commanded and led major operations in FATA from the frontline, his model on counter-insurgency is still applied to this day.

Lt. General Tariq Khan (Retired) leads CommandEleven’s Board of Advisors as our Patron-in-Chief.

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