Pakistan’s attempt to internationalise the Kashmir issue will not “whitewash” its support to cross-border terrorism. The recent arrest of LeT terrorist Bahadur Ali is yet another proof of Pakistan’s continued involvement in cross-border terrorism and infiltration into India, despite several assurances that it will not allow its territory to be used for terrorism against any other country. Pakistan has no locus standi in addressing any aspect of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, which is an internal matter of India, except to put an end to all cross-border terrorism, infiltration and support and instigation to terrorism and violence against India. It does not matter how many letters are written by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif or the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed to UN Security Council or to other world bodies it will still not whitewash its role in cross-border terrorism. This is for the first time that NIA has shown a video statement of a captured militant. Pakistan had earlier this year shown a video statement of Kulbhushan Yadav, an Indian national arrested in Balochistan in March over charges of spying for the Indian intelligence agency. Pakistan should openly stand with the freedom movement of Kashmiris. If it does not cooperate with the oppressed people, then this country will not get rid of its own problems due to Allah’s anger. Blood of Kashmiris invite us to openly help them, Sharif had said. Last week, a media report stated that Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed advised the Nawaz Sharif government and traders in Pakistan to suspend all the business activities with its neighbouring country till the ‘independence of Kashmir’ is achieved. Such rhetoric is good for domestic consumption and to some extent to the Muslim world on which Pakistan looks forward to gain support for carrying forward its Kashmir agenda. On the one hand it has been fighting for Kashmir, its own stand on PoK stands diluted with region witnessing massive protest as locals alleged rigging by ISI in recently held elections which saw Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) winning 32 out of 41 seats. Pakistan should take cue from its internal uprising rather than poke its nose in Indian affairs which would be good to maintain regional semblance.
