DOST KHAN
JAMMU: While Pakistan has gone whole-hog in countering the authenticity of surgical operations carried out by Indian Army deep into PoK, indicating these being fake, some Indian leaders too have joined the rhetoric, brazenly and shamelessly. After Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s doubts over the strikes under the garb of sarcastic praise to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader from Maharashtra, Sanjay Nirupam, without mincing words, described the operations as fake. Now the issue has snowballed into a huge political war between BJP and Congress after Rahul Gandhi made insensitive and inappropriate comment of “Khoon Ke Dalal”.
Expectedly, Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal have hit headlines in Pakistan media with the rogue country’s jingoistic leaders hammering India by Indian tools itself.
Having said that, and despite repeated denials, Pakistan is undergoing a crisis like situation after India’s successful operations inside the Line of Control, which killed 35-40 terrorists besides nine Pak army personnel. The fact that surgical strikes have taken place is establaished by panic reaction all over Pakistan with all-party meeting taking place, security briefings being held on hourly basis, several airports shut and five divisions of army moved towards LoC, and last but not the least, the Senate of that country passing a ‘unanimous’ resolution on Kashmir.
Pakistan’s denial mode on the strikes was short-lived. It was, in fact, rebooted by all powerful international terrorist Hafiz Saeed, hours after the attack itself when he warned India of a befitting response for its military operations, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi will now know what is meant by surgical strikes. He went on saying that India will get the response soon. True to his word, it came, first in Baramulla and later at Langate in Northern Kashmir. As a consequence and as a result of swift action by the alert armed and paramilitary forces, three terrorists were neutrilised in Langate while four others got killed while infiltrating in Naugam Sector.
The question, however, is not why Pakistan denied the surgical strikes or how Hafiz Saeed admitted. It is all about Sayeed Salahuddin, the so-called chief of United Jehad Council, who is intriguingly silent over all these developments that have taken place during the past eight days in his terror haven across the LoC. Always omnipresent, whatever the situation is, Salahuddin did not speak a word on the strikes. Being point man of the ISI in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, he ought to have been coordinating, supervising and ensuring transgression of terrorists, under the cover of regular Pakistan Army or Rangers, to his own Valley for creating destruction and disruption. He is supposed to have been present somewhere close or inside the bunkers which came under Indian strikes. Where has he vanished? He should have spoken out. He should have given his reaction over the strikes, as he was the man in command. Fond of releasing statements and issuing warnings behind the cover of ISI, Sallahuddin too could have taken the line of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief Government and denied the surgical operations or endorsed his terror Guru Hafiz Saeed’s threats. History is replete of instances when under-cover agents or commandos have crossed over to the enemy fortresses and eliminated or picked up their targets in precision operations. As recent as on 12 November 2015, a 21-member group of the elite Israeli army unit – known as Mustaarabin – barged into a hospital room in Palestine and killed their target – who required surgery after earlier being shot by Israeli security forces. Osama bin Laden’s case is a startling example of professionalism with perfection by the US Navy Seal personnel.
In such a scenario, whereabouts of Salahuddin raise several questions. One wonders as to why he has preferred to maintain silence. He was not seen in the meeting of terror or Jihadi commanders and think-tank, beamed over television channels, which met amid the tension of surgical strikes in PoK. Some ISI operatives were also sighted in the meeting. Was Salahuddin so insignificant that his presence was not felt necessary in devising strategies of ‘Jihad’ in Kashmir? He was last heard on 4th September 2016, threatening Kashmir to be converted a “graveyard” for Indian armed forces in an interview with Times of India. Nothing has been heard about him since then, particularly after the surgical operations. He should have spoken. Where is he?
