Exposed: Pakistan’s propaganda machine
Pakistan army chief Gen. Asim Munir on Saturday again harped on the Hindu-Muslim “two-nation theory” at the military academy passing out parade, and said, this theory was central to the existence and identity of his country. Gen. Munir and Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif told the parade that their armed forces were ready to retaliate if India launches an attack. Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreing Minister Ishaq Dar has said that if India launches attack, it must not underestimate his country’s capability. “We have nuclear bombs and missiles and we will give a strong response”, he said. Wartime posturings apart, the fact remains that Pakistan cannot win a conventional war against India and India cannot be browbeaten by the threat of nuclear weapons. Last year, I had asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi in my television show in Delhi, and the PM jocularly replied that he had gone to check in Pakistan and found nothing. However, there is one point in which Pakistan can remain pro-active. It can peddle lies and with the social media platforms working overtime, it is easier to do this. In one video, made viral by Pakistani elements, a man appeared claiming to be an Indian army officer and held Indian army responsible for the Pahalgam terror attack. This man is clearly a tool working for Pakistan’s propaganda machine and he has nothing to do with the Indian army. All the claims that he was making are plain lies. Another narrative that was set in motion is that the CRPF deployment at the meadow in Pahalgam was removed a few days before the terror attack, on the directions of a senior official. This is a white lie. Pakistan also released a so-called list of Pahalgam victims to claim that there were 15 Muslims among those killed. This is another big lie. No need to add more such examples here. In the coming days, more lies will be peddled and efforts will be made to divide people in India by creating scares. Such narratives will be put in motion to appear as if they are authentic. All of us must remain careful and tell others to refrain from trusting such propaganda as gospel truth. In today’s information technology age, propaganda is a powerful tool and all of us should be wary.
Indus Water : Modi has struck at Pakistan’s jugular vein
After a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Friday, Water Resources Minister C R Paatil said, the government is working on short-term, medium-term and long-term measures to ensure that “not even a drop of water from Indus river system goes to Pakistan”. Responding to this, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday that “any move to stop or divert Pakistan’s share of water under the Indus Waters Tready, will be met with full force, and “no one should harbour any illusions about or resolve”. Pakistan Deputy PM Ishaq Dar said, his country will appeal to the United Nations to intervene. Pakistan People’s Party chief Bilawal Bhutto said, “blood will flow if our share of water is stopped”. Already because of water shortage in summer, inter-province protests have begun in Sindh and Punjab, with people trying to stop movement of tankers carrying petroleum fuel to Punjab. People of Sindh are alleging that Punjab province is depriving them of their due share of water. Eight per cent of Pakistan’s agricultural output is dependent on water from Indus river saystem. Nearly 90 per cent of Pakistan’s food production is also depending on Indus river and its tributaries. Hydel power plants in Pakistan are dependent on Indus river water flow. To put in brief, nearly 25 pc of Pakistan’s GDP depends of Indus water river system and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has struck at this jugular vein. It is true that India presently lacks infrastructure to completely stop the flow of Indus water to Pakistan, but alarm bells are already ringing in Pakistan. Four wars were fought during the last 70 years, several diplomatic conflicts took place, but the Indus Water Treaty was never fiddled with. After Pahalgam killings, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown the courage to keep the treaty in abeyance. People in Pakistan will now be starved of water and power. They will then realize the consequence of sheltering, training and sending terrorists to India.
Why homes of terrorists were razed
All-out action against terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir continues, with houses of five Lashkar terrorists demolished by security forces in the Valley. The houses of Adil Hussain Thoker in Bijbehara, Anantnag, Asif Sheikh in Awantipora, Shahid Ahmed Kuttay in Shopian, Zahid Ahmed in Kulgam and Ahsan Sheikh in Pulwama were razed on Friday. These homes belonged to terrorists who were getting support from Pakistan. Prime Minister Modi had openly said in his Bihar rally that the edifices of terrorism will be razed to the ground. On Saturday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, his country was ready to join any “impartial, transparent probe into Pahalgam killings”, but he seems to have forgotten that India no more asks for evidence, it responds with lightning speed. Those days of India sending dossiers about terrorists to Pakistan are over, India now sends army, not dossiers. Already, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, in an interview to Sky News, has admitted that Pakistan had been nurturing terrorist groups for the last 30 years to help USA and UK. On Friday, Indian Air Force jets conducted ‘Exercise Aakraman’ near Line of Control. Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi held meetings with commanders in Srinagar and Udhampur to chalk out plans. All eyes are now on Indian armed forces.
Time to teach another lesson to Pakistan
Even as the Army, CRPF and J&K police conducted a joint combing search operation to hunt terrorists who killed 28 tourists at the famous Baisaran valley meadow of Pahalgam, Kashmir, crucial details are emerging about how the attack was planned and executed by a Lashkar-e-Tayyaba hit-and-run cell. It is obvious that the attack was masterminded by Pakistanis sitting across the Line of Control. Home Minister Amit Shah laid wreaths on the coffins of 28 tourists who were killed in the heinous attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his Saudi Arabia visit and returned to Delhi to chalk out India’s firm response to this attack. US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the prime ministers of UK, Australia and several other countries have condemned this attack. There is not an iota of doubt that those who killed innocent and unarmed tourists in Pahalgam are not only cowards, but enemies of humanity and Kashmiriyat. Kashmir is famous for treating tourists and guests with care and love. These terrorists fired indiscriminately on tourists after ascertaining their identities. Such murderers must not be allowed to live, at any cost. Their aim was clear: to strike fear among tourists who flood Kashmir Valley during summer. The terrorists wanted to deprive middle class and poor Kashmiris of their only source of earnings from tourism. To understand their motive, it is necessary to realize that tthe number of tourists to Kashmir Valley jumped eight times to 8.32 crore during the last five years after Article 370 was abrogated in 2019. The influx of tourists has resulted in steep rise in earnings of Kashmiris in the Valley. Pakistan’s army generals sitting in Rawalpindi with their spy agency ISI, are unwilling to see peace returning to the Valley. Seondly, the timing of this attack. It was carried out at a time when the visiting US Vice-President J.D.Vance was still in India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a visit to Saudi Arabia. Pakistan does not want India to forge friendly ties with the US and Saudi Arabia. These two nations, at one time, were considered close to Pakistan. Now, times have changed. India has time and again made Pakistan realize that the old days are gone. India now replies to Pakistan in its own language by striking deep into its territory. Yet, Pakistan continues to train, support and fund terrorists who carry out attacks inside India. I am confident that our brave army would mete out punishment to these murderers at the earliest, and our government will leave no stone unturned to teach a lesson to those who sent these terrorists.
Like leopards, Pakistan Army will never change its spots
Pakistan army chief Gen Asim Munir has raked up Jinnah’s two-nation theory, saying “Muslims are different from Hindus”. The general, in a provocative speech, said, “Our forefathers realized we were different from Hindus in every aspect of life, our religion, our customs, our traditions, our thoughts and our ambitions are different. That’s why they laid the foundation of two-nation theory. We are two nations, we are not one nation”. Gen Asim Munir is known as ‘Mullah General’ in Pakistan, and his remarks have justified this tag. He was not addressing a gathering of Maulanas. He was addressing Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad, where Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, his ministers and other army generals were present. The convention was meant to garner more investments from those of Pakistani origin, but the army chief himself became the Maulana at the convention. On attacks by Baloch freedom fighters, the general said: “Do you think terrorists can take away the destiny of our nation? The 13-lakh strong Indian Army, with all its weapons, if it cannot intimidate us, do you think these terrorists can subdue our army?” The Army chief then raked up Kashmir by describing it as Pakistan’s “jugular vein” and promised to help separatists. India immediately reacted and said that Pakistan has “only one role in Kashmir, and that is, it must vacate its illegal occupation of Pak Occupied Kashmir”. Gen Munir, who took over as Army Chief three years ago, is supposed to retire this year. Shahbaz Sharif’s government is going to give him an extension, as was evident during the Pakistani PM’s speech where he praised Munir. India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, while speaking at an event in Gujarat, said: “Pakistan is still stuck with its terrorism industry… India has changed; I wish I could say Pakistan has changed. Unfortunately, they continue to develop bad habits in many ways.” Jaishankar is right. The world has changed, but Pakistan has not. It is stuck with old issues. The speech of Mullah General is quite evident. The very existence of Pakistan army starts by spewing venom against India and ends with keeping the Kashmir issue alive. Pakistan army’s task begins from giving sanctuary to terrorists, and ends with large chunks of properties being handed over to Army generals. Pakistan is now in a dark abyss, facing mounting debts and people suffering from hunger. Pakistan is practically isolated throughout the world. None of the big economic powers want to lend money to Pakistan, and yet, Pakistan is unwilling to change. In Hindi, there is a proverb “Rassi Jal Gayi, Par Bal Nahin Gaya” (literal meaning, the rope is burnt, but its strands remain).
Why reel making can be risky
Navi Mumbai Police detained four youths for creating a scare by making a video reel with one of them lying inside a moving MUV’s boot with one hand dangling outside. On Monday evening between Vashi and Sanpada, the stunt was performed and a video reel was posted on social media. Within two hours, police nabbed the four youths with the vehicle outside Sanpada railway station. When asked, the youths said they wanted to make a reel to promote their shop selling second-hand laptops. One youth lay inside the boot, the second one drove the car, and the other two youths made the reel, while riding a bike. The reel ends with the boot being opened and the youth saying “Don’t be afraid, I sell laptops”. The shopowner Kuldeep Nishad claimed that his shop’s sale rose after the reel was posted on social media. Police released them with a warning and the youths promised not to make such reels in future. In my ‘Aaj Ki Baat’ show on Wednesday, I had shown how a mother was drowned while making a reel and her kid was frantically shouting “Mummy”. The Navi Mumbai reel was a marketing gimmick to shock viewers and make them buy products. In Bengaluru, a man was caught in ED’s net when he posted a fake picture. S. Satish from J.P.Nagar, Bengaluru posted the pic of a dog on social media claiming that he had bought the world’s costliest wolfdog from the US for Rs 50 crore. An ED team reached his home to inquire how he paid Rs 50 crore. His bank accounts were checked. No big financial transaction of this amount was found. Finally it was found that Satish had made a false claim. The pic of the so-called wolfdog was that of an Indian breed dog belonging to his neighbour. The moral: Do not believe anything that is posted on social media as gospel truth.
Joining politics : Why Robert Vadra will have to wait
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi’s husband Robert Vadra was questioned for the third consecutive day by Enforcement Directorate in connection with Gurugram land deal. He was interrogated for 18 hours in the last three days. Priyanka accompanied her husband, and waited for him at the reception to come out. On Thursday, Robert Vadra told reporters that his popularity has risen and he wanted to join politics. Robert Vadra’s ambition is to join active politics. He has been noticed working actively in Amethi and Rae Bareli during elections, and occasionally, he voices his aspiration for joining politics. He wants a role for himself in Congress, but presently, he has been halted by Gandhi-Nehru family. This is the reason why he frequently alleges that he is being made a political scapegoat for his land deals. By doing charities and appearing on public forums, and by being active during election campaigns, he has expressed his intention to join public life several times, but he is yet to get any positive signal from his in-laws’ family. It seems, Robert Vadra will have to wait for now.
Will Balochistan break away from Pakistan?
Separatist Baloch rebels held an entire train hostage in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province and gave 48-hour ultimatum threatening to execute all hostages if Baloch prisoners are not released. According to Radio Pakistan, 27 rebels have been killed and 155 passengers have been rescued till now. Balochistan Liberation Army, which claimed responsibility for this hijack, claimed they have killed 30 Pakistani soldiers and taken 214 passengers, including many soldiers, hostages. The entire hijack was planned meticulously by BLA, and Pakistani spy agency ISI and army had no whiff of this plot. The rebels first blew up the rail track, forcing the driver to stop the Jaffar Express. The train driver was injured in firing. The hijack took place in remote hilly terrain, while the train was on its way to Peshawar from Quetta. There are 17 tunnels on the route, and the rebels struck at tunnel number 8. This is not the first rebel attack. In November last year, BLA rebels attacked a passenger bus killing 26 people. The Quetta-Peshawar railway line has been attacked several times in the past. Pakistan Railway had stopped train services on this route, but in October last year, the service was resumed. A train hijack of this sort is really a matter of shame for any army, particularly when 182 soldiers were taken hostages. Naturally, top Pakistani army officials were unaware of the plot and they woke up only when an entire train was taken hostage. An attack by rebels of this sort is clearly the consequence of atrocities committed by the army over the past two decades in Balochistan. The Baloch people are demanding a separate sovereign country. They allege that Pakistan government is looting their region’s abundant natural resources. Balochistan borders Iran and Afghanistan, and both these countries have been helping Baloch rebels. For Pakistan, dousing the fire of separatism in Balochistan has become a tough job. The only consolation for us is that Pakistan government and its army has, till now, not blamed India for this train hijack. Pakistan is presently facing a crisis of existence. People in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa provinces have revolted against the Islamabad government. There have been anti-army protests in Pak Occupied Kashmir too.
Modi says, ‘For India, Mauritius is family’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the highest national honour of Mauritius, ‘Order of the Star and Key of Indian Ocean’ on its National Day in Port Louis on Wednesday. Modi dedicated this honour to the ancestors of the people of this island nation. Addressing an event on Tuesday, Modi said, “for India, Mauritius is not just a partner country. For us, Mauritius is family. This bond is deep and strongly rooted in history, heritage and the human spirit.” Modi handed over OCI (Overseas Citizens of India) cards to Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam and his wife Veena. Modi gifted Mauritius President Dharam Gokhool and First Lady Vrinda Ganga water collected from Prayagraj during the recently concluded Maha Kumbh. At a reception, Modi mentioned Lord Shri Ram and Ramcharitmanas and described how the construction of Ram Lala temple in Ayodhya has made the people of Mauritius happy. Nearly 70 per cent population in Mauritius are of Indian origin, since more than half of them are descendants of indentured labourers (girmitiya mazdoor) who were sent to plantations in Mauritius by the then British colonial rulers from the states of Bihar and UP. Modi spoke in Bhojpuri to the delight of Mauritians present at the function. Since assembly elections are going to be held in Bihar later this year, opposition leaders will naturally say that Modi has begun his election campaign from the soil of Mauritius. One must admit that Modi is unmatched when planning such events. Modi knows when to hit a four when opportunity arises.
Indians trapped by cyber gangs in Myanmar rescued
An Indian Air Force C-17 transport aircraft evacuated 283 Indian nationals who were trapped through fake job offers by cyber fraud gangs, largely run by Chinese operators. These gangs are active in Myawaddy region on Myanmar-Thailand border. The Indians were forced to work in fraudulent call centres and were asked to indulge in cybercrime and other online frauds. The next batch of 255 Indian nationals is scheduled to land in another IAF aircraft at Hindon air base on Wednesday. Some of these Indians had shared videos seeking help from Indian government, which contacted authorities in both Myanmar and Thailand to carry out a joint operation. Official data show, nearly 30,000 Indian nationals who had gone to Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam in search of good jobs, have not yet returned. More than half of them are in the 20-39 years age group. The Cyber Crime Coordination Centre in Ministry of Home Affairs, which analyzed cyber crimes being committed from South East Asia, found that a large number of Indians were targeted. Nearly one lakh Indians had complained to Cyber Crime Control cell. This is an ongoing operation and more Indian nationals trapped in southeast Asian countries by cyber fraud gangs will be rescued in the coming weeks.
Public Support for Imran : Challenge to Sharif
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party Tehreek-i-Insaf on Tuesday night called off its protests in Islamabad after army launched a midnight crackdown on his supporters. Hundreds of supporters have been rounded up. On Tuesday, jailed former PM Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi led a convoy of vehicles carrying thousands of supporters, who were engaged in pitched battles with security forces. Several persons were reportedly killed in violence and Army had to take over control of key installations in Islamabad.
Imran Khan, presently incarcerated in a jail in Rawalpindi, had given a call to “break the shackles of slavery” to his supporters. In a message to the people, he asked them to choose between Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor who surrendered and died in Rangoon in British custody, and Tipu Sultan of Mysore, who died fighting the British. Imran Khan had entrusted his wife Bushra Bibi the responsibility of conveying his message to the people. PTI’s demand is that Imran Khan should be released from prison immediately. Since most of the courts in Pakistan have acquitted Imran Khan in several cases, his supporters have been demanding his immediate release. Secondly, after the victory of Donald Trump as President of USA, supporters of Imran Khan are hopeful of getting assistance from the US in dislodging Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s government. But Shahbaz Sharif is unwilling to be cowed down. He wants to crush the protests with the help of the army.
One can say bluntly that there is no Constitution worth the name at the moment in Pakistan, nor is there any sense of security among the common people. Human rights laws have been given the go-by and people hailing from middle and lower middle classes are facing serious financial problems due to inflation and food shortage. It is in this context that people came out on the streets of Islamabad on Monday and Tuesday to face the security forces. They are ready to lay down their lives. Upheaval in Pakistan is not good news for its big neighbour India. When situation spirals out of control in a neighbouring country, terrorist forces come to the fore and the risks can spread.
India-Pak relations: Terrorism has to stop for normalcy
The dastardly terror attack on innocent labourers within 100 hours of a new National Conference government being sworn in Jammu & Kashmir has come as a shock to people both in the Valley and the rest of the country. Among those killed were labourers from Bihar, MP and Punjab who were gunned down by Pakistan-backed terrorists, during dinnertime at a campsite of a tunnel construction company in Ganderbal district. The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba claimed responsibility. Among those killed was a Kashmiri doctor Dr Shahnawaz Dar, who was supposed to return home for the post-wedding function of his daughter.
Architectural designer Shashi Bhushan Abrol also fell to the bullets of terrorists. Lt. Governor of J&K Manoj Sinha and Home Minister Amit Shah have asked security forces to track down and eliminate the perpetrators of this dastardly attack. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said, people of J&K have given their reply to terrorists by taking part in elections in large numbers and they would never allow any halt in the pace of progress. National Conference leader Dr Farooq Adullah said, Pakistan will have to face consequences if it continues with such terror attacks. Already, National Investigation Agency has begun its probe and security has been strengthened near all infrastructure projects in the Valley. Pakistan-based Sajjad Gul, the chief of TRF, is said to be the brain behind this terror attack. During the last one year, terrorists had been carrying out sporadic attacks against labourers from Bihar and UP in J&K.
In June this year, they had killed nine persons after attacking a bus, but this was a major attack, after 12 years, when a migrant labourers’ camp at a tunnel project, which will link Srinagar with Leh, was targeted. Clearly, it shows Pakistan’s frustration over the victory of democracy in Jammu & Kashmir, where both Lok Sabha and assembly elections were held peacefully this year and a large number of voters participated. Pakistan wants to stop the pace of work that is going on railway, roads, bridges and tunnels, and in order to achieve this, it has asked the terrorists to take out soft targets like migrant labouers. Pakistan will have to pay for its pernicious act. It was hardly three days ago when Pakistan Muslim League (N) chief Mian Nawaz Sharif met Indian mediapersons and spoke about the need for burying the past and forging ffriendship with India. Nawaz Sharif was explaining how former PM Imran Khan followed anti-India policies which have brought about a stalemate in bilateral relations. Nawaz Sharif must understand one key point: Until and unless the Pakistan army stops sending terrorists to India, and its spy agency ISI discontinue giving training and funds to terrorists, relations between India and Pakistan can never become normal.
Zakir Naik in Pakistan : What’s the game?
In a move aimed at irking India on the issue of terrorism, Pakistan accorded a state welcome to fundamentalist Islamic preacher Zakir Naik after he arrived on a three week-long visit. Zakir Naik is one of India’s most wanted extremists facing charges of giving hate speeches, funding terrorists and encouraging money laundering. He has been hiding in Malaysia to evade extradition to India. Zakir Naik will address public gatherings in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. He has gone to Pakistan at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and is going to meet top Pakistani leaders and officials.
Questions are being raised in Pakistan about the reason why a radical preacher is being accorded a state welcome. He has been spreading hate against all non-Islamic faiths. Dr Zakir Naik is being accompanied by his son Fariq Naik, whom he wants to launch as a preacher. Zakir Naik projects himself as a saviour of Muslims and claims he is trying to show Muslims the right path. I have seen videos of his speeches where he openly advocates conversion of non-Muslims. In one of his speeches, Zakir Naik was asked by somebody whether non-Muslims in India who are sympathetic towards Islam, will ever reach ‘jannat’ (heaven) after death?
In reply, Zakir Naik explained that there are several levels of ‘jannat’ . “Even if one supports Islam, he or she cannot attain ‘jannat’ unless converted to Islam”, he said. A preacher having such a bigoted outlook, whether in Pakistan or in Malaysia, will only spread hate. Zakir Naik is an enemy of India. By going to Pakistan, he will definitely get undue encouragement.