How Shehbaz and Munir sold Pakistan’s self-respect
The social media was flooded with memes and posts mocking Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after he flattered US President Donald Trump with effusive praise at the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
With Trump standing by his side, grinning, Shehbaz Sharif said: “Today is one of the greatest days in contemporary history because peace has been achieved after untiring efforts led by President Trump, who is genuinely a man of peace.”
Shehbaz Sharif went on to credit Trump for preventing a nuclear war between India and Pakistan, declaring that “had it not been for this gentleman, the war could have escalated to a level where no one would have lived to tell what happened.”
Shehbaz Sharif said: “And today again, I would like to nominate this great president for Nobel Peace Prize because I genuinely feel that he is the most genuine and most wonderful candidate for Peace Prize, because he has brought not only peace in South Asia, saved millions of people, and today, here in Sharm-el-Sheikh, achieving peace in Gaza, is saving millions of lives in the Middle East.”
After Sharif spoke, Trump responded saying: “Wow! I didn’t expect that. Let’s go home — there’s nothing more I have to say.”
Trump, on his part, praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying: “India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top and he’s just done a fantastic job. I think Pakistan and India are going to live very nicely together.” Saying this, Trump chuckled and looked at Shehbaz Sharif who was standing behind him, smiling meekly.
Shehbaz Sharif was soon trending on X and Facebook with many Pakistanis abusing their PM for “bootlicking” and saying that he does not deserve to remain the Prime Minister.
Mainstream Pakistani media published editorials criticizing Shehbaz Sharif. The oldest Pakistani English daily newspaper Dawn criticized Shehbaz for converting diplomacy into flattery and foreign policy into boot polishing.
People in Pakistan say, Trump used Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir for his own benefit. But the question is: Are not Shehbaz and Asim Munir responsible?
The rulers of Pakistan have become so weak that they clinged to Trump when he gave them some hope. Both of them did not leave any stone unturned to flatter him, nor did they desist from selling Pakistan’s self-respect.
When the Prime Minister and Army Chief of a country fall at the feet of a foreign leader, how can one blame the person who gets flattered?
The moot point is: Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir have mortgaged the self-respect of Pakistan for their own benefits. They did this openly in a brazen and shameless manner. If the entire world now makes fun of Pakistan, how can anybody blame the world?
Mysterious similarities in Haryana IPS and ASI suicides
The double suicide case in Haryana Police is getting curiouser and curiouser.
In a shocking twist, Assistant Sub-Inspector Sandeep Kumar Lather, investigating the suicide case of senior IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar, committed suicide on Tuesday, not before writing a four-page suicide note and making a six-minute video in which he levelled charges of corruption against the dead IPS officer.
Sandeep Lather was posted in the cyber cell of Haryana Police in Rohtak.
In his suicide note, he alleged that Y. Puran Kumar was corrupt and after becoming Inspector General of Rohtak Range, he posted corrupt policemen belonging to his caste in the IG office.
He also alleged that Puran Kumar began extorting money from traders using his gunman Sushil Kumar. He also alleged that women police officers were sexually exploited after giving threats of transfer.
Lather alleged that he had caught Puran Kumar’s gunman Sushil and driver Dharmendra red-handed while extorting bribes, and the gunman had admitted that the money was meant for IG Puran Kumar.
ASI Sandeep Kumar’s family members have demanded that Puran Kumar’s IAS officer wife Amneet be arrested.
On Tuesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with his party leaders Bhupinder Hooda and others went to Puran Kumar’s house and consoled his family members. Later, Rahul Gandhi demanded that the government must take action and arrest those who abetted this suicide. Lok Jan Shakti Party leader Chirag Paswan also met Amneet Kumar and promised justice would be ensured.
The suicide of Puran Kumar is shocking, and the suicide of ASI Sandeep Kumar is sad. Facts that have emerged in public domain so far clearly show that there was a corruption case against Puran Kumar, and ASI Sandeep was one of the investigators.
Questions are being raised about Puran Kumar’s image as a senior police officer, while Sandeep Kumar is known as an honest and hardworking policeman. The allegations made by ASI Sandeep in his video raises several questions.
One, Puran Kumar was a senior IPS officer, he was in a top position, his wife an IAS officer, his brother-in-law an MLA. Why did he face harassment if this family was so powerful? If harassment was not the reason for suicide, then what was the real cause?
Two, ASI Sandeep said, Puran Kumar and his family were going to be nailed in a corruption case, and to save his family, Puran Kumar committed suicide.
The most significant point raised by Sandeep Kumar is, Puran Kumar gave the entire case a caste colour. Because of his caste, IPS officer Puran Kumar got political support from different parties, top leaders visited his house and top police officers were shunted.
Truth will emerge only after a thorough investigation. For the time being, this is only a perception, whatever may be the reason. When two policemen in important positions commit suicide, it raises questions about the entire system.
Pak warmongering : Who is responsible?
Announcing the setting up of a new Army Rocket Force at a ceremony held in Islamabad, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif uttered a war cry saying, “I want to tell the enemy today that if you threaten to hold our water, then keep this in mind, you cannot snatch even a drop of water from Pakistan.”
Shehbaz Sharif also warned that if India attempted to withhold Indus river water, “you will be again taught such a lesson that you will be left holding your ears.”
The Pakistani Prime Minister’s threat comes in the wake of Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto making jingoistic remarks about waging a war against India. Chinese made JF-17 fighter planes made a flypast at the ceremony with Asim Munir, former PM Nawaz Sharif and other top leaders watching.
It seems there is a race going on nowadays among Pakistani leaders to issue threats against India. After suffering huge damage to their airbases and terror headquarters, the army and Pakistani leaders are busy trying to boost the sagging morale of the terrorists.
Former Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla says, India should not attach much importance to such war cries emanating from a failed state like Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani army and their leaders are gung-ho after Trump met Asim Munir over lunch and the Pakistani Army Chief went to the US again to attend a farewell ceremony of the US Central Command chief. Counter-terrorism talks are presently going on in Islamabad with US counter-terrorism coordinator over how to deal with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamic State Khorasan and Balochistan Liberation Army.
Trump has already imposed a minimum 19 pc tariff on Pakistan and promised to sign a trade deal apart from exploring Pakistan’s oil reserves.
Why is the US so much benevolent towards Pakistan? What is Donald Trump’s problem with India?
Former Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup put it succinctly. Firstly, he said, Trump is unhappy over India being active in BRICS grouping because he considers BRICS an anti-American alliance that wants to replace the US dollar with an alternative currency.
Secondly, Trump had claimed at least 34 times that it was he who brokered the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, but India never accepted his claim. India repeatedly said, the ceasefire took place at the request of the DGMO of Pakistani Army. Naturally, Trump felt piqued, because Pakistan was praising him for brokering peace and even nominated him for Nobel Peace Prize.
Thirdly, the tariff hike to 50 pc against India and penalty threat for buying Russian oil, are all part of Trump’s pressure tactics. He wants India to accept his terms before getting the tariff lowered. India’s dairy, farming and GM crops are three such sectors, where Prime Minister Modi is unwilling to bend, and this has got Trump’s goat.
Trump’s another concern is, if Russia agrees to a ceasefire with Ukraine after his summit with Putin in Alaska on August 15, he will have to remove all economic sanctions imposed till now against Russia. Putin is not going to accept a ceasefire without the sanctions being lifted. If it happens, Trump cannot have the excuse of imposing penalty on India for buying Russian oil. How can he object to India buying Russian oil if sanctions against Russia are lifted?
In Urdu poetry, there is a verse, “Ibtida-e-Ishq Hai, Rota Hai Kya? Aagey Aagey Dekhiye Hota Hai Kya.” (literal meaning: This is the beginning of love, do not cry, wait and see what is going to happen).