Harwant Singh Lt Gen (Retd)    

Pakistan’s self-inflicted wounds are many. Its move towards fundamentalism and letting thousands of madrasas come up has resulted in the radicalisation of the youth. The country’s leaning towards fundamentalism and conjuring up non-existent threats from India has been its undoing.

Mending Ways: The agreement concerning the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is a right step towards bettering ties between the two countries.

Born as twins, separated by thousands of miles, two-part Pakistan has had a chequered run. It has been oscillating between military rule and democratic dispensation. In either case, rampant corruption seeped into every walk of life and gradually radicalisation of its people set in.

Bringing the eastern wing (East Pakistan) under the jack boots of the military and the excesses thereon finally worked against the country’s own core interests. It resulted in the eastern wing breaking away and emerging as a separate country. Pakistan’s obsession with Kashmir has done it the greatest damage. It resulted in three wars with India with no gains, but plenty of losses. It failed to reconcile to the fact that there is no possibility of a change in the existing status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Attempts to grab J&K by any means have worked against its own core interest in a range of areas. Over time, its military became more and more involved in political affairs, kept building up an unsupportable and unwanted level of capabilities, leading to an unbearable financial burden. It also gained more and more control over government policies and stepped into the political arena. Military also entered into the economic fields of the country.

Greater focus on national security, at the cost of all else, impacted the country's economy: finally bringing it to its present state of near-bankruptcy and widespread poverty. Inflation is soaring and debt ballooning, with the finance team scrambling for multi-billion dollar rescue packages. The country is on the verge of an economic collapse and Paris-based Financial Action Task Force has been on the brink of blacklisting it. At this critical stage, perhaps India, as a goodwill gesture, should offer financial help.

Pakistan’s self-inflicted wounds are many. Its move towards fundamentalism and letting thousands of madrasas come up has resulted in the radicalisation of the youth. The country’s leaning towards fundamentalism and conjuring up non-existent threats from India has been its undoing. Letting armed militants operate from its soil against Russian troops in Afghanistan and thereafter their continued involvement with terrorist organisations in Afghanistan, has led to their establishing permanent bases in Pakistan.

As a result, terrorist outfits in Pakistan started operating in J&K and carrying out terrorist attacks against India. Hillary Clinton’s warning on breeding snakes in backyards would also bite own people went unheeded. Consequently, Pakistan itself has been target of the same set of terrorists. While it has been following the policy of a thousand cuts against India, it is Pakistan that has been bleeding.

China stepped into the scene and Pakistan found it a willing partner to operate against India and ever-ready to come to its aid. China’s policy in this field has been entirely and solely in its own interest, using Pakistan as a facilitator. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), as also the One Belt One Road, will mainly serve China’s interests and are reminiscent of the ‘Gunboat Diplomacy’ of the European nations during previous centuries. These will also bring Pakistan under increasing debt. China relenting on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar being declared a global terrorist by the United Nations Security Council should make Pakistan review its total dependence on that country. India might wait and watch what China expects from India in lieu of this gesture.

Though Prime Minister Imran Khan is generally believed to have come to power with the backing of the military and an elections that allegedly were deeply flawed, yet while speaking about terrorist groups operating from Pakistan and as quoted by the New York Times, he says, “The Pakistan Army created them, when it and the United States backed Muslim insurgents in Afghanistan against Soviet forces.” He seems to project his resolve to rid Pakistan of terrorists as, according to him, they are of no use anymore.

Imran Khan seems to be making serious efforts to right the economy, calling upon security forces to stage a greater and more effective crackdown on militants than the previous efforts, which, he terms, were mere cosmetic. He plans to send 2,00,000 teachers to religious schools across the country to teach subjects such as mathematics and English and de-radicalise the students.

With court cases pilling up against the last military dictator, General Pervez Musharraf, the possibility of another military general staging a coup has substantially reduced. Equally, the political leadership may assert to keep the military away from interfering in policy issues and tone down the ISI.

Imran Khan has tried to extend a hand of friendship towards India, first by reaching an agreement concerning the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, where he had the army chief by his side and then sending back Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman within three days of his capture. He played down the Balakot bombing and the subsequent air battle and remarked, “They hit our trees and we hit their stones.” He appears willing to change the Pakistan-India narrative for the better.

Perhaps, it is an opportune moment for India to meet Pakistan half way in its attempts to improving relations between the two countries. Mending relations will work in multitude ways to the greater advantage of Pakistan. Though, Pakistan may not be able to completely shut the terrorist tap and, therefore, some level of infiltration of terrorists from Pak into J&K may continue. Thus, India must not lower its guard against a possible infiltration by terrorists across the LoC.

Pakistan needs to strive for friendly relations with India, expand the scope of trade between the two countries and cooperate in a range of areas. It needs to suitably recast the Indus Waters Treaty so that it equally benefits both the countries and the waters of these rivers are appropriately and fully utilised, without disturbing the existing allocation, under this Treaty. With storage dams instead of run of the river dams, India can fully exploit the hydroelectric power potential of the three western rivers and Pakistan can be provided electric power at concessional rates to meet all its requirements. Storage dams in India on these three rivers will ensure that Pakistan gets a year-round supply of water for irrigation.

India genuinely desires friendly relations with Pakistan and wants it to be a stable, prosperous and progressive state. Both countries, for a period of time, must put the Kashmir issue aside and focus on nation-building, economic development and the well-being of their people. It is the right time for both countries to seize the opportunity and move ahead.

Lt Gen Harwant Singh (Retd)  Former Deputy Chief of Army staff

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The views expressed in the Article above are Author’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article.

Courtesy: Daily Tribune: 12 May, 2019