In view of ensuing BRICS summit in Goa on October 15-16 under the Chairmanship of India, the political overtures displayed by Pakistan towards China after the surgical strikes assumes even greater significance in the light of the fact that China is a key member to the group. Using the platform, Pakistan is contemplating major strategies to settle scores with India by proxy.
In the backdrop of the humiliation it suffered -- owing to India's initiative to isolate it and abandon the SAARC summit that was scheduled in Islamabad on November 15-16 -- Pakistan is conspiring to persuade China, ostensibly for mutual gain, to grill India in the BRICS summit for supporting the anti-Pakistan-China stir in Balochistan. Incidentally, the proposed China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through Gwadar in Baluchistan is supposed to be the benchmark for economic growth of China and Pakistan as well.
If the CPEC -- that is intended to link Kashgar in China's Xinjiang province to the Gwadar deep sea port close to Pakistan's border with Iran -- is dubbed as a game-changer project for Pakistan's infrastructure development across its length and breath, the Corridor will provide opportunities to China to consolidate its grip over the economy of Asia and Eastern Europe. China will spend $46 billion on the project and develop a Silk Road Economic Belt covering a large area of Asia and Eastern Europe and have a land access to the Indian Ocean as well. About 700,000 job opportunities in Pakistan are estimated to pour in by 2030 while the GDP growth will be stepped up significantly. Investors are expected to receive all out support from Beijing and Chinese banks. The investment will be mostly in the field of energy. Pakistan is expected to add 16,000 MW by 2021, and reduce power shortage by 4,000-7,000 MW. The CPEC deal also includes $ 5.9 bn for road projects and $ 3.7 bn for railway projects. A $ 44 million optical fibre cable between China and Pakistan will be put in too.
The worst-ever post-surgical strike controversies in India over the integrity of the Government and the Army as well appear to be fallout of a major political intrigue by Pakistan presumably with the help of its 'all-weather ally' China. Soon after the surgical strikes by India across the LOC at POK, Pakistan sent its envoys Mukhdum Khusro Bakhtiyar and Adam Dad Laleka -- both MPs -- to Chana to seek guidelines to deal with the situation.
During the series of confabulations and secret parleys with Chinese authorities, multi-pronged strategies were worked out to settle scores with India. If well-placed sources privy to the delegation are to be believed, during deliberations with China's Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Liu Zhenmin and others, the Pakistan envoys were suggested to instigate a virtual civil war in India by roping in the foreign media in a run up to the BRICS summit. At the meeting, suggestions were made to inflame public opinion against the hype maintained by the Government of India about the resounding success of surgical strikes and the extension of unconditional support to the on-going liberation movement in Balochistan in the garb of human rights violation.
Consequently, the foreign media including Washington Post, New York Time, The Quint, The Diplomat, etc put a question mark on India's claim about surgical strikes. These foreign media giants claimed that they had talks with residents along the LOC and none of them had witnessed the movement of the Indian army across the LOC and the consequences of the surgical strikes at POK.
The foreign media was also used to malign the image of Modi for his role to encourage the on-going anti-Pakistan-China agitation in Balochistan over CPEC. The foreign media claimed that Modi aimed to negotiate with Pakistan over the Kashmir issue in the garb of human rights violation in Balochistan and supported the anti-Pakistan-China agitation in Balochistan for obvious reasons. A few days back, agitationists reportedly burnt the national flags of Pakistan and China in protest against the CPEC. They were opposing the CPEC in the light of their belief that the corridor was meant to benefit China for exploiting and plundering resources of the area.
The strategy masterminded to abet a nation-wide outcry in India over the Government's claim about the success of surgical strikes across the LOC and consequent display of unprecedented solidarity by the opposition in demanding evidence of the operation turned out to be counter-productive for Pakistan. Whether it is Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Congress Vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Congress leaders Digvijay Singh and Kapil Sibal or RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, all of them asked the Government to come out with the evidence to nail the truth. Incidentally, the BJP-led Narendra Modi Government has preferred to turn a deaf ear to the opposition demand so far for reasons best known to it.
Cashing-in on the situation, Pakistan's media has been carrying news -- about the mounting pressure on the Government by the opposition to divulge details of the surgical strikes -- with prominence. The headlines that hit the Pakistani media include Rahul Gandhi's 'Khoon ki Dalali', Kejriwal's demand for proof of the surgical strikes, Digvijay Singh's contention to divulge the truth with documentary evidence to apprise the world about the facts, etc. The Pakistani media that raised the issue include Duniya News, The Express Tribune, Neo News, Don, Pakistan Observer, etc.
Likewise, the post-surgical strike reactions by Hindu radical forces in India have provided fodder to the political intrigue by Pakistan, presumably working in tandem with China. The ploy to ban Pakistani artistes from entering India by Hindu radical forces prompted a reaction from a section of Bollywood celebrities in favour of their counterparts in Pakistan. It led another section of celebrities to wade in with unpleasant accusations. Actor Salman Khan had to face criticism from his fellow actors for his contention that artists were not terrorists and both should not be equated. Actor Nana Patekar -- who is believed to be an ex-armyman -- implicitly rubbished Salman's comment while actor Anupam Kher flayed unscrupulous remarks by actor Om Puri on the acts of the army. Actor Ajay Devgan contended with sarcasm that Indian artistes should learn from their Pakistani counterparts who work in India but stick to their country. Even producers-directors Mahesh Bhatt and Karan Johar have been warned of dire consequences if they cast Pakistani artistes in their movies.
Incidentally, no Pakistani artistes -- who happen to be part of the Bollywood -- except singer Shafqat Amanat Ali expressed concern and anguish over the unpleasant spat in Bollywood.
As such, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team have enough reasons to pump up their chests over the successful conduct of surgical strikes across the LOC, Pakistan has had the last laugh by abetting a vertical division among different sections of society in India. While the opposition is demanding evidence of the surgical strikes implicitly casting aspersions on the much-acclaimed achievement of the Government and the army as well, never before has the film fraternity locked horns over the issue of entry of Pakistani artistes in India. And the people in general have remained mute bystanders for want of facts.
To top it all, if Pakistan in collusion with China could succeed to mobilize the world in its favour and prompt opinion clashes in India by using the foreign media, the ensuing BRICS summit does not augur well for India.
BW Reporters
D.P. Sharan has been a journalist for the past 30 years and has served many national dailies, magazines and channels. He has also been a member at the Central Board of Film Certification, Mumbai under I&B Ministry, Government of India
