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Opinion

Pakistan's unending woes

With India’s global resurgence under the current dispensation, Pakistan is sitting on slippery slopes of deep internal apprehension and a crumbling diplomatic presence

There seems to be no end to Pakistan's many problems. The tremendous victory of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dealt a heavy blow to the Pakistani establishment, including the people who are harping on the same old tune that Muslim minorities will now become more unsafe under the second spell of the Prime Minister's rule. The Pakistani print and electronic media is also at a loss over the overwhelming triumph and now stands totally clueless about how to address the overwhelming win and how to read the implications that would ensue. More specifically, they feel more let down with Imran Khan not figuring in the list of dignitaries invited to the new government's swearing-in ceremony. The Pakistani polity also seems to be upset about the near demise of SAARC and BIMSTEC coming to the fore, which was expected to play a more vital role in the region. It appears that it will take a considerable time for Pakistanis to come to terms about the emerging realistic situation where India, in all likelihood, will play a more decisive and leading role in South Asia.

Pakistan is also viewing the appointment of Amit Shah as the new Home Minister with abundant caution. This is precisely because the new incumbent will adhere to a no-nonsensical approach, especially in his dealings and oversight of Kashmir militancy, while he will also closely oversee intelligence machineries to counter the nefarious activities of ISI, particularly towards its offensive networking within India.

On the whole, India's new team including the defence minister and a robust foreign policy expert will add to the already countless problems which Pakistan is facing, especially since its international alienation and series of diplomatic setbacks in the aftermath of Pulwama attacks and building UP of Indo-Pak tension.

Meanwhile, very recently, yet another domestic problem has hit Pakistan. A retired Lt General of the Pakistani Army, Javed Iqbal, was awarded 14 years of rigorous imprisonment, while two other very senior retired officers, Brigadier Raza Rizwan and Dr Wasim Akram, have been awarded death sentences for alleged charges of spying and being complicit in espionage activities benefiting foreign countries. Pakistan's Inter Services Press Release (ISPR) has described such verdicts as successes. That proves Pakistan's scant respect towards human rights and civil liberties. Earlier, these officers were tried under the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and the Official Secret Act (OSA). They were dealt with by the Field General Court Martial (FGCM) and stood convicted. Reacting to the development, former Pakistani Ambassador to the USA and senior diplomat, Hussain Haqqani, has categorically stated that the espionage conviction is a definite indication that Pakistan is no longer safe in the hands of its military who are suspected to be on US payrolls and have been routinely leaking out sensitive information, allegedly to the Americans.

It is really ironical that Dr Afridi, a Pakistani Veterinary Surgeon who spied on internationally-dreaded terrorists and helped Americans precisely locate and kill Osama bin Laden, was tried by the Pakistani deep state and convicted, landing him in jail. He couldn't even get the promised bounty from the US for facilitating the prized catch. We, therefore, see in Pakistan conflicting and double standards in trying and convicting people, including military men, on charges of espionage, as seen in the most recent case.

Pakistan's problems do not end here. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), in the meantime, has started tightening screws on Pakistan. Under its sustained pressure, Pakistan has initiated action against many proscribed outfits linked to terror activities. Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) and 70 other such bodies have been banned from receiving funds.

Recently, again under pressure from FATF, Pakistani Customs introduced a slew of measures to curb terror financing. A directorate of Cross Border Currency Movement (CBCM) has been set up to rein in currency traffickers.

Meanwhile, in a not so separate development, a visiting group from Asia Pacific countries posed harsh questioning to Pakistani authorities on the effectiveness of its efforts against money laundering and terror financing at a 'face to face' meeting. Many delegates questioned Pakistan's seriousness to act against suspicious organisations involved with abetting terror through funding. It would, therefore, seem that Pakistan is under severe stranglehold on all counts – beginning from their military betraying their nation and caving in to FATF to eliminate terror financing.

With a diplomatic defeat in the aftermath of China not siding with Pakistan when Jaish-e-Mohammad's (JeM's) Masood Azhar was declared a global terrorist, Pakistan is gasping to revive lost ground amongst the diplomatic fraternity – but it looks seriously bereft of allies. President Trump's threat to cease funding and limiting to use Pakistan in its role in the Taliban talks with Afghanistan, will further isolate Pakistan from the civilised world.

Now that India under Prime Minister Modi has more muscle than before, Pakistan is expected to confine itself well within its limits, refraining from any interference in Kashmir, because it now knows that any misadventure at this juncture could cost it very dearly with devastating consequences.

(The writer is a retired IPS officer, a security analyst and a former National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of Mauritius. The views expressed are strictly personal)

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