Pakistan has been saying from all public platforms that it
wants talks with India. Pakistan wants to talk in order to defuse escalating
tensions between the two neighbours. It wants third party or multiple party
mediation to help achieve its goals which is to get off the hook. The right,
left and centre flailing of arms by India has left it shattered and agitated.
Pakistan is mortally afraid to be made a punching bag by the
giant that it has been needling all these years. Pakistan’s political class as
also its people and the so-called “civil society” members on both sides of the border
are proving to be its most valuable assets.
This is a 360 degree turn, from talking to India through its
terrorism machinery to pleading in a civic manner. All this is fake optics
meant to dissolve the Indian resolve to break bones of terrorists.
Talks have always been on between the two nations and the
mode of communication were terrorist proxies controlled by Pakistan. These talks
are at least a decade old and date back to 26/11 Mumbai attacks of 2008.
Pakistan talked in terms of killing over 166 people in 2008,
and India responded by setting up the NIA (National Investigation Agency)!
Laugh or cry at this choice by India, but that is the most serious thing done
by India post-26/11.
Cut to the Uri attack of 2016. This was a message from
Pakistan regarding its destructive capabilities. Merely ten days after the Uri
attack, there was a communication from India by way of retaliatory surgical
strikes. INDIA DID TALK BACK. However, Pakistan said there was no response from
India, entirely refuting this two-way communication.
Cut to Pulwama terror attack on the Lovers’ Day (February
14) in which 40 CRPF jawans were martyred. Indian Mirages replied back by
bombing Balakot. Again, this was one communication from India that Pakistan
refuses to acknowledge.
Analyse its claims that other than some trees, nothing much
was hurt. This claim and any truthful account regarding the extent of damage
suffered by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has been stubbornly kept under wraps by
Pakistan. This serves to anger India further as these bombardments were carried
out to damage Jaish. Pakistan claims it has suffered no damage and needs to be
put firmly on the escalatory ladder of hostilities.
It should not be allowed to step back into its cocoon of
comfort and allowed to act as a hatchery of terrorism. If its hatchlings are
its prime priority, the whole hatchery needs to be targeted.
What was Pakistani response to Balakot? Intruding aerially
into Nawshera area and dropping bombs. This was its effort to send a message to
India. There was a perfect response from India with a MiG-21 worth $2 million
shooting down an F16 worth $18 million.
Unfortunately, a Pakistani pilot was killed in most tragic
circumstances after surviving a hit from Mig-21 Bison. He was lynched by his own
countrymen. He was not even given the honour due to a martyr sacrificing his
life for the nation. Why? As a rogue nation, Pakistan cannot admit openly that
it used F16s given by the US for carrying out attacks on the Indian territory.
It is a miserable failure of its calculations that its use of F16s for attacks
will get exposed in the very first attempt. The wrong end of the stick from the
US will sure be reserved for a future date and time.
Pakistan’s conduct will shape the future US ties with it and
it is difficult to foresee the Americans doing nothing about it. They will
factor in Pakistan’s behaviour in the manner of a thug. The end user agreement
of F16s, to defend itself against possible attacks, has been VIOLATED by using
them for aggression against the Indian military target of Naushera Brigade.
With the downing of F 16, Abhinandan has virtually made all
of Pakistan’s squadrons of F16s a useless asset. Assets that can be deployed
only within the boundaries of the Pakistani nation to defend itself. Any
aggressive intent or use of these fighter aircraft will possibly bring a swift
response from the US.
Losing one F16 has psychologically crippled the Pakistani
Air Force (PAF). It is faced with a situation where its best aerial asset is
reduced to a useless showpiece. These F16s CANNOT enter the Indian airspace as
things stand now under the agreement for their supply. They will be seriously
violating the agreement with the Americans.
This two-way dialogue has been continuing and talks have
been on between the adversaries. Pakistani denial of this dialogue is a pack of
lies and worth sheer contempt. Nothing else.
Pakistan’s choice of language had been robust Punjabi all this while, with Muridke and Bahawalpur dictating the discourse, as Bajwa’s proxies. We had chosen to speak a soft language earlier and opted for speaking French (Mirage 2000s) and Russian (MiG-21s) at Balakot and elsewhere.
Israeli Hebrew via Hebron drones, Spice (missile), American
English (via surveillance aircraft), Russian (via IL 76 Refueller) etc are among
the languages that India is speaking in present times. This multi-language
discourse delivery is the reason for Pakistani discomfort.
There is no reason for us to break down the dialogue, even
if it is likely to turn into a monologue from us soon. Talks were always on and
they must continue, unabated.