Pakistan Faces Isolation

Pakistan’s efforts at internationalizing the Kashmir issue has run into rough weather. Even its’ steadfast friends China and Saudi Arabia have been lukewarm over Islamabad’s sudden move to get other countries on board over Kashmir. Both Riyadh and Beijing have told Islamabad that there is not much they can do. They have in fact called for peace and both countries have asked Pakistan to exercise restraint.

Pakistan’s civil and military authorities went on an overdrive as soon as India announced the revocation of Article 370 of her Constitution. India has reconstituted the former state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories viz., UT of Jammu and Kashmir and UT of Ladakh. This was done by an overwhelming vote in both the Houses of Indian Parliament. This has been done for accelerating development in the two union territories. The move would also check Pakistan sponsored cross border terrorism that the state of Jammu and Kashmir was subjected to for the last three decades. More than 42,000 innocent Indian lives were lost during the last three decades as a direct result of Pak sponsored terrorism.

The Indian announcement of revocation of Article 370 and the formation of the two union territories had taken the wind out of the sails of Pakistan. Islamabad knows too well that; it is an internal matter of India and other nations have no “locus standi” on it. Thus, it wants to play victim.

The Indian move has changed the regional dynamics too. Pakistan had never expected this move. It was under the impression that it would be able to keep the Kashmir issue alive and use it as per its’ wishes. But, now Pakistan has to search for newer options.

Historically, Pakistan has always been defeated over the Kashmir issue. It had never reconciled to the fact that Jammu and Kashmir’s accessation into India was complete. The former state is an integral and inviolable part of India. Pakistan has in fact illegally occupied more than 13,000 sq. kms of Indian territory in Kashmir. It would serve Islamabad better if it were to vacate the illegally occupied territory.

UNSC permanent 5 (P5) members such as the United States, United Kingdom, France and Russia have not offered any help to Pakistan over India’s revocation of Article 370. Russia has endorsed India’s move to revoke Article 370 of Indian Constitution. Moscow has said “it was carried out within the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of India” Russia hoped that the issues between India and Pakistan would be addressed in accordance with provisions of the Simla Agreement of 1972 and the Lahore Declaration of 1999.

The US has distanced itself from the Indian decision to revoke Article 370 and the move to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir in two Union Territories. Washington has also denied India did not "consult or inform" the US administration before scrapping the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir. US State Department has said India's decision to revoke Article 370 is its "internal matter" and has called for peace in the region.

In yet another major blow to Pakistan, the UN has refused intervention and also to put pressure on India, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has refused to mediate. He urged the two countries to sort out their differences in accordance with the provisions of the 1972 Simla Agreement. Moreover, the UN Secretary-General has no plans to brief the Security Council — a practice followed when the situation in a particular instance is considered serious enough to warrant such a briefing.

Thus, Pakistan seems to be lost in the big wide world of international realpolitik. It wants to play the victim and garner international support. But, the world thinks otherwise. It would be prudent for Prime Minister Imran Khan and Gen. Qamar Bajwa to put their house in order before the next meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) meeting, which might ‘blacklist’ Pakistan over its inaction on terror funding. Islamabad should focus on its own people rather than the issues of its neighbours.

Script: Kaushik Roy, AIR: News Analyst