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| India-Pakistan |
| Jaish in the spotlight |
| 2019-03-19 |
| [DAWN] In the aftermath of the Pulwama episode, Kashmire-centric turban group Jaish-e-Mohammad ...literally Army of Mohammad, a Pak-based Deobandi terror group founded by Maulana Masood Azhar in 2000, after he split with the Harkat-ul-Mujaheddin. In 2002 the government of Pervez Musharraf bannedthe group, which changed its name to Khaddam ul-Islam and continued doing what it had been doing before without missing a beat... has been making headlines internationally, as the jacket wallah involved in the attack claimed to be a member of the outfit. This has led India to call for action against the group, particularly against its head Masood Azhar. While India has been thirsting for Dire Revenge in the post-Pulwama period, its efforts to blacklist the Jaish and its chief are not altogether altruistic. Delhi has made an all-out effort to prevent the Kashmire issue from being internationalised, and is presenting itself as a victim of ’terrorism’ to take the focus of the international community away from its brutal tactics in the held region. Indeed, all of Pakistain’s attempts at talks or acting on CBMs have been held back by the Modi regime’s single-point agenda ‐ to portray Pakistain as a hub of jihadi activity. However, a good lie finds more believers than a bad truth... away from the Indian stance, there is still a case to be made for Pakistain’s clamping down further on the Jaish and others of its ilk ‐ for its own security. The dangers of the path adopted by the Jaish are clear. Masood Azhar’s aim was to blur the distinction between pro-Kashmire jihadi groups and those subscribing to sectarian militancy within Pakistain. When Gen Musharraf proscribed the Jaish, he was targeted by the group, barely escaping two attempts on his life. The attempt to rein in the Jaish’s activities caused a large section of the group to join hands with the TTP to attack the state and religious minorities. Attempts to deradicalise gunnies also did not work, and it became clear that the danger of reprisals notwithstanding, stern action was necessary against all gunnies ‐ whether they were allegedly using Pak soil to plan attacks outside the country, or killing and maiming thousands within the country. Indeed, Pakistain should have learnt a lesson from the Americans who encouraged jihadi elements in Afghanistan, only to be confronted by a monster of their own creation in later years. Given this backdrop, many observers have emphasised the need to crack down hard on all such groups in Pakistain. Most have been banned but much more is required to ensure that they are eliminated and never come back to life. If the world wants to blacklist Masood Azhar, there should be no hesitation on Pakistain’s part. Neither should China use ’technical reasons’ to block such a move. There are no ’good’ or ’bad’ gunnies groups; all have either caused or are capable of wreaking havoc in the country. That outlook is hopefully a thing of the past now, as the prime minister has promised that no groups will be allowed to use Pak territory for turban activities. He must make good on that pledge. This is the only way Pakistain will regain the respect of the international community, and counter India’s constant campaign to isolate it. |
| Posted by:Fred |