As everyone geared up for World War III last weekend, Pakistan joined the regional excitement by bringing out its army on the roads just to protect the capital of Islamabad. Suddenly, the protestors who wanted a khooni inquilab now asked for martial law. But as luck would have it, there’s neither an incoming revolution nor tanks rolling in for a coup. Not to forget the melting hearts ready to head to Iran to wipe Israel off the world map. Ask how, and you’ll find the fault in our stars.
Blocking the intercity highways and making life hell for daily commuters has now become a cornerstone of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). For the last ten years, this political arson has yielded no results, yet each time we are assured that revolution is near. Counting every traffic jam in the country still doesn’t equal a Bangladesh-like revolt, something Pakistanis are so in awe of.
Jaishankar to save Pakistan
Realising this revolution isn’t going anywhere, Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, advisor to the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, sought help from across the border — S. Jaishankar was invited not only to join PTI’s protests but also to address protesters. Now, who would have thought the Indian foreign minister would be tasked to save democracy in Pakistan? Plot twist: It was Jaishankar, not Tiger (aka Salman Khan), who was set to save democracy in Pakistan. And considering how every opposition protest is India-sponsored in the eyes of Pakistani governments, Jaishankar would feel at home away from home.
It’s hardly surprising that Jaishankar has already debuted at Imran Khan’s rallies in the past. His views on buying petroleum goods from Russia after the Ukraine war were touted by Khan as an example of “azad Indian foreign policy.” This should only surprise Jaishankar, who has been vehemently saying that his Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) visit to Islamabad this month has nothing to do with India-Pakistan relations. We agree; he has a bigger task to save Pakistan. PTI supporters anyway want Modi to rid Pakistan of its government and bring back jailed Imran Khan. Why else was Modi elected into a third term?
Also read: Imran Khan’s resurrection will bring the dark ages to Pakistan. It’s just a matter of time
Kashmir dilemma
It was rather reassuring to see Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif stay in his bubble and pay tribute to Burhan Wani’s legacy, which he told the UN lives on in Kashmir. Whether it’s Wani or Osama bin Laden, all terrorists of yore are heroes to one prime minister or the other.
World leaders go to the annual United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to talk about the developments, successes, and achievements of their country. They also want to tell the world how their country is leading in the newest technological fads. However, Pakistani Prime Ministers have always attended the UNSC to signal the people back home — Kashmir Banega Pakistan. For some reason, we, the people, have to be ecstatic over the mention of Kashmir, as these decades-old, stale comments are treated as fresh hot biryani. But are they? People should take solace in the fact that Kashmir gets a mention because Saudi Arabia warning Pakistan about exporting beggars to the kingdom in the garb of pilgrims is not a bigger concern to the government.
For an exercise that will continue for many years to come, it’s hard to say to whom it may concern but Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan didn’t mention Kashmir this year at the UN. And then the army chief realised that Kashmir is a non-existent issue and said the “silence of the world is rather deafening.” I am surprised that the world’s silence stuns the army chief whose predecessor, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, reportedly said Pakistan can’t fight India for “we don’t have money to purchase diesel for the tanks.” Stunning confessions indeed.
Funnily, Pakistan goes to the UN and lectures on the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with UNSC resolutions. Yet, no one knows what stops Pakistan from implementing the same resolution on its side of Kashmir. I guess we’ll never know. Until then, let’s continue to complain to UN members that India should reinstate Article 370 and restart diplomatic talks because we don’t have new talking points. It was rich of Jaishankar to term Pakistan “a dysfunctional nation coveting the lands of others”, knowing that it is his duty to bring some functionality part back to Pakistan.
The author is a journalist from Pakistan. Her X handle is @nailainayat. Views are personal.