MAP OF Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu, October 20 (Scoop News)- From Pallanwala to Paharpur, the entire 200 km long international border (IB) in Jammu region is rattled by mortar shelling and heavy weapon firing on Indian positions by Pakistani rangers since last week triggering fresh migration again after over12 years following parliament attack in 2001.
Due to heightened border tensions, a large section of villagers belonging to Suchetgarh Kullian, close to IB, shifted to a safer location near Samba, 45 km south of Jammu, the winter capital of roiled Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier similar border skirmishes, although in a limited manner, were reported from Line of Control (LoC) in border districts of Rajouri, Poonch, Baramulla, Kupwara and Kargil.
“I don’t understand who is behind this. The two Prime Ministers (of India and Pakistan) met in New York and spoke about ceasefire violations. Instead, the issue is getting more serious”, responded state’s chief minister, Omar Abdullah, when asked about the situation on the border.
Nine people including three children, two women of village Najwal near Akhnoor besides four paramilitary border security force (BSF) personnel were injured during past 96 hours.
“The way civilians areas were targeted by shelling (on Thursday) it doesn’t seem that their intentions are good”, remarked Omar.
More than 100 violations including infiltration bids were registered during past 10 months in which nearly 17 soldiers had lost their lives on both sides of Indo_ Pak border in the Himalayan region.
New Delhi has already taken up the issue of ceasefire violations with Pakistan and now it depended on how strongly it is being carried forward after a series of violations by Pakistani troops in recent months.
The people particularly those living in the vicinity of the border want to live comfortably as any other person staying elsewhere in the country. They want ceasefire to hold on. Any tension on border is not good for them and for rest of the country.
The two neighbours had agreed upon the ceasefire in November 2003.
For past one decade India has been repeatedly complaining about the acts of terrorism emanating from across the border. It also witnessed a diabolic Mumbai attack in 2008 despite the ceasefire was holding on.
But the decade long ceasefire between India and Pakistan, along the border is certainly in danger now. Come 2014 when NATO forces would start withdrawing from battle ravaged Afghanistan, there would be further escalation in these violations.
Pakistan’s involvement in Afghanistan has always been linked to the fear of encircling by India. Day in and day out, Pakistan accuses India of its involvement in their beleaguered region of Baluchistan. Surprisingly, India has no military or security presence in Afghanistan or particularly in Jalalaabad bordering Pakistan.
Although, it is unrealistic to expect Afghan’s not to accept Indian assistance or any bilateral trade between the two countries. However, given the mindset of Pakistan’s strategic planners, they see any bonhomie in India and Afghanistan relations as a threat. Pakistan believes that Afghanistan was of vital interest to it. It gave them a strategic depth in its struggle with India. With unfriendly, Afghanistan, Pakistan would be wedged between two hostile neighbours and therefore they had to bolster jehadis.
Read jehadi literature, one would find that some of the groups in Pakistan believe that their best opportunity for Ghazwa e Hind (the great battle of India) will come when there is a big war. These jehadis are basically nihilists and they want a war between India and Pakistan. There are also some elements in Pakistani establishment who do not want civilian leaders like Nawaz Shrief to succeed to make some kind of accommodation with India.
These jehadis (non state actors), were being supported by different Pakistani state institutions but in heart of hearts, no jehadi really likes Pakistani state as it stands today. They prefer that the whole structure crumbled so that they would build it again on their own terms.
The jehadis have recoiled on Pakistan now.
Surprisingly, Machiavelli’s book has a specific mention about these non state actors where he tells Florentine prince not to fight wars through non state actors, he calls them mercenaries, because they have their own agenda.
”Mercenaries and auxiliaries are useless and dangerous. They are disunited thirsty for power, undisciplined and disloyal in peacetime you are despoiled by them and in wartime by enemy. Mercenary commanders cannot be trusted because they are anxious to advance their own greatness, either by coercing you or by coercing others against your wishes. Experience has shown that only armed princes and republics achieve solid success, and non state actors bring nothing but loss”.
Sharief who left for United States on Saturday to hold talks President Obama, knowing that Pakistan and US distrust each other immensely since 9/11 twin tower tragedy. Americans feel Pakistan plays a double game on the issue of terrorism and Pakistanis believe the US to be a fair weather friend despite receiving over US $ 20 billion as assistance on its war against terrorism from them.
US media reports suggest that Mushrraf, former military ruler of Pakistan played a “stab in back” double game with Americans.
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