Consultation on Pakistan: Speak little, speak loudly
A horrific terrorist attack on a police post near Bannu city in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province has shattered Field Marshal Asim Munir's claims of wiping out terrorists from the province. In the terrorist attack on Saturday, a suicide bomber first rammed a car loaded with ammunition into the police post building and then jumped out and started firing. Some of his associates also joined him in the firing. The attack killed 21 policemen and injured about a dozen, three of whom are said to be in critical condition. A new terrorist group, Ittehad-e-Mujahideen, has claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistani authorities consider this group to be a front for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while a spokesman for Ittehad claims that this group is a TTP affiliate. It is based on those who broke ties with the. It is worth mentioning that the Bannu Wala Kara is the first major attack by terrorists in Pakistan after the major terror attack on a Shia mosque in Islamabad in February this year. Dozens of people were killed and more than 160 were injured in the Islamabad attack. The responsibility for that attack was taken by 'Daesh' (Islamic State), but even then the Pakistani government blamed TTP instead of 'Daesh'.
The Pakistani government has been claiming that the Indian intelligence agency 'RAW' and the Taliban government of Afghanistan were behind the TTP attacks by naming them 'Fitna al-Khawarij'. It is a different matter that in the Bannu case, it has refrained from making any such claim officially. However, some leaders of the ruling PML (N) and Pakistan People's Party have been making statements demanding action against India from the national government, but these statements are not as poisonous as before. It seems necessary to mention here that after the Islamabad terror attack, the Pakistani army had carried out air strikes in several places in Afghanistan, including the national capital Kabul, in March. More than 350 Afghan civilians were killed in the airstrikes carried out by it. In response, the Afghan forces had also carried out some raids across the Durand Line (Pakistan-Afghan border). Such clashes continued for more than three weeks. Later, China brought about a ceasefire with the aim of ensuring the protection of its commercial interests in both countries. This 'ceasefire' is still in force, although it has certainly been threatened by the Bannu attack.
One of the reasons for the Pakistan government's moderate tone towards India is that it has been mediating in the war between the US and Iran. In fact, this role was imposed on Pakistan by US President Donald Trump, but due to this, Pakistan has been getting a lot of praise in international diplomatic circles. It is natural for the people of that country to like this kind of praise. But at the same time, the reality is that approval or praise cannot become a permanent means of getting rid of misery. The Iran-US war has also had the greatest impact on Pakistan in terms of inflation. Petrol is being sold at a price of more than Rs 350 per liter while diesel is at Rs 430 per liter. In such an environment, the return of terror attacks can become a new burden for the government security apparatus and also cause a drain on economic resources. Instead of rejoicing over such a plight of the neighboring country, the Modi government, especially the spokespersons of the BJP and the TV anchors associated with this party, should keep the tone of their claims moderate. Behavior like 'the laughter of the hawks at the death of sparrows' is not a sign of wisdom. It should be avoided.
