The current visit of our foreign minister to India, sparked controversy among far-right political factions. Some voices were also heard in the favor of young, cool and mature Bilawal. Pakistan is fortunately not like India. Pakistan’s foreign policy has nothing to with electoral process within Pakistan. Imran Khan famous mantra of regime change failed to influence many.
Ultimately, he had to take his famous U-turn on this narrative. Ex-foreign minister shah Mahmood Qurashi rightly backed Bilawal’s visit. It shows that states men are not moved by political motivated sentiments. Hopefully, it will not be like India. Indian politics is heavily dependent upon the irrational factors. Though, India asserts herself the most diverse and democratic state of the world. Indian constitution is an ideal document to unite its multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multi-religious state. Instead of implementing all the articles of Constitution, Indian far- right government marginalizes minorities and increases its vote bank.They exploit anti-Pakistan and anti-Muslims sentiments of masses and win elections. They have motivated speaker like Modi, what else they need to win elections. They organize dramas like pulwama, kill their own soldiers, propagate against Pakistan, and get desired results in elections. Congress is licking its wounds of defeat on all fronts and searching for charismatic leadership. The ideal document is merely a document and can’t prick the conscious of religious zealots. The sacred document has bowed down before holy cow ideology.
The implementation of its articles is a distant dream for intelligentsia of India. Pakistan on the other hand never experienced such things. Religiously, Pakistan is also sentimental state but here religious people couldn’t gain political turf. Unfortunately, some Politically ambitious and diplomatically naïve criticized Bilawal for visiting India. First of all, it wasn’t a bilateral forum only. It was a multilateral forum and Pakistan was a member of the Shanghai Cooperation organization. Bilawal had to visit and as he wisely said Pakistan can not allow any other country to define it. He represented Pakistan very diligently and confidently. He also expressed his will to normalize the situation and bilateral ties with India at the condition of pre 5th August status of Kashmir. In all his speeches and interviews, he successfully presented the case of Kashmir and Pakistan.
He also exposed India; her aggressive policy, criminal approach in Kashmir, and her Hawkish approach in all helms of affairs. He was the right man to represent Pakistan because he was also the victim of terrorism. He envisioned a region with no terrorism in it. Pakistan’s electoral politics never got any mileage and advantage of jingoistic politics and it is a good omen for the whole region. In the future, Pakistan will lead its neighbors from wrong to right. In the near past, Imran Khan’s government released Abinandhan as a good gesture and eased the tension between two states. Modi’s regime is an unfortunate episode in the history of this region. Hopefully, it will end and the whole region will progress together. The fate of millions of people of this region depends upon the sagacity and wisdom of its leaders and political representatives.
Two wrongs don’t make one right. Let us stand on the right side of history and wait for positive gestures from India to resolve all the disputes including Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan has already reiterated her stance of reinstatement of articles 370 and 35 A before any further progress. Let us not like Modi’s India.
The writer is a lecturer in English at the Department of Higher Education Colleges Muzaffarabad and can be accessed kamranghulam@gmail. Com