SRINAGAR: The additional deployment of 40,000 paramilitary forces in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) ahead of Amarnath Yatra has raised serious concerns among the residents, who are fearing a false flag operation in the garb of security measures.
Amarnath Yatra, one of the most famous annual pilgrimage destinations of India, is being organized by the government of Jammu and Kashmir from June 30 to August 11.
This year’s pilgrimage to the Himalayan shrine, located at a height of 3,880 metres in south Kashmir, will be held after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and expects to receive an influx of around 0.3 million.
Under the directive of India’s Home Minister Amit Shah, an additional 40,000 troops have been deployed in the areas to conduct counter-terrorism operations proactively against the “militants”. Also, the Indian authorities have planned to use drone cameras to hover over the pilgrim routes.
However, the move has been seen by Kashmiri leadership and the people of IIOJK as a nefarious design by India with its plan to launch a major offensive against the Kashmiri youth struggling against India’s illegal occupation.
They have also expressed concern that the military deployment could be used to conduct an illegal state election soon after the finalization of the Delimitation Commission report.
The IIOJK residents are fearing that India may use the Amarnath Yatra as an opportunity for state-sponsored terrorism while pursuing its self-serving agenda in IIOJK and also malign Pakistan ultimately.
Over the years, India has been involved in many false flag operations to malign Pakistan.
These include the Mumbai attacks of 2008, the Pathankot Air Base attack of 2016, the Uri military base attack of 2016, and 2019’s Pulwama attack. India blamed Pakistan for these attacks without any evidence.
The security experts believe that these false flag operations are in line with the Indian hybrid agenda that over the years has evolved to blame Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism in the region.
The timings of some of these operations have remained quite significant since the main aim was to manipulate the domestic political environment. Likewise, the attempts have also been used to divert attention from the core issue of Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
The prospects of false flag operations are considerably significant since the controversial legislation and other political moves of the Indian government have compelled the Muslim and Sikh minorities, and farmers to come on roads.
Besides, the growing Indian atrocities in Occupied Kashmir and the August 2019 revocation have resulted in worldwide criticism against the extremist policies of Narendra Modi’s government. Pakistan, from time to time, has been warning the international community of a real threat of India staging false flag operations. –Agencies
