IT appears that current Indian ruling leadership has tasked General Bipin Rawat, India’s Chief of Defence Staff to cut political angles for Pakistan’s bashing, in contrast of the concept of civilian supremacy. His belligerent statements over the past several months are indicative of war mongering. In his statement on Friday, General Rawt claimed that despite confronted with internal and external challenges and failing economy, Pakistan still continued to “profess” that Kashmir is their unfinished agenda. The general has forgotten UNSC Resolution 47, which recommends for holding plebiscite in the occupied Kashmir. This sort of political statement does not conform to his mandated institutional responsibility of a professional soldier.
In response, Foreign Office issued a statement which states that Indian CDS unabated anti-Pakistan vitriol reflects his extremely flawed understanding of Pakistan’s realities as well as his patently politicized approach. The statement highlights how BJP government has systematically institutionalized the RSS extremist ideology of Hindutva and is propagating its expansionist designs of “Akhand Bharat.” It is under this parochial ideology that Muslims places of worship are desecrated and they are lynched by cow vigilantes under the patronage of government. General Bipin Rawat is frequently making flamboyant ant-Pakistan statements. On September 11, he made a provocative statement, saying that Pakistan could take advantage of any threat on the northern border of India with China and warned that Pakistan’s army would suffer heavy losses if it attempted any misadventure. On the contrary, Pakistan’s commitment for maintaining peace and stability in the region is loud and clear. Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly said that if Indian leadership takes one step forward for peace, Pakistan will reciprocate with two steps forward. It is India which has kept tension high on the Line of Control by daily shelling on military targets and civilian population of Azad Kashmir.
Earlier, on January 16, while speaking at Raisini Dialogue 2020, Indian Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat predicted that Pakistan will be moved to the blacklist by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in its plenary meeting to be held in February as it is sponsoring terrorism in India and Afghanistan. On the contrary, it is India which is using the soil of Afghanistan for terrorist activities in Pakistan and other countries in the region by sponsoring Daesh Khorasan and reunited TTP.
