Arsonist Blaming the Firefighter

In world history, the order in time in which major and important events occurred are largely determined in terms of AC and BC. However, there is one chronological order that must be added to modern history, which is ‘Before 9/11’ and ‘After 9/11.’ More’s the pity, the proposed addition will be more pertinent and aptly relevant to such war-torn Muslim countries as Pakistan and Afghanistan than any other part of the world, not to exclude the United States too. When it comes to India, despite its formidable landmass and gargantuan population size, the country does not merit even a little mention in history post 9/11, let alone its role, scarcely any, in setting the world free of the scourge of terrorism, turmoil and turbulence.

The America-led global counterterrorism campaign called ‘War on Terrorism,’ was launched with much flourish and fanfare in the wake of September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, commonly known as 9/11. With over two decades passed since then, the so-called war on terror is well over for those highly-developed and filthy-rich nations who initiated their counterterrorism campaign with all their might and main against the most vulnerable people of the world. However, for a country like Pakistan, which has had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks, not a single day goes by when the country doesn’t feel the aftershocks of an entirely American war unleashed in cahoots with its allied partners from the West. In this connection, the most recent, yet shocking episode took place when a joint statement from the United States and India was released after the talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the U.S. President Joe Biden during the former’s official visit to the United States. As per the India-U.S. joint statement issued on June 22, both the countries stand together to counter global terrorism in all its forms. President Biden and PM Modi, as says the joint statement, reiterated the call for concerted action against all UN-listed terrorist groups, while calling on ‘Pakistan’ to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks. Making things worse, the misplaced U.S.-India joint statement put a question mark on Pakistan’s decades-long counterterrorism efforts while calling upon the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to tighten its money-laundering and terrorism financing standards only to pressurize Pakistan again. Adding insult to injury, the U.S.-India joint statement not only defied the ground realities without any blush of shame but it also came into view as a brazen attempt to malign Pakistan, yet again, as a terror-sponsoring nation, that too on the global scale.

As if that were not enough, the statement went to clearly mention the word ‘Pakistan’ as an international villain, in spite of the fact that the latter has lost over 80 thousand precious lives, including its military personnel, and has also suffered a loss of over $40 billion since the onset of the U.S.-led war on terror. In 2020 alone, for instance, Pakistan witnessed more than 300 terrorism-related incidents, together with 169 associated deaths of civilians. As it happens in Pakistan, not one single day goes by when it is not hit by a terror event fully sponsored by India, which can frankly be referred to as an arsonist blaming the firefighter. In numerous international fora, Islamabad has continuously been raising its voice with loads of undeniable proofs about New Delhi’s sinister role in hatching conspiracies and destabilising Pakistan by fanning and financing terrorism. Interestingly, PM Modi, in his visit to the U.S., categorically denied any human rights abuses and discrimination against minorities in India. However, the time will soon come when the world will realise its erroneous priorities towards India, a country being led by someone globally known as the ‘Butcher of Gujarat.’ Regrettably, in place of recognising Pakistan’s leading role in fighting against global terrorism, it seems the international community is adamant to act otherwise by turning a blind eye to the full-blown state terrorism wreaked by New Delhi both against its Muslim minorities as well as those living across the Indian border. Unless New Delhi is taken to the task for its proven role in supporting terrorism, the war on terror is certainly not over for Pakistan.

Syed Jawaid Iqbal
President & Editor in Chief