Praise India’s foreign policy, then rake up Kashmir issue. This is supposed to be the ‘Mantra’ of the outgoing and incoming Prime Ministers of democratic turbulent country of Pakistan, our’distinguished’ neighbours. When you can not address the burning domestic issues (Inflation, Unemployment, IMF debts ,languages or development challenges) concerning backward areas of Sindh and Baluchistan,forget about finding a Solution,this is supposed to be readily available Modus Operandi.
The new Pak P.M.,Shehbaz Sharif has hinted at a ” just,” resolution of the vexed Kashmir issue ,at the same time, maintaining “Good Relations” with India.
2) While congratulating Sharif, P.M.Modi has reminded him of India’s concern about Cross border terrorism. Stopping her support to terror groups should be the pre-condition for normal ties,the P.M. Modi went on to add.
Imran ,the ousted P.M.,by giving poor governance ,leading to economic ill health of the nation, has begun ironically laying stress on “independent ”
approach to governance. Now he is seeking to convince the electorate that his struggle, till last ball was going to be for freedom, in view of “interference” by a foreign goverment.
As a last resort, playing a religious card, he is asking people to take(either) path of freedom or that of slavery being shown by the opposition.
(3) If Kashmir has been a bone of contention blocking our smooth bi -lateral relations, it has been the Key or X factor for Pakistan all the time since 1947.
The new nation born out of strictly religious considerations has not been able to come out of this Syndrome.
We in India ,seem to be tolerating our loss of a big area of Aksai Chin, but our neighbours always rake up the “loss” of Kashmir at every conceivable forum. At UNGA, its an Annual Ritual. And when they fail to resolve their economic ills and in a way , resort to complete surrender to fundamentalists, Kashmir Raga or Saga religiously, has to be remembered. The tool used is that of ISI. So it may be pertinent to understand a bit of this long surviving ” puzzle”.
ISI,The Most Important Determinant
(4) The Inter Services Intelligence Directorate, popularly known as ISI, is the apex intelligence agency of Pakistan. It is to Pakistan,what CIA is to USA or what KGB was to erstwhile USSR. In reality, however, it is not only an external & military intelligence organisation but in the words of Mohammed Yousaf, former Chief of ISI Afghan Bureau ,it has the responsibility for all the intelligence matters at the national level. These may encompass political , military, internal and external security as also the vital area of counter-intelligence.
It is supposed to be a Government within a Government. It has so much of clout inside Pakistan that it is considered above law, at times.History, including events of last fortnight have shown that every government ,be it civilian or army supported, has to depend obliquely on ISI for its survival. That is why Gen.Bajwa,the Army Chief and supreme commander of ISI was always IN NEWS, never out of it.
(5) Administratively, the D.G. of ISI is under the Defence ministry, but due to his direct reporting to the P.M.,control of Defence ministry over the agency is minimal.
The ISI has played a decisive role in compelling withdrawal of USSR from Afghanistan and was also the catalyst when USA funded and supported the ” Mujaheedeen” to pursue their “Jehad”. In addition,US funding, technical and training support to ISI has been substantial and continued even after two years of ‘vacation’ of Afghanistan by theTaliban.A part of this fund and latest weapons were later diverted to foreign mercenaries and Kashmiri militants.
(6) The ISI was back to Afghanistan alongwith full Peshawar Division of Pak Army when Taibans recaptured power in Afghanistan in August 2021 and the difference of opinion that surfaced between Gen.Bajwa and Imran Khan over selection of new ISI Chief ,Lt.Gen.Nadeem Anjum, goes on to prove the say Army continues to have in the matters civilian as also in keeping the Kashmir issue alive for Pakistan.
(7) As regards source of fund,the ISI, apart from annual allocation from Army, also has been getting sizable funds in form of charities from a few Middle East countries.It also has an enormous stake in the money generated from sale of drugs and small arms in the Pak- Afghan region. A major portion of their fund is spent on pursuing espionage, subversion and sabotage in J & K and many parts of India.
Rather, it can be safely stated that ISI is more strong a force to reckon with than two other Intelligence agencies of US and Russia in the sense that no Government worth its salt can survive in Pakistan, unless ISI “endorses”.
(8) The ISI has been posing serious threats to India’s integrity and internal security by instigating and encouraging the disgruntled and disloyal elements, creating disaffection among the minorities, such as, Muslims and Sikhs and in also providing support to remnants of insurgents in the North East. Their nefarious designs are facilitated by factors, such as, common ethnic & cultural background of the people of India and Pakistan and existence of groups or classes who avail or surrender themselves to exploitation by it due to past affinities ,common religion etc.
It has been,over the years, pursuing a module of “encirclement” of India by recruiting agents from the groups, such as, smugglers, drug traffickers,Indian nationals visiting Pakistan legally as also clandestinely, Pak nationals visiting India ,Indian nationals held in custody of Pak authorities and Pak as well as the Indian nationals especially selected for espionage and subversion activities.
Special Operations for J&K
(9) A dedicated wing called Joint Intelligence ,North(JIN) used to control operations ,namely, infiltration, misleading propaganda,training, supply of arms & ammunitions and regular flow of funds to the Kashmiri militants. It is presumed to be doing so even now.
Though set up by a British officer in 1948, ISI has matured as a well structured organisation.We lacked something like this in India till it was decided to set up R&AW nearly 47 years ago. But it has confined its operations only to external intelligence work.
(10) Over the years, the salient features of ISI ‘s India policy according to a book published in 1999, have been:
(a) To sustain Kashmir movement at a minimal cost and force its settlement on terms and conditions acceptable to Pakistan,
(b) To weaken India’s potential strength and national will by hitting at its perceived ” fault lines” and to pursue the policy of thousand cuts,
(c)To prevent India from emerging as a strategically dominant power in the region and
(d) To render Indian borders porous and bordering states, vulnerable.
(11) The activities of ISI were earlier code named K-1, K-2 and K-3, all focussed and meticulously aimed at bleeding of Punjab, J & K and the North East , respectively.
In the meanwhile, ISI’s links in Nepaĺ and Bangladesh have been receiving setbacks ,every now and then, to India’s ADVANTAGE.
From 1988 ,an exclusive operation by the name of “Operation TOPAC” aimed at mass infiltration into J & K to assist the so called ‘freedom struggle’ has been also financed and being sustained.
to Sum Up- Kasmir issue has not only been kept alive by the overt and covert actions of Pak Rangers and ISI ALONE. One should not be saying , but it is believed that vested interests among bureaucrats and politicians had kept the issue alive. Their Nexus too has done a lot of harm to the country as a Whole.
A fundamental intelligence input that emerges regularly on the eve of 15th August or 26th January functions is ” a module with diagrams by Pak connected militants for creating disturbances”. Needless to say, that never happens. Abrogation of Article 370 together with raids relating to misuse of development funds, therefore, have the potential to correct the course and to provide suitable solution to all such ills.
About the Author : Dr. Aaloc Srivastav, Ex CS , Sikkim is a Senior Retd Bureaucrat and passionate about writing on his favourite subjects . The views shared by the author are his personal.
