*In an interview to the Christian Science Monitor, Asad Khan, Pakistan’sAmbassador to Washington, mentioned that “a certain narrative has beenbuilt around Indian victimhood – how India has suffered at the hand ofterrorists – and much of that blame has been thrown at us”, stating that itis time that the international community understood not only India’sdestabilizing activities in the broader region but also their authoritariantendencies at home under the current Hindu nationalist government underPrime Minister Narendra Modi.*
Ambassador Khan reiterated that over the past decade, Pakistan has managedto substantially reduce the number of terrorist attacks (by “non-stateactors) in the country, but over the past two years there has been aresurgence of attacks, and “unfortunately we see the Indian footprint andIndian fingerprints all over the place”.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi andthe Chief of the Military’s public relations bureau (ISPR) presented adetailed dossier of alleged Indian-sponsored terrorist activities onPakistani soil – which included audio wiretaps, named Indian agents, anddocumented financial transfers.
This raised questions pertaining to the timing of these seriouslyconsequential allegations, considering that India has for years accusedPakistan of harboring terrorist groups and conducting coordinated attacksinside the country – all but tarnishing Pakistan’s reputation in theinternational community.
It is important to understand that the dossier was also shared with UnitedNations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as India prepares to take atwo-year rotating seat on the Security Council in January, and withPresident-elect Joe Biden’s incoming administration; in an effort topreemptively label India as an unreliable democratic partner.
It can be observed that over the past decade, India has significantlyfortified its international profile, serving as a crucial regional securitypartner to the United States, and as a strategic and economic counterweightto the growing dominance of Communist China.
On the other hand, as the United States abruptly reduces its presence inAfghanistan, Pakistan’s regional strategic importance beyond theimplementation of a peace deal between the Taliban and the Afghangovernment can be seen to dwindle in the foreseeable future.
According to Karl Inderfurth, Assistant Secretary of State on South Asianaffairs for the Clinton Administration, “It is no surprise Pakistan wouldbe coming out with such a dossier, especially as India is about to take aseat again on the Security Council”, adding that “Pakistan has watched fromthe sidelines as India has only grown in regional importance, so I see themacting to remind the powers on the council that one of their partners has ahistory of stirring up trouble in the region”.
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In the aftermath of the dossier, India has dismissed Pakistan’s claims, asIndia’s permanent representative to the United Nations T.S. Trimurti statedthat it “enjoys no credibility” and that Pakistan “cannot change the factthat they are the epicenter of terrorism”.
China is certainly a key player in this regional calculus, which has agrowing economic and security footprint in Pakistan and has engaged in aprotracted border dispute with India over the past year; as Pakistaniofficials have accused India of attempting to destabilize economiccooperation with China by fomenting terrorist attacks againstChinese-financed development projects in the country.
However, Islamabad aims to gain traction in Washington, with AmbassadorKhan stating that “We see the U.S. as perhaps the only country in the worldthat is in a position to play an important and critical role on thisissue”, adding that “We are hopeful the engagement of the U.S. could workto support peace and security for our region”.
In particular, Pakistan would like to see the United States pressure Indiaover its abrogation of the constitutionally enshrined rights of Kashmir asan autonomous territory, and the repressive measures Prime MinisterNarendra Modi continues to enforce there.
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