PM Modi writes a polite tweet, and Shehbaz Sharif goes into convulsions over Kashmir
Although neither India nor the back channel have offered flood aid, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has linked the situation to Kashmir propaganda in an effort to placate internal extremists and gain political advantage.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif responded irrationally in order to score political points against his political rival Imran Khan Niazi and placate the domestic audience over Jammu and Kashmir pipedreams in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s straightforwardly sympathetic tweet about the destruction caused by floods in Pakistan.
While the highest echelons of the Narendra Modi administration have confirmed that India did not offer Pakistan any assistance or food exports after over a thousand people perished in floods, PM Shehbaz Sharif connected the nonexistent offer with standard Kashmir propaganda, such as the repeal of articles 370 and 35 A and minority rights.
PM Modi tweeted on Monday that he was saddened by the destruction brought on by the floods in Pakistan and expressed his condolences while expressing hope for an early return to normalcy. Miftah Ismail, Pakistan’s finance minister, then suo moto declared that his nation should think about importing vegetables and other food goods from India to help its citizens deal with the widespread loss of crops by flash floods.
After making this assertion, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif immediately launched on his regular tirade against the Narendra Modi administration. Despite the fact that Pakistan was not made an offer, PM Sharif used Kashmir propaganda to win over his domestic voters ahead of the general elections scheduled for next year and PTI Chief Imran Khan’s promising public battle against the current government.
Since the 2016 attack on the Pathankot air base by Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists based in Bahawalpur, the Modi government and the Pakistani government have not maintained a political back channel. The security forces and security agencies have coordinated their operations to the degree necessary to prevent any flare-ups or cross-border shooting along the international border.
India is aware that Pakistan’s economy is in dire straits and that it has become mired in a multibillion-dollar Chinese debt trap. It is aware that the Pakistani politicians continue to use the Kashmir issue as a political football to score political points against their rivals, despite the fact that the Rawalpindi GHQ, led by the astute Gen. Qamar Jawed Bajwa, has given up on the issue and does not wish to inflame military tensions along the international border with the Indian Army. Because Imran Khan Niazi is exerting pressure on Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Kashmir propaganda will continue to have political resonance in Pakistan till the upcoming general election.
It wasn’t that long ago that Indian policymakers made the decision to work with Pakistan’s civilian administration in order to provide them the ability to confront the Pakistan Army’s virulent anti-Indian forces. The Pakistani politician is the issue right now.