Exhibit A – Is India’s PM Modi behind this
(CHAKRA) It did not take long for news agencies (Samaa TV, ARY and others) in Pakistan to start pointing fingers at India, PM Narendra Modi, and Hindutva, as the Karachi Airport attack began (see Exhibit A). Not only did the Pakistani journalists blame India for the attack, but so did noted terrorist supremo, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed of Lashkar-e-Toiba/Jamaat-ud-Daawa (see Exhibit B).
As the operation to neutralize the terrorists transpired, Samaa TV reported that all the attackers were Uzbeks carrying Indian arms. But much to their dismay, the latest news reports say that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack that has now claimed the lives of 10 terrorists and 14 security and airport workers. Out of the 14 victims, we can attribute some of their deaths on Pakistan’s highly irresponsible embedded journalists who were giving out valuable tactical and strategic positions on live television.
Given the facts, will Pakistan continue to blame this attack on India? Is it all the fault of Hindutva ideology? Is it the fault of India’s intelligence agency, RAW? Will Pakistani media continue to sell its own nation the lie that TTP is funded and trained by India? Unfortunately, the Pakistani discourse is one of pure delusion. Those of us in India expecting to see rational minds prevail in Pakistan are severely mistaken. This country has a history of denial. Remember Pakistan media’s reaction to the Mumbai attacks? Even then, they blamed India for staging a false flag operation to provide a pretext to attack Pakistan and denuclearize it!
Exhibit B – Hafiz Muhammad Saeed’s Tweet even after Islamist Taliban admitted responsibility
Pakistan needs to wake up as a country and realize that it groomed the Taliban. It also continues to groom anti-Indian forces under the watchful eye of Difah-e-Pakistan (led by Hamid Gul and Hafiz Saeed). Pakistan also needs to wake up to the fact that India has no incentive to attack Pakistan’s key economic hub. India wants strong trade relations with Pakistan. It is still not too late for Pakistan to change its course and do the responsible thing: reform! My sympathies to the families of the innocent victims of this attack.
By Abhaya Shanker Dube
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