A couple of days after Indian Foreign Minister’s remark that “it is still the world of double standards,” the United States has proved him correct. The US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome visited Pakistan occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (POGB) and Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK).
The secret visit raises concerns and apprehensions over the intention of the United States regarding its relationship with India. The point being, US clearly knows that the concerned areas are under the illegal occupation of Pakistan and making political maneuvers in those area could compromise its relation with India. Despite that, the US ambassador visited the region and that too secretly.
Even the media was not informed about his visit. If reports are to be believed, it was not a casual visit as he met with some of the local Pak-backed politicians and Food and Tourism Minister of the occupying government, Ghulam Muhammad in Gilgit.
Donald should have taken the cognizance of protests in the POJK and POGB, where people are protesting over the persecution by Pakistan Army. Visiting the region implies not only legitimizing the Pakistani claim but also the persecution and oppression by Pakistan Army in POGB and POJK.
What was the mysterious activity?
The United State must now contemplate why it should not be called as a sympathiser of a terrorist regime? It must know that with this secret visit, it has crossed the line which the other Indian rivals have never tried to cross!
Above all, the alleged reference to POJK that Donald used, i.e., “Azad Kashmir” is in sheer contrast to the Indian stand and being the non-party in the matter, such an attribution is also a kind of legalisation which raises question, that why should India think of United States as a strategic partner? And under what authority, he got the right to address that region as “Azad”?
Furthermore, it is not only India that is raising question, Mr. Donald’s secret visit has also come under the sharp criticism from the opposition party in POGB. The opposition leader of GB, Kazim not only criticised his secret visit but also called it the “mysterious activity” of the US Ambassador in the region.
So, what was that mysterious activity? Was it a visit to count the abducted youth of the region, who are coercively fed into terror factory on a daily basis? Or was it a visit to see the protests of hungry citizens who are demanding their national recognition right along with basic amenities? Well, if these are not the concerned activities, then it’s time for India to stop the recognition of US face that relates to human rights and recognise the US face through which the blood lust lingered during the Iraq invasion. The US has always thrived on the dead bodies of lakh of innocents and made the world, its battleground so that it could benefit from every cooking conflict.
Connecting threads
This takes us to a very important development. Reportedly, the recent Canadian allegations were based on the “so-called” intelligence from the Five Eyes, especially United States. This rings the bell. First providing an intel to Canada based on open-source information, then US ambassador’s secret visit to POGB and POJK makes it very clear that US is pulling the strings and playing from behind the scenes. Reason? Growing Indian dominance is stinging in the eyes of US.
Apparently, there is no room left for the doubts! US is certainly trying to play its cold war game play of equilibrium. It wants to woo India because it sees New Delhi as the only potential country that can face China. Meantime, it is also leaving no stone unturned to reinstate Pakistan as a potential rival to India so that it can keep India’s dominance under check.
This becomes more evident by the statement of US ambassador to India, Mr. Eric Garcetti. When asked about Mr. Donald’s secret visit, he very nicely steered the question and gave a diplomatic reply that, a delegation also went to Kashmir during G20 and that the issue is bilateral and apart from India and Pakistan, no third party will interfere. While he cleverly upheld the Indian stand of no foreign intervention, he also justified US’ intervention in POGB and POJK.
US has made a mistake worth regretting!
Since the cold war time, US has tried to appease and neglect India as per its need. One of many reasons that melted their heart, at the advent of 21st century, was the growing aggression of China and their desperate need for India by their side. But now, as India is growing and is becoming a beacon of hope for the larger world, US is trying to revive a counter in Asia, yet again through Pakistan. As, it is no hidden fact that US helped Pakistan to gets bailout from IMF after it promised to supply weapons to Ukraine, while India has resisted every pressure of taking hardline on Russia.
The secret visit of US ambassador to POGB and POJK highlights the US double standards. Hopefully, India’s neutrality has the space for more autonomy. The United States has done what it had to, now its time for India to reply. In coming days it is definitely going to be proved as the biggest mistake of United States. Nevertheless, one thing is pretty much clear that the neutrality and strategic autonomy of India is going to be more strong than ever.