The birds that still mock!

It was found extremely difficult for anyone to determine the ‘factual details’ of what had actually happened at the Line of Control (LoC) Wednesday last. While the Indian authorities continue to call it a Surgical Operation, Pakistan declared it yet another incident of Indian Aggression, saying the Indian troops opened fire and shells from across the LoC the way they did numerous times in past years.

The world has witnessed through centuries that during major armed conflicts, especially in context of journalistic reporting in the two major wars of the 20th century, the party facing damages inevitably underplays details, sometimes to an unbelievable extent. And on the contrary, the progressing party highly exaggerates their successes or whatever the loss they cause to the enemy. Many humiliating defeats were kept secret for some time, whereas minor successes in ordinary battles were reported as historic victories! Going by this news maneuvering media traditions especially in wars, one would have assumed that Pakistan has probably underplayed the heavy losses it suffered in Wednesday’s incident!

Personally, I must mention here that as a citizen of Pakistan, this claimed Surgical Operation or the Indian Aggression has badly disturbed my nerves, surely not because I am scared of war: telling the truth, I am very confident about Pakistan’s tremendous capability of defending its people and its geo-political boundaries. What actually bothers me, at this moment, is the basic question why Pakistan has so badly been misunderstood?

I actually wonder sometimes as to why India – a neighboring country many times bigger in terms of power, population, and economy – does not have the guts and the political tools smart enough to bring a far smaller country on the talks that could have ensured a peaceful solution to all outstanding issues between Islamabad and New Delhi. If India has to maintain its firm reservations against Pakistan, the country should also realize its miserable failure in making the bilateral and diplomatic affairs connected to Pakistan, effectively successful!

In order to analyze who is speaking the truth or presenting at least something closer to it, one can go through how the media on both sides of the border have been dealing with the facts connected to issues that actually matter, both politically and militarily, to the two countries in recent years.

“You have been killing hundreds of young and innocent people every day in Balochistan, using chemical weapons against them,” is one of the questions that might surprise everyone in this world but an anchor hosting an Indian news show, in any case, has to put it to anyone connected live from Pakistan. And at least a dozen similar questions might be pumped immediately into the person if he/she, in a state of shock, helplessly but logically reacts, “What reports to this regard you could refer to?”

In such cases, a high risk is always involved; all the guests sitting in the channel’s studio – most probably located in Noida’s Film City – might start condemning the person taken live either from Islamabad or Karachi almost in form of a chorus, artfully harmonized by the host of the show. And the reason is simple: ‘How could you question the credibility of what we ask!’

This arrogance, or approach, inevitably connects to a comment once made by Mr. Niaz A. Naik – the man known to be the mastermind of Pakistan’s Track II diplomacy in yesteryears. While I got an opportunity to make a few visits to him in Islamabad back in 2005/2006, once I asked him the reason behind the consistent failure of negotiations between Pakistan and India. Although he almost read out a list of issues connected to disputes, in context of history and current conflicts, at one point, he clearly said: “Indian arrogance has been an unwanted yet one of the most harmful factors that has decisively contributed to this failure.” Frankly, I quietly disagreed with his point of view at that moment but not now. It’s because these recent experiences almost confirm what actually such a recognized diplomat had pointed out well over ten years ago!

Another emphasis is usually on a few personalities in Pakistan who quite often make statements that an Indian won’t ever appreciate in any case! And when they name Hafiz Saeed, they just carelessly forget the way Mr. Bal Thackeray, time and again, used to condemn Pakistan, Pakistanis, Pakistani actors such as Mohsin Hasan Khan and also Pakistan’s sympathizers in India. Also, the Indian media, while questioning the views of such people in Pakistan, do not consider at all the way Republican’s most popular presidential candidate, Mr. Donald Trump, has been condemning Muslims all over the world collectively without making any specific sense! And if you refer to these two examples in their shows, thinking that every country in this world does have, and should have, people of all schools of thought, there emerges a live chorus once again from the studio. And it goes on!

Ironically, if you go by documents, just one click into Wikipedia shows the inscription: “Bal Keshav Thackeray … was blamed for inciting violence against Muslims during the 1992–1993 Bombay riots in the Srikrishna Commission Report, an inquiry by the government.” And currently, the way Trump is dealing with Muslim community is known to, and condemned by, almost everyone in this world! But for my friends in Indian media, it’s only the people at our side of the border to discuss.

As for their consistent emphasis on the stories of killings in Balochistan and that of applying chemical weapons in the province, I must refer to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) treaty which Pakistan has signed without being known to ever have possessed any kind of such weapons. The treaty clearly prohibits acquisition, manufacturing, storage, stockpiling, sharing or use of all types of chemical weapons, failing which, any of the 199 members can request a Challenge Inspection against any member country. This request will make the suspect country bound to allow the requested inspection or face international sanctions!

What the Indian media further ignores is solid and scientific evidence against this allegation. “If such a weapon is used somewhere, the effects continue to last for a long period of time, and a simple laboratory test of the air in the atmosphere can prove what has actually happened,” said Defense Analyst Muhammad Ali while talking to this scribe from Islamabad on phone, commenting: “It’s simply ridiculous to assume or blame that CWs have ever been used in Balochistan or elsewhere in Pakistan.”

On the contrary, Ali said, India had violated a 1993 bilateral agreement with Pakistan by not confessing to have the possession of chemical weapons. “It was only in 1997 when India singed the CWC, revealing it did have the chemical weapons.” Ali suggested even a local organization, group or individual can file a lawsuit in case any institution or authority applies, or recommends to apply, chemical weapons.

On most of the Indian news channels, especially during news shows, the Balochistan issue arises mostly in case anyone points out any incident in Indian Occupied Kashmir. Even if you just refer to what has been reported in their own newspapers, they pound with a hail of baseless allegations involving Balochistan. And when an anchor loudly repeats the number of casualties being over 200 almost every day, you either have to take pity on him/her for doing poor homework or feel like reacting the same way.

They say, “You Pakistani journalists are not allowed to report what happens in Balochistan.” And if I am there on the other end, the only thing that comes to my mind is, “… then what has the modern satellite news gathering technology been doing in case of Balochistan.”

It’s more simple to understand in many other ways. Suppose, if Geo News is not allowed to cover these deaths, why CNN, BBC, Fox, SkyNews and other active, brave and aggressive news channels of the world are not even bothering about these unseen casualties and massacres!

On the other hand, going by Pakistan’s version over the incident, one is irresistibly supposed to assume that the reports have been underplaying the actual losses. As a journalist, I have visited Chakoti and nearby areas for more than once. And I usually keep the contacts once I develop. Till today, I have yet to receive any eyewitness accounts that could establish the Indian version, knowing well that some sources over there can share facts without getting influenced or pressurized by any authorities in Pakistan.

Interestingly enough, almost all Indian channels reported that Indian troops had actually entered Azad Kashmir and conducted the Surgical Operation, once again ruthlessly ignoring the actual statement made by the Indian DGMO himself. He says: “… some terrorist teams had positioned themselves at launch pads along Line of Control to carryout infiltration ….”

The entire text of his statement does not mention anything about the Indian troops forcing their way into Azad Kashmir and conduct the so-called operation. The statement clearly mentions, “…at launch pads along Line of Control…”, which means the Indian media version is totally misrepresenting or has highly exaggerated the scene!

And when the news of the capture of an Indian soldier came after several hours, Pakistani media initially could have raised the question as to who actually had conducted the Surgical Operation, India or Pakistan? But fortunately, in spite of all its flaws and weaknesses, media at our side of the border did neither make any judgement, nor it aired any exaggerated reports on this news, only revealing the actual details as the news further developed!

One more thing! Pakistan has also been repeatedly blamed by Indian politicians and Indian media of consistently living in a state of denial! So I would very gently like to ask all my media friends across the border, if you ignore your own DGMO’s actual statement while ‘making’ news, if you just ignore the Indian (BalJi) and American (Mr. Trump) extremists while condemning ours, if you don’t read the details of CWC and if you ignore the science of the aftereffects that can prove the use of chemical weapons anywhere in this world, then who is actually living in the state of denial?

The writer is a senior journalist working for Geo/Jang group

Views of the author do not reflect that of Geo News