The news
that Masood Azhar had been detained in Pakistan in Pathankot terror attack case
broke like a sweeping development – taking over all in its awe.
But scratch
a little and there is something familiar that worries us as – something that
has worried us all in every case where perpetrators are 'hiding' at large in
Pakistan with a respectable public life.
Unlike
Dawood Ibrahim, whose presence Pakistan denies vehemently, such has not been
the case with Hafiz Saeed, the LeT and JuD chief, with a US bounty of US$ 10
Million on his head. He is a highly respectable figure in Pakistan. He spews
venom against India. He warns Pakistani establishment on speaking even a single
word that is pro India. He regularly visits border areas in Pakistan to deliver
anti-India 'sermons'.
And such has
not been the case even with Masood Azhar, even if he was an imprisoned
terrorist in India who was swapped in the IC814 hijacking episode in 1999. A
natural, responsible step by Pakistan would be to hand over Masood Azhar to
India – because he would always remain wanted in India – with his past – with
his arrest in Sringar in 1995 or his role in 2001 Parliament attack and his
conviction in absentia, his role in 2008 Mumbai attacks, or in different terror
attacks in India.
But India
must not forget that Pakistan did not hand over Masood to America even after intense
pressure in journalist Daniel Pearl murder case.
So, Pakistan
is not going to detain him or arrest him for India – that is like daydreaming.
Also, it was
said (or alleged) that Masood was taken in 'protective custody'. Now what is
this 'protective custody'? You don't need to go far and deep to know what this
term legally means in Pakistan than a simple Google search.
A Google
search with 'protective custody' returns with loads of pages saying 'Osama bin
Laden was in protective custody in Pakistan'. That is more than enough to tell
us what it means. Osama enjoyed a safe life in Pakistan for years, in its
military backyard - till one fine day - when America disrupted and destroyed
the related 'collective designs'.
Today’s
rumour that spread like wildfire may well be intended at creating atmospherics
for India-Pakistan FS level talks – that both countries are in a trap to look
committed to – after Narendra Modi’s surprise Lahore visit on Nawaz Sharif’s birthday
on December 25 last year.
Anyway, we
can expect that something good will come out from this dilemma – that it will
not work as some ‘entrapment'- because both countries are looking closest to
their shared and distinctive realities now.
If Pakistan
needs a 'Pakistan' that goes ahead on the path of development, away from a very
certain scenario of nation's disintegration, it must maintain peace with India
- because most of its resources, in the situations now, are being absorbed in destabilizing
India - something that is nothing but a daydreaming. A peaceful relation with
the world's third largest economy, that is also its neighbour, will give
Pakistan the much needed leverage to initiate on the process of nation
building.
For India, a
peaceful Pakistan and peace at India Pakistan borders would help in developing
areas in these conflict zones at par with other parts in the country. And obviously
would smoothen the flow of energy resources from 'energy-rich' central Asian
countries.
©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/
