“War,” declared Clausewitz, “is the continuation of politics by other means”. Given the horrors of war in the nuclear era, most statesmen today take a somewhat less casual attitude towards the business of armed combat between two nations.
Mr. Mumtaz Hussain Rathore, the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, apparently sees this question of war from a different perspective. In a recent interview, he announced that he was no longer willing to hide his support for the freedom fighters in Occupied Kashmir behind a smokescreen of diplomatic doublespeak. Instead, he has declared an open “jihad” against the Indian forces in Occupied Kashmir and says that he is willing to spend all of the 43 crores in the state’s treasury to fund this “jihad.”
If by “jihad”, he means open interference in the affairs of a neighbouring country, provoking revolt and supplying arms to secessionist rebels, than his announcement can safely be construed as a casus belli. In other words, if the Indians so want, they will be legally, if not morally, justified in attacking Pakistan.
Mr. Rathore has been the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir for over six months now. During that time, the Indian forces have committed every atrocity and injustice possible. And yet, despite all the international outrage, despite all the public support, it never occurred earlier to Mr. Rathore to declare war against the Indians. Why then, we might ask, this sudden rush of blood to his head? Was it some particularly brutal incident that finally served as the proverbial back-breaking straw? Or was he prompted by needs that were far more parochial than he dare acknowledge?
The fact is that the continued existence of Mr. Rathore’s PPP government is a thorn in Mian Nawaz’s flesh. We have recently reported how Sardar Qayyum has already won over almost all of Mr. Rathore’s support in the AJK Legislative Assembly. WE also believe that the IJI’s ‘restraint’ in getting rid of Mr. Rathore is not because of its inability to win over enough MLAs but because of the embarrassment this would cause the federal government. Nevertheless, reports are still reaching us that a “Get-Rathore” operation is in the works, and that following a no-confidence move and much horse-trading, Mr. Rathore will be ejected from the Prime Minister’s seat.
While the success of Mr. Sharif’s operation is yet to be seen, it is quite obvious that Mr. Rathore has panicked. As such his emotional appeal for a “jihad” is not based on any altruistic concern for the Kashmiris, but in his desire to protect his position by acting the role of a populist leader. What we see here is an extremely delicate issue being dragged into the realm of petty politics. And given the dimensions it has already assumed, it may soon run out of control.
However, even if one leaves aside the unpleasant thought of war, Mr. Rathore’s efforts at self-glorification have hardly been in Pakistan’s interests; Pakistan’s credibility in the international arena has been damaged considerably. From now on, India will always be able to point to Mr. Rathore’s indiscretions as proof of our involvement in Occupied Kashmir as they did when Sardar Qayyum talked of raising a commando force of 100,000 men.
Finally, it is time for Mian Sahib to refrain from the destructive politics that were so visible during the PPP’s tenure in power. At that time, Mian Sahib’s vehemence in protesting his heartfelt approval for concepts such as “peaceful co-existence” and “non-interference” was much admired. It is time that he implemented a few of those impressive declamations.
As for Mr. Rathore, he should have realised by now that there are times, when discretion is the better part of valour.