By Mir Junaid

A country founded basically on anti Hindu thesis – the ideological framework developed by Allama Iqbal, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and few London based Islamic scholars, notwithstanding – has evolved in to a state where only irrationality rules and finds her cognizance in fueling hatred and nurturing poisonous minds against India; the internal minister (IM) of Pakistan’s public statement on the result of a T20 match between Pakistan and India has put a stamp of finality on the rationale that nurtures Pakistan’s ever so fragile existence.

The presumption in that statement is that Pakistan represents the entire Muslim countries —nay the  Muslims in the world that includes India. The IM of Pakistan surely got emboldened by the act of some Muslims in Srinagar bursting crackers and celebrating Pak’s victory over India. There is no connect between a Kashmiri Muslim and a Pakistani one – be it ethnic, cultural and linguistic –except for the fact that both follow Islam. The irrationality of Jinnah’s basis (religion) for demanding Pakistan can’t get more absurd than this, but for the sake of Kashmiri Muslims it need be said that geo-politics and Nation State’s concerns are not dictated by any religion.

If Pakistan represents the entire Ummah then let’s analyze how Islamic is the Islamic State of Pakistan.

Islamic State of Pakistan:

Simple things first for, they are very obvious to the naked eye and friendly to the common-sense of an ordinary citizen.

In Islamic state Cigarette and liquor shops can’t exist; prostitution is banned; banks have no place in an Islamic society because interest on one’s money (soodh khori) is not allowed. There are many other things that are not allowed under Sharia Law and if any Muslim country was to follow it both in letter and spirit then they would either cease to exist in the modern times or be like isolated impoverished islands. However, there is a bigger and genuine problem at hand in Pakistan.

1.  Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP):

They have demands that

1) Pakistan snap diplomatic ties with France and

2) release their leader.

Their demands arose because a magazine in Paris showed the Prophet Muhammad in a way that was bound to hurt the sentiments of Muslim communities. Pakistan being an Islamic State should have immediately accepted TLP’s demands,  but has not and in fact has gone back on the promises made to the TLP in their earlier mutual negotiations.

2.  The Taliban’s Afghanistan:

Taliban have declared Afghanistan to be an Islamic state to be known as Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. They have declared to govern their country by Sharia Law. Pakistan as an Islamic state should have immediately recognized Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, but they have refrained from doing so.

3.  The Uyghurs of China:

China has got the Quran App deleted from the Apple phones in China. China is known to persecute Uyghur Muslims and also convert mosques in to “training centers”; the Muslims are prohibited from wearing their religious attire and offer Namaz; forced abortions and vasectomy are being conducted on their womenfolk; but Pakistan has not even raised whimper of a protest!

But a killing of a Muslim in essentially a fight between goons in India, the Pak TV channels run the news 24×7 and debate on how Muslims are unsafe in India.

4.  The Crown Prince Sri MBS reforms in KSA:

In an extraordinary brilliant interview to a Saudi news reporter in regard to his Mission 2030, he emphasizes on the need to reinterpret Hadith and some verses in the Holy Quran if the KSA has to be a growing economy and her people are to be able to maintain their life styles in an era of dwindling oil based economies. He declares that 90% of Hadith are suspect and suggests a way to choose a dependable Hadith. The kind of integrated economic development he envisages for his people concomitant with such laws that are acceptable to the world community; it is doubtful how many of the Indian Netas can present his kind of a plan.

However, the moot question here is that Pakistan being an Islamic State has not questioned anything related to Hadith and verses in the Holy Quran.

5.  The KSA snub to Pakistan:

The FM of Pakistan roared—“If KSA does not call OIC meet on Kashmir issue then we may look at other options”. So, the PM of Pakistan tried forging an axis like Pak – Turkey – Malaysia and was scheduled to attend a meeting in Malaysia only to retract his steps with a warning from the KSA. On further insistence with the KSA to raise Kashmir issue, the Saudis asked Pakistan to remit the loan amount as scheduled and also stopped shipment of oil on deferred payments.

The Geo Economic Imperatives:

The facts depicted in the foregoing paragraphs bring out a very relevant point in the present context of world economy in that the Arabs and other Muslim countries have realized that integration with world economy is more important than unity of Ummah for survival of their economies. Primary concerns are that their people should not be marginalized for the reason that the rulers did not adapt to the changing ways of the world, like emergence of technological power etc. So, Iran signs an agreement with China and UAE signs an agreement with India, on economic and infrastructure development. The signing of Abrahamic Accords between Israel and Arab states is a step in direction of reducing/eliminating conflicts and cooperation for well being of their people.

The KSA and UAE have investment plans in India and they would not let Kashmir come in the way since it essentially is not an issue between them and India or between the Muslim world as a block and India. Hence the snub to Pakistan, on Kashmir issue.

It is for the similar economic concerns that Pakistan can’t afford to snap diplomatic ties with France, but the problem at hand therein is that the society has been so much indoctrinated about their religion, since the days of Zia Ul Haq, that mushrooming of religious outfits in Pakistan has culminated in a state where the government and the democratic institutions are sought to be assessed on the religious yardstick and that is a serious threat to Pakistan insofar as her economic and infrastructural growth is concerned.

The One of a Kind Nation:

Pakistan has no reason or rationale to survive; its survival is pivoted around anti India (Hindu) stance and in the process of realizing a thousand cuts on India it has come to the point of implosion. No matter how hard the Establishment and government in Pakistan may try to transform Pakistani society from being a hard core religious fanatics to a liberal one that accommodates multi cultural and religious ethos, it going to be an uphill task and not easy to achieve.

The breeding of terror groups by Pakistan has come to haunt them like the TTP which has declared that it will conquer Islamabad and impose Sharia Law in Pakistan. TTP and Taliban are beyond control of Pakistan and so are the other terror outfits.

Pakistan would be better off trying to find solutions for her intractable problems than rejoice at the victory over India in a cricket match and call it Victory of Islam. Let Pakistanis be not more Muslim than the Saudis.

Also read:  India will only talk to Kashmiri youth, not Pakistan–Amit Shah

( Mir Junaid is the president of Jammu Kashmir Workers Party. He is politician and a writer. His  article first appeared on the website Resonant News and has been re-published with permission, with a changed headline.  The views expressed are personal. The original article can be viewed at https://resonantnews.com/2021/10/30/other-side-of-story-how-does-indian-kashmiri-perceive-pakistans-win-over-india-in-t20-icc-match/)