"Pakistan ka kuch nahin ho sakta" or words to that affect is the response given by a common Pakistani about the current political situation. While the common public is making it difficult to make two ends meet, the politicians are as always engrossed in dirty politics. The likes of this pedigree of politicians could not retain the land that was given to them after partition but still play the Kashmir card for political survival. No wonder, the new PM in his initial statement itself raked up the Kashmir issue. "Janab, pehle roti ka bandobast toh kijiye phir Kashmir ke seb ki baat karna" was a response of a citizen. So, while the public understands that Kashmir obsession has led Pakistan on the way to self-destruction, the politicians somehow do not leave one chance to gain some brownie points from it. There are saner voices in Pakistan though which advice their leaders to gaze inwards instead of chasing the fake Kashmir dream that will never come true. Politicians also know this fact but keep harping on it.... why? Well, the real reason behind the same is the "Rawalpindi Syndrome". The Pakistani Army wants Kashmir issue to be kept alive for its own relevance. After humiliating defeat in 1971 and ignominious breakup of the country, Pakistani Army faced significant criticism from its public. It also started coming under flak due to its massive commercial stake in the Pakistan's economy and corruption of its Generals.
To stay relevant and to muffle the public voices demanding the Army to be apolitical, Pakistani Army adopted "Kashmir" and "threat from India" as two main survival issues. Army also understood that politicians in Pakistan were incompetent to run the show. The unending bickering of politicians soon after independence and the comical musical chairs of prime ministers led to the first stint of martial law. After that, when the political injustice done to people of East Pakistan costed the country, a humiliating breaks up in form of liberation of Bangladesh, the Army decided to be always in the driving seat lest the conniving politicians created another national humiliation. Of course, being at the helm also gave the Army the chance of getting into commercial activities and this corrupted it from inside. So much so that the Corps Commanders in Pakistan are derisively called the "Crore Commanders" who earn in crores at the cost of public.Pakistani Army under Gen Zia then adopted the infamous operation TOPAC and started a proxy war in Kashmir as it became clear to him that Pakistan could never match India's conventional superiority. The Kashmir issue is being kept alive for survival of the Army even today. Army can justify purchasing expensive weapons and equipment only on the plank of Kashmir and threat from India. This is the Rawalpindi script that every new leader has to read.
The outgoing PM of Pakistan seemed to be off the script and it was harming the interests of the Army. Army hence created a political situation to get a more malleable dispensation....and here we are...the new PM instead of focusing on the precarious financial situation, unprecedented inflation, poor international standing and diplomatic isolation of his country, gives a statement about Kashmir. He also mentioned that solving Kashmir problem will remove poverty (wow). Perhaps, in exuberance, the otherwise provincial firebrand leader babbled the true intention of Pakistani establishment which eyes the real estate of Kashmir. Pakistan does not love Kashmiris. For them, Kashmir is a playground of politics and violence. Scores of innocent people are killed by terrorists every day at the behest of Pakistan. Why would innocent Kashmiris be getting killed if Pakistan has sympathy for them? The candle light vigils, peace marches and silent protests against Pakistan sponsored violence in Kashmir these days are encouraging. People have understood that Pakistan sponsored terrorism is focused on innocent Kashmiris.
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