“Corps Diplomatique” of Pakistan – An Exhibition of Sheer Incompetence

Masood Azhar, a Pakistani national who is accused of being the mastermind of not only the Pulwama Attack on Indian CRPF in Indian Occupied Kashmir but many other attacks as well, has been designated as a Global Terrorist in the UN today. Days after the Pulwama attack, the US, Britain and France pushed a fresh proposal in the Security Council's 1267 Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee. China, which had blocked Pakistan-based terrorist Masood Aznar’s listing as global terrorist four times, finally dropped its objections. The UN decision will result in a freeze on Masood Aznar’s finances and assets, travel ban and arms embargo. India has been continuously working to make this happen since 2000.

The BJP has been facing severe criticism, especially from the Indian National Congress, over the decision of releasing Masood Azhar along with Ahmed Umar Said Sheikh (Pakistani) and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar alias Mushtaq Latram (Kashmiri) in exchange of the passengers of Air India’s high jacked IC-814 flight in December, 1999. The BJP is also accused of paying a hefty amount of USD 200 million as the ransom to the hijackers, led by Masood Aznar’s brother Ibrahim Athar Alvi. Paying the ransom was never acknowledged by the Indian government, however, Indian media believes that it is highly probable that the ransom was paid in full.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, visited China to attend second BRI summit in Beijing. And before his visit, Mr. Vijay Gokhale (Foreign Secretary of India) also visited China last week. India is claiming this decision that came in the middle of the process of National Election there, as a huge diplomatic win that came right after these visits.

It is pertinent to note that it isn’t the only thing that the BJP is celebrating right now. Anshul Saxena, a BJP stalwart, manages party’s social media accounts. In his tweet, states;

“In last 7 days:

1.       Road connecting Leh & Karakoram Pass (near China border) completed by Modi Govt.

2.       For the first time, China in its Map shows J&K and Arunachal Pradesh as part of India in BRI summit

3.       Now, Masood Azhar declared Global Terrorist by UNSC; China withdraws Opposition”

https://twitter.com/AskAnshul/status/1123588130437681153?s=19

Here, second point is of extreme significance, leaving us unpleasantly surprised and shocked that it had gone unnoticed by Pakistan’s MoFA and the media. Apparently, China displayed incorrect maps during the second BRI Summit. The map portrays India as part of BRI even as India boycotted the summit for the second time.

Even more disturbing thing to note is that China’s ministry of commerce on the occasion of the three-day second BRI Summit, showed entire Jammu & Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh as part of India in the map. This all happened when the Prime Minister of Pakistan was there, accompanied by the cabinet ministers. Last year in November, China’s state-run media (CGTN television) excluded Pakistan Administered Kashmir from the map of Pakistan while reporting a terror attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi.

Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan were missing from Pakistan map at “CASA-1000 Project” inauguration ceremony that was held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan and was attended by the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mian Nawaz Sharif.

It seems that it has become a norm for us. “Corps Diplomatique” takes part in extensive mutual work with the host country for days before such scheduled visits of a premier of a country. It is beyond imagination that none of the staff members of our embassy in Beijing was able to notice this. Neither our Prime Minister, nor any of his team member, pointed it out during the presentations at the summit. This is an exhibition of sheer incompetence and a catastrophic blunder with far reaching impacts in future on part of Pakistan’s MoFA.