Pakistan in a move to perpetuate its ’no attack’ theory has offered to take Indian journalists to the site in Balakot. Addressing a news conference at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, chief military spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor repeated his offer to facilitate Indian journalists if they wished to visit Balakot to “see the truth”.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have been rising since the deadly terror attack by the Pak-based terror group in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which killed more than 40 soldiers of the Central Reserve Police Force. After the attack, India promptly assessed the situation and in a pre-emptive anti-terror strike, the Indian Air Force destroyed a major terror camp in Balakot, Pakistan, in which, according to intelligence reports, around 300 terrorists were killed. The Indian forces successfully entered Pakistani territory and destroyed terror camps without being detected by Pakistan’s air defence radar systems.
Pakistan, however, staying with its long-standing policy of denial, maintained that no terror establishment had been attacked and Indian Air Force had just hit a ‘few trees’. However, in a seemingly planned move, Pakistani deep state, after more than 2 months of the Indian Air Force strike, has decided to make this ‘offer’.
Earlier, around 45 days after the IAF strike, Pakistan had also executed a similar ‘gimmick’, in which a group of journalists, some of which were Indians, and some ambassadors and defence attaches were taken to the Balakot site by Pakistani authorities to show that there is no damage.
However, the question still remains that why was the access to, what Pakistan calls just a ‘Madrasa’, denied for over 40 days and now this ‘offer’ which comes after more than 2 months of the IAF strike, if no damage was caused, why didn’t Pakistan let international journalist access the site after the IAF strike ? Pakistan had earlier denied multiple requests from Reuters to inspect the site and verify unsubstantiated claims made by Pakistan.
Francesca Marino, an Italian journalist, after the pre-emptive strike of Indian Air Force, told the WION that her source had confirmed that the death toll in the IAF strike was between 40 and 50. She also claimed that 35 to 40 people had been injured in the strike. “…the area had already been cordoned off by then by the army, who did not even allow police to enter. The army also took away mobile phones from the medical staff on the ambulances,” she had said.
Stark questions arise on the timing of these gimmicks by Pakistan, questions behind the timing that is in resonance with the general elections in India. Pakistan has been rooting to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who with his firm policy stance has destabilized Pakistan’s power circles, through proactive and pre-emptive action against organized terrorist activities. Pakistan has been openly safeguarding UN designated terrorists, which are used by the Pakistan intelligence service, ISI and the Pakistan Army as a proxy to maintain internal control over the hollow nation.
Pseudo-liberal media has also perpetually given in to Pakistan’s whims failing to question the delayed visit to the site, also disregarding the comments by Italian Journalist Francesca Marino. Indian opposition parties are also trying hard to play down India’s strong response, as it shows the current government in good light, displaying that PM Modi’s priority is India’s national security. These general elections have seen new lows that were never witnessed before, with political parties even compromising national interests to serve their lust for political power.
