Sunday, November 27, 2016

Will the terrorists derail Pakistan-China friendship?

While India is reeling under currency terrorism, unleashed on it by the government, sinister events are unfolding in our neighborhood. Naturally, the rogue nations, China and Pakistan, are at the center. The sole reason for Pakistan's existence is the destruction of India and Hindus so instead of being friendly with us and building trade it has been trying to seek military parity with India. To that end it has bred numerous terrorist groups, some of which are attacking targets in Pakistan with a view to capturing the country and making it into a Sharia state. Pakistan is a poor country. At $270 billion its GDP is one-eighth that of India's, foreign direct investment is a mere $2.7 billion, foreign exchange reserve is $23.6 billion, external debt is $73 billion and it spends over $9 billion on its military. Donald Trump has promised to declare Pakistan a terrorist state. That will mean reduction in military aid, sanctions on institutions deemed to be supporting terrorist groups and visa restrictions for travel to the US, so loved by the generals and their wives. Pakistan has found a natural ally in China, which is hostile to all its neighbors. China has promised to invest $46 billion to build an economic corridor between Kashgar in Xinjiang Province in China to Gwadar Port in Balochistan Province in Pakistan. Xinjiang Province is home to 10 million Muslim Uyghurs who want independence from Beijing while the Pakistani army has been brutally suppressing a freedom movement in Balochistan. Balochistan is rich in natural resources and has been ruthlessly exploited by the central government. They see the economic corridor as a massive land grab and are determined to stop it. Pakistan Army has deployed 10,000 soldiers, commanded by a Major General to guard the few hundred Chinese who will be working in Pakistan. The Chinese have asked all Uyghurs to deposit their passports with the police. This maybe because the Chinese are afraid of the Uyghurs finding support among the terrorist groups in Pakistan. Chinese naval ships will be using Gwadar port, which increases danger for India. This is in keeping with its strategy of developing a 'String of Pearls' in the Indian Ocean to surround India. While it hates India, Pakistan has no scruples in licking Chinese boots despite severe repression of Muslims in China. More surprising is the Russian decision to use Gwadar port for its own ships. This despite the fact that Pakistan supplied US weapons to the Mujahideen during Russian occupation of Afghanistan. Whether Russia wants to show its displeasure with the developing ties between India and the US or to counter China we do not know. Trump is said to have good relations with Vladimir Putin. With 2 terrible neighbors the future looks uncertain for India. The terrorists may yet have a say on their friendship.

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