JK News Today Commentary
Jammu, February 11:
There was a tweet by the State Department (of the USA) hailing restoration of high mobile speed internet 4G services across J&K that had remained suspended for 18 months, and it read like this: “We welcome the resumption of 4G mobile internet in India’s Jammu and Kashmir.” There was a second part, which indicated that how the Joe Biden administration wanted things to happen in the region, for it read (restoration of 4 G services in India’s J&K): “This marks an important step for local residents and we look forward to continued political and economic progress to restore normalcy in J&K”.
This statement underscored “India’s Jammu and Kashmir “and emphasised that the resumption of the 4 G internet services was an important step in economic and political progress in J&K.”
It was a bolt from the blue for Pakistan that claims the Himalayan territory has used tool of terrorism to achieve its goal, though those have been effectively defied and foiled by the people and the security forces in J&K.
As usual Pakistan could not rest in seeking clarification from the State Department spokesperson Ned Price, and the answer he gave should settle all doubts. He said: “I want to be very clear that there has been no change in the US policy in the region.”
The questioner at the February 10 briefing was obviously a Pakistani journalist as his/ her question suggested: could you comment also on a tweet earlier today that State tweeted out saying that – it refers to India’s Jammu and Kashmir? Now, is this a change in policy? Does State not recognize this as a disputed territory? Is there some sort of change in position that we need to know? There’s been certain criticism of the phrasing today.
Now what is read as a policy. Pakistani journalist should have known that the US state department never used the term” dispute” with regard to Jammu and Kashmir, it treated it as an issue between India and Pakistan. But when it said,” India’s Jammu and Kashmir,” the policy statement was very clear.
Let it be made plain to Pakistan and the rest of the world that 4 G services were suspended in J&K following scrapping of the special status of the erstwhile state on August 5, 2019. Only the country that snaps the internet services can restore it. The question arises,” where is the dispute”, except in the minds of few men and women in Pakistan establishment.
The State Department spokesperson ‘s reply that there has been no change in the US policy in the region” reaffirmed that Kashmir has been viewed as India’s territory and people.
Pakistanis need to repair their imagination.
