INDIA ' S TACTICS TO FIGHT PAK TERRORISTS
EDITOR ’ S DESK
INDIA ' S TACTICS TO FIGHT PAK TERRORISTS
India chose to undertake surgical strikes on September 28 night killing some 50 terrorists and destroying Seven launching pads of terrorists across the LOC . This became necessary to give a befitting reply to various terror groups operating inside the POK in the wake of terrorist attack on Army Camp in URI killing 18 soldiers on September 18 . In a flurry of counter tactics various moves are being discussed in the country which the government thinks will be taken up as and when situation demands . Taking first step the government of India chose to apprise the world leaders about the terrorism being st
spread in the neighborhood . Addressing the 71 UN th
General Assembly ( UNGA ) on 26 September , India ' s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said , “ In our midst there are nations that still speak the language of terrorism , that nurture it , peddle it . To shelter terrorists has become their calling card .” She emphasized that such countries should have no place in the comity of nations . This 20-minute speech was hailed by many countries present in the UNGA including the USA , UK , France and Germany . The US State Department advised Pakistan to target all terror groups that intend to harm Pakistan ' s neighbour ' India '. India ’ s decision to pull out of 19th SAARC summit to be held on 9th-10th November , 2016 in Islamabad has brought good results with other saarc nations like Afghanistan , Bangladesh , Bhutan , Maldives & Sri Lanka boycotting the summit . The summit had to be postponed indefinitely by the chair nation Nepal . This has gives good message to international community against the terror attacks on neighbors . Indus Water Treaty Another step could be abrogating the Indus Water Treaty ( IWT ) signed by the two countries in September 19 , 1960 The Treaty distributes rights for using water of six rivers whereby India has cent percent rights of three eastern rivers – Beas , Ravi and Sutlej and Pakistan is given 80 % rights of Three western flowing rivers – Indus , Chenab and Jhelum . India can use only 20 % of water of Indus which flows through it first for irrigation , transport and power generation . The treaty has continued undisturbed even during the 1965 , 1971 and 1999 War turmoils . An International agency ' World Bank ' had brokered the “ IWT ” between the two countries . Now if India unilaterally chooses to stop the Indus Water it will give wrong message to other nations on the globe who have always supported India . Moreover , India is an upper reparian state and cannot take moves to stop water of lower reparian state which is Pakistan . Because India stands in the same shoes with China on
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Brahmaputra river water where we are lower reparian country and China an upper reparian country . If we take any step to stop Indus Water , Pakistan might go to International court of Justice in Hague for protecting its rights and might approach the World Bank for persuasions to India not to breach the ' IWT '. 100 % waters cannot be stopped by India as presently we do not have that much capacity to hold and use the water . It will take years to create infrastructure for this purpose . Only partially we can tweak the treaty . We can go head with the ' Tulbul Projet ' which was conceived in 1980s . Work was started in 1984 and stopped in 1987 on Pakistan ' s objections . J & K state is always in fabvour of dilution of Indus Waters Treaty as it will increase utilisation of water from western rivers for irrigation and power generation . However , abrogation of IWT even for a shorter period might strengthen Lashkar-e-Taiba ( LeT ) having a strong hold in Pakistan ' s Punjab province which is most prosperous province due to use of Indus Waters . It might affect India ' s reputation as a model state having respect for international law and might hurt our effort to get a UN Security Council berth . Review ' MFN ' Status The unilateral grant of most favoured nation ( MFN ) status to Pakistan in 1996 should be reviewed and withdrawn . Islamabad has not yet granted MFN status to India . Revoking MFN status in Pakistan will also give a strong signal in the wake of Uri attack . However , the impact will be largely symbolic as bilateral trade represents only a fraction of India ' s overall goods trade . It was $ 2.67 billion against India ' s $ 641 billion in FY 2016 . India ' s exports to Pak accounted for 0.83 % in total exports and India ' s imports from Pak were only 0.11 % in total import bill . Moreover , both countries also have preferential trading agreement under the South Asia Free Trade Area ( SAFTA ) under which two countries are giving concessions to each other . Withdrawing MFN status will not impact Pakistan much . Already a number of items of Indian merchandise being imported by Pakistan via Dubai . It is just possible that other countries too might join as suppliers to Pakistan . Declare ‘ PAK ’ a Terror State Political Parties are demanding that the government should declare Pakistan a ' Terror State ' by convening a special session of Parliament besides strapping the MFN status , imposing economic sanctions , scaling down of strength in the two high commissions and granting immediately political asylum to Baloch leader Brahandagh Bugti . A calibrated action on Indus Water Treaty should also be taken by the government .
Economic Challenger // ISSN 0975-1351 / Oct . -Dec . 2016