2302hrs:
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So.....just a couple of days after remembering Arif Shahid's martyrdom for his pursuit of the internal narrative, Murtaza Shibli suffers a hit and run barely days after whitewashing the Pakistani narrative on Kashmir, on a Pakistani TV channel of all places!
Murtaza Shibli is a British Kashmiri journalist and security expert. He is the author of the book: '7/7' and he has worked widely in Asia, Europe and Africa as a communication practitioner. I have enjoyed his acquaintance from over 10 years ago but the last time we met was at a conference in Muzaffarabad in 2011. Incidentally, I was uncomfortable with his generous views about Pakistan then and thus was astounded to hear what he had to say a few days ago on Pakistani television.
Murtaza lives between Srinagar, London and Lahore.
Here's the interview (uploaded 10th May) which inevitably created commotion within the ranks of those who are paid to protect the national project called 'Pakistan':
I'll just outline some of the main points that would have shaken the foundations of Pakistan's propaganda check list:
1) Pakistan didn't and possibly couldn't do anything in response to India's de-operationalisation of Article 370 on August the 5th 2019.
2) Pakistan has gradually uncoupled itself from the Kashmir 'Cause'.
3) Pakistan's behaviour has always been cyclical and reactionary.
4) Pakistan has repeatedly asserted the myth that it has fought many a war for the sake of Kashmir. Furthermore, that there is no empirical evidence for that assertion whatsoever.
5) Pakistan's strategy for the 1965 war with India was nothing more than hyperbole and the lack of logistics reflected that assessment.
6) Pakistan's Kargil expedition was unknown to many, even in the armed forces itself and thus ulterior in its motive. No clear rationale or raison d'etre.
.....By this stage, even the interviewer was visibly shocked!
7) Pakistan couldn't foresee or manage the heavy influx of Kashmir Valley migrants (for military training in 1990) and he quotes Asad Durrani's 'Spy Chronicles' in this matter.
8) Pakistan have always wanted to 'manage' the conflict and not (never) seek long term remedies or relief for the inhabitants of the Kashmir Valley. He emphasises the word 'never' in this regard.
9) Pakistan has never tolerated the Kashmiris having their own indigenous narrative and have always considered that a threat to their own narrative. Irrespective of however well meaning any such initiative may have been. It's also important to note that he's not even talking about an independent Kashmir. That's a poison yet more intolerable from a Pakistani State perspective.
10) Pakistan has always been insistent on controlling the narrative on Kashmir and thus have never failed in sabotaging alternate peace initiatives to keep the conflict brewing. Murtaza re-uses the words 'control' and 'manage'.
11) By Burhan Wani's death (in 2016) Pakistan had already washed its hands off the Kashmir cause and had already surrendered (diplomatically to India). For 2-3 days the Pakistanis had no idea what to do or even how to react.
12) All Pakistani political entities play politics with Kashmir and manage false perceptions to give an upbeat impression to their own citizenry and the people of the Kashmir Valley.
13) Pakistan has consistently messed up. Its (strategy) toolbox has always been empty.
14) Pakistan's weaknesses (as stated above) have always been cleverly concealed. For example, if post August the 5th 2019 the Valley had revolted en masse and many thousands were killed, this would have given propaganda ammunition to Pakistan to decry human rights violations in the Kashmir Valley. Murtaza takes umbrage at suggestions by some quarters in Pakistan that the Kashmiris didn't rise up and describes them as shameless in the extreme.
15) The Pakistani State has fetishized Kashmiri suffering.
....by this stage the interviewer - Aniq Naji - is clearly rattled and explains that there is an innocent and emotional attachment by normal people in Pakistan with the sufferings of the Kashmiri people. Many have given up more pressing needs (health and education) to happily contribute to the war cause.
....Aniq Naji views this as a genuine outburst and complaint from one fellow brother to another but I feel that much of the analysis delivered by Murtaza Shibli is yet to really sink in. I also have no doubt that even worldly wise media anchors such as Naji have been cushioned from such realities of war propaganda.
16) Murtaza agrees and feels that the Pakistani public's emotions have been repeatedly exploited by the Pakistani State.
......Aniq Naji now touches on a point which he should be more aware of...i.e. he uses the term 'international border' for the LOC (or what many still describe as a ceasefire line) which he feels that by Delhi's direct intervention in J & K it has effectively become.
17) Imran Khan gave a long winded and laughable speech at the UN which could have been much briefer to be potentially effective. His stance was also contradictory in that in the same breath he - Imran Khan - claimed that Pakistan could go to any length for Kashmir but he also ruled out war.
18) If war is out of the question then so should militancy be. In other words, why should Murtaza Shibli's Kashmiri brothers be used as fuel for conflict?
19) Consistent lies have been fed to the people of Kashmir and Pakistan since 1947. Hundreds of thousands have suffered as a result.
20) Pakistan should take stock and admit its failures. It has never been serious thus far.
Murtaza Shibli reiterates that he has no grudge against the people of Pakistan and considers them to have always welcomed Kashmiris and made them feel secure in Pakistan.
However....
In reaction to this interview, Murtaza Shibli has received a lot of unhealthy feedback from various passionate quarters of Pakistani society. It intensified to the extent that a particularly over-zealous Lahori biker conducted a motorcycle hit and run whereby Murtaza became unconscious and received some bodily injury too.
Despite all that Murtaza isn't pointing any fingers. Here's a statement from him:
"I was knocked over by a hit-and-run accident earlier in the day in Lahore. Apparently, I was knocked over by an unknown biker who was driving with a vicious speed.
Some people are suggesting it could have been deliberate but I have no recollection of the event and was knocked unconscious. I have injured my head and one of the collar bones.
The CT scans show superficial injuries but my head feels quite heavy. It is strange that I have no recollection of the incident as I fell unconscious on the road. It was someone who knew me by face who informed my family and I was taken to the nearby Jinnah Hospital. Even i have very little recollection of my time at the hospital. Now that I am back at my place it feels strange as I am quite dazed by the experience and in quite some physical pain.
I think it was just an accident and should not be linked to my recent interview that some felt was quite brutal in honesty and perhaps somewhat hard-hitting
Murtaza Shibli is a British Kashmiri journalist and security expert. He is the author of the book: '7/7' and he has worked widely in Asia, Europe and Africa as a communication practitioner. I have enjoyed his acquaintance from over 10 years ago but the last time we met was at a conference in Muzaffarabad in 2011. Incidentally, I was uncomfortable with his generous views about Pakistan then and thus was astounded to hear what he had to say a few days ago on Pakistani television.
Murtaza lives between Srinagar, London and Lahore.
Here's the interview (uploaded 10th May) which inevitably created commotion within the ranks of those who are paid to protect the national project called 'Pakistan':
I'll just outline some of the main points that would have shaken the foundations of Pakistan's propaganda check list:
1) Pakistan didn't and possibly couldn't do anything in response to India's de-operationalisation of Article 370 on August the 5th 2019.
2) Pakistan has gradually uncoupled itself from the Kashmir 'Cause'.
3) Pakistan's behaviour has always been cyclical and reactionary.
4) Pakistan has repeatedly asserted the myth that it has fought many a war for the sake of Kashmir. Furthermore, that there is no empirical evidence for that assertion whatsoever.
5) Pakistan's strategy for the 1965 war with India was nothing more than hyperbole and the lack of logistics reflected that assessment.
6) Pakistan's Kargil expedition was unknown to many, even in the armed forces itself and thus ulterior in its motive. No clear rationale or raison d'etre.
.....By this stage, even the interviewer was visibly shocked!
7) Pakistan couldn't foresee or manage the heavy influx of Kashmir Valley migrants (for military training in 1990) and he quotes Asad Durrani's 'Spy Chronicles' in this matter.
8) Pakistan have always wanted to 'manage' the conflict and not (never) seek long term remedies or relief for the inhabitants of the Kashmir Valley. He emphasises the word 'never' in this regard.
9) Pakistan has never tolerated the Kashmiris having their own indigenous narrative and have always considered that a threat to their own narrative. Irrespective of however well meaning any such initiative may have been. It's also important to note that he's not even talking about an independent Kashmir. That's a poison yet more intolerable from a Pakistani State perspective.
10) Pakistan has always been insistent on controlling the narrative on Kashmir and thus have never failed in sabotaging alternate peace initiatives to keep the conflict brewing. Murtaza re-uses the words 'control' and 'manage'.
11) By Burhan Wani's death (in 2016) Pakistan had already washed its hands off the Kashmir cause and had already surrendered (diplomatically to India). For 2-3 days the Pakistanis had no idea what to do or even how to react.
12) All Pakistani political entities play politics with Kashmir and manage false perceptions to give an upbeat impression to their own citizenry and the people of the Kashmir Valley.
13) Pakistan has consistently messed up. Its (strategy) toolbox has always been empty.
14) Pakistan's weaknesses (as stated above) have always been cleverly concealed. For example, if post August the 5th 2019 the Valley had revolted en masse and many thousands were killed, this would have given propaganda ammunition to Pakistan to decry human rights violations in the Kashmir Valley. Murtaza takes umbrage at suggestions by some quarters in Pakistan that the Kashmiris didn't rise up and describes them as shameless in the extreme.
15) The Pakistani State has fetishized Kashmiri suffering.
....by this stage the interviewer - Aniq Naji - is clearly rattled and explains that there is an innocent and emotional attachment by normal people in Pakistan with the sufferings of the Kashmiri people. Many have given up more pressing needs (health and education) to happily contribute to the war cause.
....Aniq Naji views this as a genuine outburst and complaint from one fellow brother to another but I feel that much of the analysis delivered by Murtaza Shibli is yet to really sink in. I also have no doubt that even worldly wise media anchors such as Naji have been cushioned from such realities of war propaganda.
16) Murtaza agrees and feels that the Pakistani public's emotions have been repeatedly exploited by the Pakistani State.
......Aniq Naji now touches on a point which he should be more aware of...i.e. he uses the term 'international border' for the LOC (or what many still describe as a ceasefire line) which he feels that by Delhi's direct intervention in J & K it has effectively become.
17) Imran Khan gave a long winded and laughable speech at the UN which could have been much briefer to be potentially effective. His stance was also contradictory in that in the same breath he - Imran Khan - claimed that Pakistan could go to any length for Kashmir but he also ruled out war.
18) If war is out of the question then so should militancy be. In other words, why should Murtaza Shibli's Kashmiri brothers be used as fuel for conflict?
19) Consistent lies have been fed to the people of Kashmir and Pakistan since 1947. Hundreds of thousands have suffered as a result.
20) Pakistan should take stock and admit its failures. It has never been serious thus far.
Murtaza Shibli reiterates that he has no grudge against the people of Pakistan and considers them to have always welcomed Kashmiris and made them feel secure in Pakistan.
However....
In reaction to this interview, Murtaza Shibli has received a lot of unhealthy feedback from various passionate quarters of Pakistani society. It intensified to the extent that a particularly over-zealous Lahori biker conducted a motorcycle hit and run whereby Murtaza became unconscious and received some bodily injury too.
Despite all that Murtaza isn't pointing any fingers. Here's a statement from him:
"I was knocked over by a hit-and-run accident earlier in the day in Lahore. Apparently, I was knocked over by an unknown biker who was driving with a vicious speed.
Some people are suggesting it could have been deliberate but I have no recollection of the event and was knocked unconscious. I have injured my head and one of the collar bones.
The CT scans show superficial injuries but my head feels quite heavy. It is strange that I have no recollection of the incident as I fell unconscious on the road. It was someone who knew me by face who informed my family and I was taken to the nearby Jinnah Hospital. Even i have very little recollection of my time at the hospital. Now that I am back at my place it feels strange as I am quite dazed by the experience and in quite some physical pain.
I think it was just an accident and should not be linked to my recent interview that some felt was quite brutal in honesty and perhaps somewhat hard-hitting
End of Murtaza Shibli's statement......
Equally apologetic and reasonable was Aniq Naji, the Pakistani host who had interviewed Shibli, for perhaps more than 1 reason:
There are others who took a dimmer (or even a more enlightened) view of the motorcycle hit and run episode in Lahore:
......
Now, let's come back down to earth a bit.
The following highlights a very shameful aspect of our behaviour and we would do well to make the perpetrators accountable. If we don't, its a downward spiral:
Equally apologetic and reasonable was Aniq Naji, the Pakistani host who had interviewed Shibli, for perhaps more than 1 reason:
There are others who took a dimmer (or even a more enlightened) view of the motorcycle hit and run episode in Lahore:
......
Now, let's come back down to earth a bit.
The following highlights a very shameful aspect of our behaviour and we would do well to make the perpetrators accountable. If we don't, its a downward spiral:
......
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