LAHORE: PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal has demanded that the Imran Khan government answer 12 questions on the Kashmir Day.

In a series of tweets, the former interior minister asked why did Imran Khan tweet for Modi’s victory when the annexation of the valley was part of the latter’s election manifesto? What proactive steps did Imran Khan take after the BJP president of India-held Kashmir announced on May 27, 2019 that the government was going for the annexation?

He further asked what Mr Khan did after India moved 180,000 additional troops to the most militarised region in the world? Why did the government fail to take notice of Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s visit to India-held Kashmir on July 9, 2019 to finalise the annexation? What did the government do after the Indian authorities started evacuating all tourists from the held valley in July 2019, which was a clear signal of things to come?

He also asked what the premier said to the then US president Donald Trump to sensitise him about Modi’s designs in Kashmir? After the Aug 5 Indian action, why did the PM and foreign minister not pursue any active and proactive diplomacy? Why did the PM not visit a single friendly country to muster support while the Indian PM was proactive in the international community? Why did our foreign minister instead of visiting foreign capitals spend most of the time addressing the media in the company of his disciples in his hometown?

The PML-N leader also tweeted that PM Khan should have visited the capitals of all UN Security Council member states and leading Muslim states on a single point of Kashmir.

He questioned why it was necessary to fracture national unity within 24 hours of parliament passing a unanimous resolution on Kashmir in 2019 by arresting Maryam Nawaz when she was going to Muzaffarabad to express solidarity with Kashmiris? Why did the government choose to turn the National Assembly into a rumpus by introducing controversial legislation on the eve of Kashmir Day instead of showing unity in the House?

How can any patriotic Pakistani remain silent about this gross negligence, Mr Iqbal wrote, and concluded: “The fact is that Imran Khan has made Pakistan internally, economically and diplomatically so weak that the Modi government is able to accomplish through the illegal annexation of held Kashmir what it could not dare to in 72 years.”

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2021