Islamabad: One of Pakistan’s foremost expert on Military affairs, Ayesha Siddiqa, said that Pakistan is not ready to go to a war with India. She said that the country’s failing economy and inflation have made the common man realize for the first time that waging a war is not possible.
Ayesha Siddiqa, who is a prominent expert and author of acclaimed book ‘Military Inc.: Inside Pakistan’s Military Economy’, made the comments while speaking to Cine Ink during a discussion on India’s move to scrap Article 370 and 35A.
She said, “I was interacting with a friend in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) and asked him why the Army is not fighting. Then the reply came — they will get defeated. Now, common people understand that this is not the right time to fight a war against India.”
Ayesha said that for the first time in Pakistan, the common man has realized the futility of war with India. Though the people feel sorrow and despair they understand that nothing can be done against India.
She also spoke about the failure of the Pakistan Army in Kashmir even after 72 years and warned that some groups in Pakistani Army will raise the question.
She added, “For the past 72 years, the focus of the Pakistan Army was Kashmir and India. One day they woke up and nothing was left. There are some groups in Pakistan Army who are in deep sorrow and angry and they will definitely raise a question.”
Ayesha Siddiqa reminded that Pakistan also failed in the United Nations when it came to Kashmir and said that the Army will target civil society who will raise the government’s failure on Kashmir.
She even questioned the government’s failure to tackle terrorism and the killing of political activists in Pashtun dominated areas.
Ayesha was the director of naval research with the Pakistan Navy, making her the first civilian and the first woman to work at that position in Pakistan’s defence establishment.
Pakistan, which is facing an economic crisis at the moment, is trying to get a bailout package to salvage the sinking economy. However, the country is now on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international body monitoring financial support to terrorism.
This has made it hard for funds to flow into the country. Adding to the misery, the FATF might blacklist Pakistan if it do not follow up on its commitment to end financial assistance to terror groups.
