Report exposes Pakistan’s crumbled state, anger against PM Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Asim Munir, Pakistanis say India should…
India-Pakistan war: Amid the looming threat of a full-scale India-Pakistan war, a media report has stirred uproar in Pakistan, claiming that Pakistanis are angry with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir. Crippled by rising inflation, crumbling economy, and political instability, Pakistanis are reportedly upset with their government and the Pakistan Army, and want food security, economic prosperity, instead of a war with India, according to a New York Times report.
“We are already troubled by inflation, unemployment and political chaos. Now, we face a real threat of a major India-Pakistan war, which is truly frightening. We don’t want war, we want peace and economic prosperity,” the NYT report quoted a 21-year-old student Tahseen Zehra as saying, echoing the voices of thousands of Pakistani youth who are worried about their future amid the possibility of a major conflict with India.
‘Need bread, not bullets’
While Pakistan’s hardline Army Chief General Asim Munir and the country’s civilian government led by PM Shehbaz Sharif is attempting to gain public confidence amidst escalating tensions with India, common Pakistanis, especially the youth, feel the country is not as strong as it was earlier.
“The economic situation in Pakistan and the political instability have weakened us,” says Inamullah, another student.
Social media is flooded with memes and comments from Pakistani netizens reflecting the country’s crumbled state. Memes like “Jung nahi rozgar do (want jobs not war)” and “Goli nahi roti chahiye (need bread not bullets)”, have gone viral over the past few days.
Pakistan Army has lost moral ground
The Pakistan Army, once considered a uniting force in times of crisis and war, has lost its credibility among the masses, especially after it unleashed a wave of repression against the supporters of jailed former PM Imran Khan.
“The Army cannot fight a war if it doesn’t have the support of the public. They (army) need to win back the trust of the Pakistani people because citizens, especially the youth, are unhappy with how the armed forces have interfered in politics and committed human rights violations against their own people,” says Alia Hamza, a former MP of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
PoK’s tourism industry destroyed
Meanwhile, the looming threat of an India-Pakistan war has crushed the tourism economy in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), with famous spots like Neelam Valley and Keran bearing an eerie silence with no tourist in sight. “There is no official ban (on tourism), but its not needed. Who would come here when a war is coming and even local people have gone into hiding,” says Raja Amjad who has a small tourism business in Keran.
Meanwhile, 40-year-old Sadiya Bibi of Athmaqam is preparing a bunker behind her house to protect her children when the shelling starts. “There has been no shelling yet, but no one knows when it will happen”, she says.
‘War talk is foolish’
Amidst the uncertainty and the economic instability, a large number of young Pakistanis have expressed the desire to leave the country for a better life in some developed nation.
“Life is very difficult here. There are no jobs, no resources, and one cannot even think about raising a family in a such a scenario,” says Zara Khan, a 31-year-old Islamabad resident. Zara asserts that living in Pakistan has become burdensome, and the talk of war in a country where a majority of citizens lack even basic necessities like food and water, is quite frankly foolish and moronic.
India-Pakistan war
India and Pakistan, bitter enemies since the former’s independence and the latter’s creation in 1947, are standing on the brink of a major war after terrorists, allegedly linked to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group, gunned down 26 civilians, mostly Indian Hindu tourists, in Kashmir’s scenic Pahalgam hill resort last week.
According to reports, US Secretary of State held separate calls with top Indian and Pakistani leaders on Wednesday, urging the two nuclear-armed neighbors to exercise restraint and resolve the matter through dialogue. The development came after Pakistani authorities held an emergency presser, saying the possibility of an Indian military strike was high within the 36 hours.
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