Indian strategic desires in the region and the role of Pakistan

last two decades have been a turning point in Indo-US relations.India has been blue-eyed for the USA since the era of the junior Bush.President George W.Bush signed a civil nuclear deal in 2008, which was very concerning for Pakistan, and this deal imbalanced the Southern Asia region.

In the last days of President Obama, the US Administration declared India a“Major Defence Partner”. however, President Trump continued this policy, and played his role in strengthening this partnership. The USA changed the name of the US Pacific Command in 2018, and renamed it “U.S Indo-Pacific Command,” which was a major shift in US policy, and India gained more leverage.

nese hegemony, and surrender all disputed areas to China, 2. It can remain standing up against China, but for this it needs to build strategic alliances with like-minded Western countries.

China has concerns over QUAD, and Indian activities in this region to counter China. India is presenting itself as a tool of Western powers, but has maintained its defence relations with Russia. The USA imposed sanctions on Turkey for purchasing the S-400 defence system, but not India, because the USA needs India against China.

Editor’s mail

KP students’ anxiety

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government had changed the schedule of annual summer and winter vacations in academic institutions during the active phase of Covid pandemic which was understandable at the time, but now there is need to revisit the matter.

Continuing with the decision, which was taken under specific circumstances for specific reasons, may have a devastating effect on the mental health of students. Those who are day scholars may not have to face much of an issue, but those living in hostels are suffering because the vacations have either been abolished or severely curtailed.

Most such students had been waiting for the vacations and planning to meet their families, but they are in despair as they cannot do that due to the decision of some officials who had no idea of the repercussions of such a move. Many of the students in hostels are living under stress that may lead to burnout. The provincial government should reconsider its decision which will be greatly appreciated by a large number of students who would be able to spend time with their families after which they would be able to resume their studies with a mind totally refreshed.

ANAS TARIQ KURRAM

Windows of hope

INTeNSIVe care unit (ICU) is one of the most demanding places and a leading cause of financial burden as it requires high use of resources and expenditure. Confined to a single bed in a single setting filled with noises of ventilator alarms, smells of the antiseptic, pain of intravenous lines, ICU-induced myopathies and hallucinations make life tough. What makes all this even more depressing is the lack of natural light in an ICU which leads to delirium and depression.

What may work as a blessing for patients in an ICU is a window, which may allow natural light to shine through the glass into the room. By promoting daytime wakeup and nightly sleep, natural light from a window can help maintain or restore circadian rhythms. I have often observed that whenever my patients get extubated, what makes them happy and comfortable the most is the idea of regaining mobilisation and the first thing they want to do is to sit by a window. Subsequently, they spend some time with their families in the outdoors, feeling the sunlight, the breeze, and the visible greenery that together reduce their stress level, and give them the hope that a return to their happy, healthy lives is a possibility. That is why I call every window in the hospital a ‘window of hope’ which reassures the patients that there is still light despite all the apparent darkness.

NIDA RIZVI KARACHI

Empty-handed locals

MuhaMMaD aDan nisar

The Cold War’s dynamics have changed. The Cold War between China and the USA) is an economic competition, not a military. China is emerging as a superpower, expanding economically in and across the region, while the USA still believes in military power. The USA is a part of a quadrilateral alliance consisting of the USA, India, Japan, and Australia, to deter China. This alliance is called the QUAD or the Asian NATO.

The shift in global politics has occurred due to competition between China and the USA. India is a regional power, and is in competition with China. The USA and India are coming close strategically after the collapse of the USSR because the USA sees India as a strategic bulwark against China.

India is becoming the main player in the competition between the USA and China because India needs strategic support to counter Chinese influence and hegemony in the himalayan region. Russia and India have been strategic partners since the era of the USSR. Russia supplies more than 60 percent of the equipment in the Indian armed forces, and India has to rely on Russia for upgradation and spare parts of military equipment.

India had adopted a “Forward Policy” towards China since the time of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, which meant the aggressive patrolling of Indian troops in the disputed area between China and India, and the underestimation of Beijing. Due to this, India went to war with China in 1962. The clear evidence about Indian policy is the henderson-Brooks report that the war between China and India could have been avoided if Indian generals had wisely advisedthe political leadership. The cause of the Indian defeat was poor military advice, a gain of the disputed area, underestimation of China, political mileage, interference of bureaucrats, and military shortcomings.

The world was divided into blocs during the Cold War era. India never joined any bloc. however, India’s tilt was towards the USSR, and it maintained cordial relations with the USA. The

Skirmish between China and India occurred in Ladakh, and caused casualties on both sides in 2020. however, people have yet to learn about the actual figure of casualties. Both countries went to the worst form of relations.

After the Ladakh incident in 2020, Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh visited Moscow to attend the 75th Victory Day parade commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany. Mr Singh settled a defense deal with his Russian counterpart that India would get fighter jets (Su-30s) and other arms from Russia for $2.4 billion.

China and Russia are binding themselves in strategic relations to counter US hegemony in this region. China has already bought the Russian S-400 Defense system, and deployed it. however, India signed a defense deal with Russia to acquire five squadrons of S400 for $5.4 billion in 2018. India has received 36 Rafale fighter jets from France for more than $30 billion to balance air capabilities with China. however, the USA has concerns over Russian equipment hacking because the USA is providing arms and sensitive technology to India. India has acquired the first squadron of the S-400 Defense system from Russia, and deployed it in Punjab near Pakistan, covering areas of Punjab, Gilgit Baltistan, Azad and Jammu Kashmir, which will push other countries into a race to acquire the latest defense system and equipment to defend their sovereignty.

Pakistan is a very responsible state, and defensive in its approach, and keeps its eyes on the Indian hegemonic approach. The brutal Indian attitude will generate a new arms race, which will become a security threat to the peace of this region. All major powers support India against China and Pakistan to make it the Asian tiger in this great game, but neglecting peace in this region will bring catastrophic changes.

India is very balanced in its foreign policy towards Russia and the USA. however, India is shifting its defence policy from Russia to the West, and going slowly in the camp of the West to deter China, but not keeping all eggs in the bucket of the USA. India is very aggressive in its policy towards China and Pakistan. however, it is not capable of countering Chinese hegemony in this region. It wants its hegemony in the region and across it. Pakistan is the main obstacle to Indian hegemony, and is a big thorn against India. India thinks that it can contest itself on two fronts with China and Pakistan.

Pakistan is a very responsible state, and defensive in its approach, and keeps its eyes on the Indian hegemonic approach. The brutal Indian attitude will generate a new arms race, which will become a security threat to the peace of this region. All major powers support India against China and Pakistan to make it the Asian tiger in this great game, but neglecting peace in this region will bring catastrophic changes.

Pakistan desires to maintain the balance of power with India to bring peace. It also aspires to keep a balanced approach towards China and the USA because the USA considers Pakistan a good customer for its arms, and an important ally in the war against terrorism, which the USA does not consider to be over. China also maintains a cordial relationship with Pakistan as an important strategic partner; however, Pakistan should play a mediating role between China and the USA. Peace in this region is inevitable without bringing both Chinese and Indian together.

ACCORDING to media reports, there have been discoveries of massive granite deposits in Karoonjhar and those of oil and gas in Sanghar. This is in addition to the gas deposits in Khairpur Mirs, Ghotki and Dadu. All this is naturally good for the country, but what is depressing is the fact that the local people in such areas get a meagre share in the employment opportunities that stem from such discoveries.

Recently, 2,500 employees were sacked illegally without even a showcause notice, which was a grave violation of laws governing such activities. Most of these people were eligible for regularisation, but were, instead, shown the door. The management of the relevant gas distribution company operating in the region intentionally picked local people who had by then already served the company for up to 5-10 years.

In their place, non-local individuals were hired. The termination orders were clearly designed to reduce the number of local employees. Such a situation leaves the locals empty-handed.

Dying dolphins

ReCeNTLY, a dead Indus dolphin was found floating in Dadu Canal. Blind dolphins are rare mammals and the second most endangered species in the world. They are found in waters between Guddu and Sukkur barrages located in the lower Indus River reach. Around 20 Indus dolphins reportedly die each year. however, the number might be more as most such cases go undetected or unreported.

It is the prime responsibility of the Sindh Wildlife Department to protect endangered species. Despite receiving World Bank funds for the conservation of Indus dolphins, the department concerned has failed to perform its duty properly.

The population of Indus blind dolphin was 1,419 as per the survey conducted by said department in 2019 based on naked-eye sightings, which is definitely not a reliable methodology and effective technique. Alternatively, a survey conducted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Pakistan, reported 1,075 dolphins between Guddu and Sukkur barrages in 2017. It is important to conduct census on an yearly basis through a super survey both upstream and downstream to keep a record of the population of blind dolphins. Analytical methods, like the Zero-truncated Poisson-log Normal estimator (ZPNe), should be used for the task so that the total number of marked and unmarked dolphins may be counted.

Gillnet, overfishing and illegal fishing practices should be stopped immediately and the water from upstream dams should be released immediately by the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) for the survival of these innocent creatures.

A thorough scientific study should be conducted to find out why dolphins are dying in Dadu Canal and elsewhere. In this connection, robust monitoring of the dolphin population should be done by international experts. Further, the authorities concerned should curtail anthropogenic events that put additional burden on the Indus River’s biodiversity, particularly related to the blind dolphins.

1. It can accept Chi-

The World Atlas published the list of arms importing countries in 2019. India was on the top, spending almost $18. 2 billion in 2019. India has only two options at this point.

The writer is graduate in Diplomacy & Strategic Studies (DSS) from University of the Punjab, Lahore, and is associated with the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI).

Moreover, the existing coordination and collaboration involving federal, Punjab and Sindh officials must be improved to ensure the availability of the required water level downstream for Indus dolphins and other species.