Grace in victory

Business Recorder

21-05-2025

The world has acknowledged by expression and silence that it is India who was the aggressor in the current standoff between itself and Pakistan. First it killed its own citizens and without blinking claimed that Pakistan-trained terrorists did the murderous job. This was the prelude as a false-flag operation. The world distrusted India for its words and as much was the suspicion of the ordinary Indian that it was India actually, which did the dirty job.
Within a few days of the incident the government supported by its biased and aligned media, both electronic and print, went into a frenzy, demanding action and a retaliatory military invasion. A hysteria of looming war was evidently built upon their television channels. The anchors went berserk in demanding a tough military response.
As if stooping to public demand, the Indian government took the second step and cowardly attacked Pakistan in the darkness of the night with missile strikes at seven different locations. The targets were not military installations but civilian areas. This resulted in the killing of innocent men and women, and about half a dozen infants and children achieved martyrdom. The minds of the TV anchors were captive to lunatic tendencies and behaviour. They claimed to have destroyed and captured most of Pakistan. Intoxicated they were by delusional thinking. A laughable matter.
In a swift response, equal in measure, but with greater impact, Pakistan downed several Indian planes and drones. Pakistan also seized their energy supplies and completely prevailed upon India with cyber invasion. In a flash, drones were falling all over New Delhi. Pakistan beat them down, black and blue.
Surprised and taken aback at the ferocity of response, India yelled upon global powers to intervene and save them from the onslaught of Pakistan armed forces. Pakistan after great restraint had to quell Indian false sense of victory. It sought immediate ceasefire and with thanks to Donald Trump, it achieved a reprieve. The disengagement was immediate. Pakistan, of course stood victorious. The perceived invincibility of Indian airspace was minced to the core and punctured at several places. India lost. Pakistan won.
Given the historical enmity over the unsolved dispute of Jammu and Kashmir, the victory for Pakistan has been acknowledged by all global powers. Like India, most underestimated the power, wrath, and preparedness of Pakistan's armed forces. Today, they are all overwhelmed by our potential to strike back.
For good reasons, therefore, we celebrated 'Youm-e-Tashakur' (Thanksgiving Day). Post victory, most of Pakistan is driven by emotions that instigate and propel spewing of venomous words and remarks of inappropriate import, which in the estimation of this scribe is uncalled-for. No man bites back a dog. Being graceful is an elegant behaviour and attitude.
As Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif rightly said in his speech, our media (all formats) behaved extremely decently, sensibly and maturely throughout the period of the crisis. In fact upon media and the man on the street humour was not lost. Without ridicule, unlike Indian media, they all laughed at the comical behaviour of the enemy and its media; making Lahore a port city is just one example of their disarrayed mind.
Now that India has been responded with 'unexpected damage' to its repute, it is time for us to go back to our mature state of mind. Our economy needs our attention. As a Nation, we should now avoid ridiculing the enemy; it already has enough on its plate to keep licking its unhealable wounds. Pakistan is committed to graceful behaviour, for it represents and appears as modesty and never does it fade. Responding with gentleness, staying humble in victory are signs of our culture. It is best to be humble than be arrogant in achievement. Modesty and grace in victory is remembered eternally.
The Indians as predicted in my last week's column are now clamouring for the evil Modi to resign along with his cabinet. There is evident hope that BJP leadership may jettison him and Amit Shah; if they fail to do so now, they will regret the irrevocable damage these two have already done and will do in future to its centuries old social fabric of moderation and tolerance. The Gandhi-Nehruvian political philosophy will be burnt on a pyre at Raj Ghat (Shamshan ghat), close to the Samadhi of Gandhi.
Whilst writing this piece, I received a clip that shows ordinary Indians attacking and torching their army's vehicles and trucks — this is likely to spread. The seven sister states in the North East will take the cue.
Modi is a wounded man, nay fox, who stands badly bruised. His miscalculations would remain his life-long the worst nightmares. A dead enemy is dead. A wounded foe is alive. Beware!
Modi is bleeding; the colour of the oozing fluid is not red, it is saffron. The emission is soaking into his attitude of hatred towards Muslims and other Minorities. Modi is bound to seek vengeance, he will be driven by madness to avenge the insult he brought upon himself through lunatic adventurism. His political ideology of the revival of Hindutva will now be rejected by the Indians, most of whom are peace loving. His period of glory is on the wane. Indians will be well advised to dislodge him before he commits them to another mass suicidal adventure. Pakistan should allow him to slip into his own dungeons of self-pity. Pride and arrogance makes a Modi; humility and grace will make for Pakistani angels.
Pakistan as a mature state mustn't indulge in any scathing statements that are provocative. There is really no need to do so. Instead, we must remain extra cautious and alert to his sense of mis-adventure. We should not forget that grace itself is representative of moral strength and kindness, given when there is no compulsion to do so.
In our larger interest, it is proper to go back to re-building the economy. The focus on achieving economic well-being must not be cast aside. At the end of the day, an economically emboldened Pakistan is the best bulwark against the nefarious designs of our neighbour.
The supremacy we achieved in a limited engagement must not render to us a pride that we are formidable and invincible. Nay, we need to focus and continue our economic reforms and simultaneously keep the armed forces ready to strike back effectively as and when needed.
In gratitude to People's Republic of China, we must jump-start the CPEC and take it to its logical conclusion, which is housed in the promotion of exports of goods and services. Issues of Balochistan must be settled on the negotiating table. No state can afford to fight its own people. Let's embrace diversity of opinion as an acceptable principle of political thought and ideology.
Pakistan has achieved success. We must build upon it through grace in victory. Our media is best advised to remain impartial, truthful, accurate sans emotionalism and sensationalism. We did so during a tense period, let's maintain that dignity. We must face the situation with firmness of character, a spirit that is indomitable, a toughness of steel and a resolution of unyielding courage. Let's be known in the comity of nations for grace, valour, courage, wisdom, and kindness.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025