Research Fellow at South Asian Heritage Foundation, Jeff M. Smith today pointed out that Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has till now tweeted six time since abrogation of Article 370 that India is preparing to launch a ‘false flag’ operation in Kashmir. Curious, we looked it up. The Union Government on August 5, 2019, abrogated Article 370 and made the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir state an integral part of India without any riders attached. Pakistan, obviously hasn’t been too thrilled about the step.
The first such “India attempting false flag operation” tweet by Khan was out as early as 23rd August 2019, days after the abrogation of Article 370.
I want to warn the international community that the Indian leadership will in all probability attempt a false flag operation to divert attention from its massive human rights violations & the unleashing of a reign of terror in IOJK.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 23, 2019
He had claimed that he has read claims in Indian media that “Afghanistan” terrorists have Kashmir to carry out terror attacks and that these claims are to divert attention. He tried to warn the international community that India will attempt a ‘false flag’ operation to ‘divert attention’ from ‘human rights violation’. Then, just after India passed the Citizenship Amendment Act, fasttracking Indian citizenship for persecuted religious minorities from three Islamic countries Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and there were widespread protests across the country fuelled by misinformation, Khan again tweeted about ‘false flag’ operations.
At the same time the siege by Indian Occupation forces in IOJK continues & a bloodbath can be expected when it is lifted. As these protests are increasing, threat to Pak from India is also increasing. Indian Army Chief’s statement adds to our concerns of a False Flag ooperation
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 21, 2019
He talked about ‘false flag’ operation by India in light of the CAA. And again warned the international community about India trying to ‘divert attention’ from domestic chaos.
I have been warning the int community of this for some time & am reiterating again: if India does such an operation to divert attention from its domestic chaos plus whip up war hysteria to mobilise Hindu nationalism, Pak will have no option but to give a befitting response.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 21, 2019
The third time he raised the ‘false flag’ bogey was in January this year.
As Indian Occupation forces continue to target & kill civilians across the LOC with increasing intensity & frequency, there is an urgent need for UN SC to insist India allow UNMOGIP return to IOJK-side of LOC. We fear an Indian false flag operation.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 19, 2020
It is important to note here that he has been ‘warning the international community’ about false flag operation by Indian side and that he had promised Pakistan would retaliate if Indian Army carries out ‘false flag’ operations since August last year, none of these have materialised. On the contrary, Pakistan continues to indulge in cross-border terrorism and sends its terrorists on Indian soil.
After January, it was time for US President Donald Trump’s visit. It was around that time that anti-Hindu riots broke in national capital when Trump was here which was followed by worldwide Chinese coronavirus outbreak. As Khan tried to tackle the pandemic back home, the ‘false flag’ operations were perhaps temporarily out of picture.
However, in May when everyone made up their minds that we will have to learn to live with the virus and the world slowly opened up, Khan was back to ‘false flag’ operations. It has been only 20 days in May but Khan perhaps had djinns whispering to him about the ‘false flag’ operations as weekly reminders.
I have been warning the world about India’s continuing efforts to find a pretext for a false flag operation targeting Pakistan. Latest baseless allegations by India of “infiltration” across LoC are a continuation of this dangerous agenda.The Indigenous Kashmiri resistance against
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 6, 2020
Third, by trying to show Kashmiris’ right to struggle for self determination guaranteed in UNSC Resolutions as terrorism being abetted by Pakistan – to create opp for a false flag operation against Pak while detracting world attention away from Indian state terrorism in IOJK.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 17, 2020
I am reiterating again that a false flag operation is imminent from India in order to divert world attention away from its ongoing genocide in IOJK.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 20, 2020
And while Khan was busy claiming ‘false flag’ operations, Pakistan-backed terrorists were carrying out terror activities in India. Earlier this month, one of the two terrorists killed by security personnel in Handwara was identified as a top Pakistani commander of Lashkar e Taiba.
False Flag operations
‘False Flag’ operations are deceptive tactics used by enemies where a perception is created that something is an ‘inside job’. To explain what Pakistan perhaps means by raising the ‘false flag’ operation bogey is that firstly, Pakistan will ‘warn’ international community about ‘false flag operations’ by India. Then it will carry out terror attack on Indian soil. When India calls out Pakistan sponsored terrorism, Pakistan will shrug of responsibility by claiming the terror attack was an ‘inside job’ as they have been warning since long.
Pakistan has termed almost every terror attack on India by terrorists trained by Pakistan as ‘false flag’. After the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai, Pakistan had claimed that Ajmal Kasab was actually a Hindu man named Amar Singh. This theory was later picked up and by many in India including Congress leader Digvijaya Singh who had launched a book blaming the RSS for the 26/11 terror attack. Even the recent Pulwama terror attack on February 14, 2019 was widely alleged as an inside job, including by many in Indian political and media circles. This despite the fact that Jaish-e-Mohammad, Pakistan-based terror group had claimed responsibility for the same.
Even Khan’s May 6, 2020 tweet on ‘false flag’ operation comes just days after the Handwara encounter where a Pakistani terrorist associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba was killed by security forces.
So essentially, Imran Khan is building base for terror attack on Indian soil and blaming India for the terror activity it may carry out. But it seems the Indian security forces have managed to frustrate Khan by foiling all attempts.
