As the only country in the world to have been created in the name of Islam, Pakistan or ‘land of the pure’ has naturally found itself drawn to champion the Palestinian cause. As far back as 1937, Muhammad Ali Jinnah had said in his Presidential address to the Muslim League congregation, “Great Britain has dishonoured her proclamation to the Arabs ~ which had guaranteed to them complete independence of the Arab homelands, and the formation of an Arab confederation ~ under the stress of the Great War. After having utilised them by giving them false promises, they installed themselves as the mandatory power with that infamous Balfour Declaration, which was obviously irreconcilable and incapable of simultaneous execution; and having pursued the policy to find [a] national home for the Jews, Great Britain now proposes to partition Palestine.” Just after gaining their own independence in 1947, the Pakistanis were believed to have attempted to supply soldiers and armaments in the 1948 Palestine War (1947-49). Later, the Pakistani Air Force participated along with the Arab forces in the ‘Six Day War’ in 1967 and in the ‘Yom Kippur War’ in 1973. Pakistani Flight Lieutenant Saiful Azam is believed to have shot down an Israeli Dassault Mystere IV fighter plane in 1967, whilst flying a Hawker Hunter himself. Similarly, Air Commodore Abdus Sattar Alvi in 1973 is disputedly credited with downing an Israeli Mirage III in a dogfight. In the 1982 Israeli-PLO ‘Lebanon War’, up to 50 Pakistani fighters within PLO ranks were arrested. As a nation that always dug into its foundational recesses of religiosity to contextualise its purpose, Palestine emerged as a popular rallying cry for all Pakistanis. Till date the Pakistani passport is still inscribed with a line ‘This passport is valid for all countries of the world, except Israel’. But like everything in the Pakistani narrative, the espousal of Palestine was only half-sincere. Unbeknownst to many, then Brigadier Zia-ul-Haq participated in the infamous ‘Black September’ operations serving along with the Jordanian forces, as they butchered 3,000 Palestinians. Many years later, as the President of Pakistan, Zia directed his Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) to establish contacts with the Israeli Mossad, and under the aegis and cover of machinations that facilitated the Afghan mujahedin war against the Soviets in the 1980s, the Israelis gave weapons and other form of support. Publicly, Pakistanis kept harping on the Palestinian cause, officially. But Pakistan’s official fixation with religiosity was also getting a bit dated as many of the Arab countries had started normalising relations with Israel, and the likes of Pakistan stood out like sore thumbs. Egypt, Turkey, and Jordan had formalized diplomatic relations earlier, whereas pursuant to the ‘Abraham Accords’, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Morocco have recently opened diplomatic missions. When the ‘Abraham Accords’ were getting implemented, Pakistan was under the vainglorious ‘Taliban Khan’ or Imran Khan, who indulged in some grandstanding and theatrical posturing in favour of Palestine ~ it was patent Khan playing to the religious gallery. Nonetheless, ‘secret talks’ with even the likes of Saudi Arabia were in an advanced stage, till the recent Hamas attack on Israel has suddenly upset the applecart and derailed the thawing of Israeli relations with the Ummah. Now all eyes are once again on sensing the reaction from Islamabad as almost all Islamic countries have openly sided with the Palestinians and attributed the recent tensions to Israel, squarely. Surprisingly, Pakistan offered a rather meek official position (considering its usual bombast on the issue) with its interim Prime Minister saying, “We urge restraint and protection of civilians. Enduring peace in the Middle East lies in a two-state solution with a viable, contiguous, sovereign State of Palestine”. Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) did no better with, “We are closely monitoring the unfolding situation in the Middle East and the eruption of hostilities between Israel and Palestinians. We are concerned about the human cost of the escalating situation.” The wordsmithing was way too guarded and very unlike some stances adopted by decidedly more moderate countries like Malaysia which posited more explicitly, “The confiscation of land and property belonging to the Palestinian people is done relentlessly by the Zionists. As a result of this injustice, hundreds of innocent lives were sacrificed”. There could be many things playing on the mind of Pakistan to have issued such a weaklyworded position against Israel – foremost amongst them could be the unsaid realisation of finally tiring of supporting terrorist organisations like Hamas which cause terrible pain, internally. Pakistan is facing a terrorrelated meltdown as many of its own creations have turned into Frankensteinian monsters, and in such times to support Hamas could look indefensible. Secondly, Pakistan is confronting unprecedented economic challenges and is in dire need of bail-out options ~ herein, there could be no upside of supporting Hamas and it could only offend the Western countries and multilateral organisations that are critical to Pakistan’s survival. However, a more passive stance could suggest Islamabad’s ‘changed ways’, as it has just about got out of the FATF dragnet. Perhaps the backbreaking economic issues have also worn out Pakistanis from the romance of Palestine as they go about their own survival. The Pakistani ‘establishment’ (military) which is mired in anti-terror operations may also have signed a ‘go-slow’ to the concerned quarters in the clergy to downplay theatrics, thus explaining why a usually dramatic exploiter of religious sentiments like Maulana Fazalur-Rehman was also unusually moderate and well-mannered in expressing concerns for the Palestinians. The other uncontrollable elements of the clergy are in any case on the back foot and facing the wrath of the Pakistani forces, therefore the usual parties who arrange ‘Death to Israel’ kind of gatherings, are invisible. Long term aspiration of normalising relations with Israel as done by almost all Islamic countries (or in the process) must also be playing on Pakistani minds, as it takes them away from prospects of ‘Pariahisation’. While it will be politically and institutionally suicidal for any person, party, or entity to drop the Palestinian cause publicly, there is a sense emerging on getting their own house in order first, prioritizing themselves and moderating the religious fervor. Towards this end, restraint on the traditional intransigence and passions on Palestine is visible.

The writer is Lt Gen PVSM, AVSM (Retd), and former Lt Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry

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