General's Srinagar Plans - With Flag And All

The Pioneer has extracts of Benazir Bhutto's memoir, "Daughter of the East."

In my second term (as Prime Minister) I was invited once again to General Headquarters to get a security briefing. Director of Military Operations Maj Gen Pervez Musharraf (who, of course, would later become Chief of Army Staff and seize power to become President) gave me a briefing. It seemed like deja vu as I once again heard how Pakistan would take Srinagar if only I gave the orders to do so. Musharraf concluded the briefing with the words that a ceasefire would be in place and Pakistan would be in control of Srinagar. I asked him, 'And what next?' He was surprised by my question and said, 'Next we will put the flag of Pakistan on the Srinagar Parliament.' And what next?' I asked the General. 'Next you will go to the United Nations and tell them that Srinagar is in Pakistan's control.' 'And what next?' I pushed on. I could see Gen Musharraf had not been prepared for this grilling and was getting flustered. He said, 'And... and you will tell them to change the map of the world taking into consideration the new geographical realities.' 'And do you know what the United Nations will tell me?' I looked Gen Musharraf straight in the eye, as the Army chief sat silently by and the room grew still, and pointedly said, 'They will pass a Security Council Resolution condemning us and demanding that we unilaterally withdraw from Srinagar, and we will have got nothing for our efforts but humiliation and isolation.' I then abruptly concluded the meeting.

I think Bhutto has it all wrong and the general's thought process is more accurate.

UNSC would have lobbed a soft volley pretending to make India's case, with British and US finally relived that their ally finally got what it really deserved since partition. Then UNSC would have voted to change the maps even if India were preparing to fight back - a highly unlikely scenario. Our leaders will probably throw up their hands and talk about negotiations with Pak to get back what they lost. The country will be told what's the point in waging a war for frozen land where even a blade of grass won't grow (John Galbraith was alive then) - we, apparently, would have won the ethereal moral high ground by losing.

Too bad Bhutto didn't allow the general to try it. No wonder, years later, the general forgot to mention his plans to Nawaz Sharif