Daily Times

Strangely, Pakistan is silent on the Indian and the Western media propaganda against it that the country has recently been selling arms and ammunition to Ukraine to make them survive against Russia. Indian online newspaper “The Print” published a story by Suchet Vir Singh on August 31, 2022, claiming that “Ukraine was reportedly getting munition supply from an unlikely source – Pakistan. Yes, it seems to be the case if one goes by the videos of long-range artillery shells, manufactured by Pakistan Ordnance Factory Board, being unpacked in Ukraine.”

“Adding another angle to the development is the information put out by defence journalist Elizabeth Gosselin-Malo, who has pointed out that an aircraft belonging to the UK’s Royal Air Force has been departing twice daily for over three weeks via Cyprus or Romania to pick military supplies from an air force base in Pakistan. The consignment, she said, was being delivered to the Ukrainian army. The supplies were being loaded at Pakistan’s Nur Khan Air Force Base in Rawalpindi Punjab.”

“According to the Twitter handle, Ukraine Weapons Tracker – an account that tracks usage and capture of military equipment and materials in Ukraine – the daily trips by the RAF C-17 Globemaster were to secure supplies of 122mm Howitzer Projectiles, manufactured by the state-owned Pakistan’s Ordnance Factory for Ukraine’s military. The 122 mm projectiles are semi-fixed ammunition for the Howitzer, which are long-range artillery weapons. The account said that Pakistan was part of an air bridge for supplying weapons to Ukraine. The projectiles have been identified as Pakistani by their “distinct British-origin packaging widely used by Pakistan Ordnance Factory and then LIU-4 fuzes, unique to Pakistani 122mm,” added Ukraine Weapons Tracker.”

It is not the first time for the US and NATO countries to start full-scale wars on dubious pretexts.

The French newspaper ‘Le Mond’ stunned the world with a story by Cédric Pietralunga and Jacques Follorou published last week on September 7 with the headline, “North Korea, Iran, Pakistan: Secret arms suppliers keep the war in Ukraine going.” The newspaper claims, that Russia and Ukraine are seeking to replenish their stocks by any means, including deals shrouded in secrecy.

Quoting Le Monde, “According to the Western military and intelligence services, they are no longer hesitating to call upon countries such as North Korea, Iran and Pakistan to replenish their armouries.”

As per the information declassified by Washington and revealed on Tuesday, September 6, by the New York Times, Russia is buying millions of artillery shells and rockets from North Korea to supply its troops in Ukraine. While no evidence or details were given regarding the materials supplied, Pyongyang is capable of manufacturing 152mm shells, one of the calibres used by Russian forces, as well as projectiles for TOS-1 multiple rocket launchers, which have been reported on the Ukrainian front.

In mid-July, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also said that Washington had information that Tehran “is preparing to provide Russia with up to several hundred [drones] on an expedited timeline……….. “Russian transport aircraft loaded the [drones] at an airfield in Iran and subsequently flew from Iran to Russia over several days in August,” confirmed Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder on August 30.”

It seems the vested interest groups of warmongers are all out to develop a new narrative based on unwarranted, baseless and false information to create an argument for the next level of the Ukraine War. The war is getting tough on Ukraine and its allies against Russia. It appears that the war needs more parties in it by creating rifts between the emerging alliance in the region against the US and NATO hegemonic approaches for the countries in the region. Iran and North Korea are already under sanctions. China by all means to be curtailed, even at the cost of Indo-Pacific peace and security. Now, Pakistan is dotted too. A sear campaign is on against all three – Iran, North Korea and Pakistan. Red alert for Pakistan being attached with the two under-sanctioned countries.

Pakistan needs to urgently wake up and evaluate its positioning. Supporting Russia or Ukraine, in either case, Pakistan may be in hot waters. A great loss in the newly emerging romance with Russia in case military sale to Ukraine is evidenced as reported in the Indian media. The allegation of ammunition supplies to Ukraine came at a time when Pakistan-Russia relations were growing. I strongly disagree with the propaganda and believe that it would be strongly refuted by the Pakistani authorities too. Let them get free from the rescue and relief operations they are doing for the historic flood victims. They also wake up a little late. Selling arms to Russia or facilitating any military supplies to them, though could not be on the card, can play a dubious role in damaging the newly rebuilt ties. Pakistan cannot afford it at the moment. Using disinformation and propaganda is not new for the warring countries and their allies. The US and NATO are damn experts in developing false narratives and using them against their geopolitical opponents. We have seen it for ages. The recent past examples are Afghanistan and Arab Spring, and now the Ukraine War – a disinformation campaign against Russia, Iran, Turkey, North Korea and China. Unfortunately, Pakistan is also included in the list.

The US and NATO’s recent propaganda campaign against Russia is similar to their previous campaigns against their opponents. Many fakes have been picked up by the media about “human rights violations and atrocities by Russia” in different parts of the Ukrainian warzone. The Russian Defence Ministry believes that “It is obvious that by spreading lies about the events in Ukrainian cities, the Kyiv regime and its Western patrons tried to distract public attention from the torture of Russian prisoners of war, which took place and is a war crime prohibited by several conventions, including the Geneva Convention. Similar techniques of falsifying facts and replicating fakes were used by the countries of the collective West led by the US and the UK in Syria, Serbia, Libya, Iraq, Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, and this list could go on for a long time.” It is not the first time for the US and NATO countries to start full-scale wars on dubious pretexts. The aggression against Yugoslavia after the “Racak incident,” “Iraqi touchstone,” the “Libyan shootings,” the “Syrian gas attack” and now implicating several countries in military supplies to the Ukraine War. Under severe US, EU and NATO sanctions, Russia is being accused of “war crimes” despite it being refuted time again. The round of new lies will damage the world again like the losses we faced in world wars.

The writer is a freelance journalist and broadcaster, and Director Devcom-Pakistan. He can be reached at devcom.pakistan@gmail.com and tweets @EmmayeSyed