The Bloody Drama ‘As you sow so shall you reap’?

The Bloody Drama ‘As you sow so shall you reap’?
It will be no more than academic exercise to go in to the background and trace the root causes of the bloody drama being played in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It left Afghanistan as an occupied state and destabilized Pakistan to the extent of non-viability. Whatever happens in this whole area or the West, the fingers will be always raised at Pakistan, thanks to ZIA & MUSHARAF?
It was 31 years ago that the decision was taken in Islam Abad to put Kabul on fire. The players were many, but the studio where the Drama was serialised, had to be Pakistan and the author was the most criminal minded General of Pakistan, ZIA. He was cunning like a FOX. To read his mind was impossible, even by his local and foreign Mentors. Even the American Hercules chopper failed to carry his sins. He failed his mentors to read him and surprised the fox, to learn tricks from him. The subsequent masters, after his death, all contributed whether they were military dictators or civilians’ rulers
He gave a free hand to fundamentalism, sectarian indoctrination in the armed forces and civil plutocracy. He polarised and radicalised the armed forces in particular and the society at large. It was he, to use the military as surrogates of Arab sheikhs. It was he, who destroyed the concept of unitary command of Pakistan armed forces and destroyed the discipline of the army, which was the source of the strength of Pakistan armed forces. It was till he took over the command that even adversaries considered the armed forces of Pakistan the best trained and highly disciplined force. He tested the intrinsic strength of the army, in Jordan, to use it against Palestinians to protect a Hashemite king. He slaughtered them in thousands and till to day; all Palestinian mourns the black September. He was a highly vindictive and cruel person. Whenever he had a chance to get power, he exercised brutally. On three occasions; once in Jordan for a king, second time to eliminate Bhutto’s Family and third he showed his intrinsic satanic character to turn the table on Afghanistan, to bring them to their knees to accept the Durand line, as international border or to push the Durand line to the western border of Afghanistan and rule as a second Ranjeet Singh. He was a die heart supporter of Khalistan. What ever he would do did it with conviction and dedication. He was a committed fascist by nature and sectarian religious by faith and showed zero tolerance not only to non-Muslims but also to other sectarian religious parties. He was mentally a slave of Saudi Royal Family and Wahabi school of thought. Personally, I have not heard of his corruption but it is an open secret that he had masterly command, how to bribe his subordinate generals, if he would get the slightest feeling that the concerned person can be a nuisance. He thoroughly corrupted his subordinates and promoted the mushroom growth of political & military nurseries, called Madrassa. He was a regular prayer goer to “red mosque” to divert the attention of the agencies. His outwardly humbleness, was to cover his cruelty embedded in his nature
In short whatever is happening today in Pakistan, we owe it to him. Musharaf had a big contribution to it; but was not a man of religious conviction. He did enjoy to exercise power and self-projection; posed as a pseudo intellectual, preaching enlightened approach. He didn’t touch the theocratic wing of the establishment. Both had two faces. The other character in common, was to make promises to break.
There was a hardly a ruler of Pakistan in 62 years, who put the country first, to his own interest. But these two surpassed every imaginable limit. From the very early days; we were the most obedient surrogates of US imperialism, but these two sold us many times and mortgaged the sovereignty and national pride, not only to Americans and Saudi, but to influential people like Hariri of Lebanon and Osama of Saudi Arabia. We were used to dictation, but they made it further easy for foreign masters, to send every thing in written just to be signed.
The last two decades under these two generals, eroded the very basis of the country. Musharaf went a step forward to drag army and civil societies in straight confrontation. The army was abused and stoned by the same public who used to shower flowers on them. Only one man felt safe in army uniform that was Musharaf. All others law enforcing authorities used to dribble in their uniform.
The country had eroded basis, with no discipline and the young officers and jawans were more politically motivated and brain washed in sectarian religion. When it comes to conviction the discipline of the army becomes secondary. The rogue elements are bound to born and grow in strength. It is a normal phenomenon, if your superior is your political comrade, then why to worry?
Now coming to the point that after the defeat or tactical retreat in Swat the terrorists have bounced back with more ferocity and strength. Their every blow is more severe, deadly and internationally devastating. Their tactics are more thoughtful and their methodology of execution is more precise. There is more continuity in sustaining offensive and hit the target of more symbolic importance, like GHQ.
It is not some thing new but they have improvised the tactics used by other terrorists or guerrillas in other countries. Whether it was Ireland, Sri Lanka, Iraq or Algeria. The basic tactics are the same, with least personnel’s loss and to cause maximum damage. In this sort of war, you are not fighting against a well-equipped armed gang on a front or garrison, but you are faced by a mental makeup, who can be anywhere and everywhere. Their head quarter or bastion of power is lying in the society itself. Their brains are in uniform but not their body. This is the non-visibility of the enemy, which makes the eradication of the menace, more difficult. It is weapons against a frame of mind. There is no comparison between the two. Every terrorist is brigade in himself and is free to tailor his action, according to the circumstances without answerability, as for as he does not violate the basic principles. So I do agree with, Ayaz Mir that we cannot condone it but we should not be discouraged and should be ready for the worst and hope that it will not come. Any doctrine where the human life is meaningless; the fight becomes easy and dedication becomes more intense. For them every house, every corner of the street, is a post for attack.
If any role has to be played with slight more success, it is the role of intelligence agencies. After all it is our sown crops and our nation and military has to reap the harvest, we sow 30 years ago in Afghanistan, ignoring completely that they cannot be contained to a geographical boundaries. In this game, they have no concept of borders or boundaries no nothing about Geneva or UNO. It is next to impossible to provide foolproof guarantee to the public or institution. As Ayaz Mir rightly pointed out, that if the American and Israel have failed in spite of all their resources and available technology, we have nothing except national resolve, which is undefeatable. The logic lies with them not with us, to select the terrain and the target. In the last few weeks the main targets are Peshawar and Islam Abad, the second one has more symbolic importance. It is a gift given to us by our own rulers, mentioned above. The biggest national criminals and enemies of Humanity and must face accountability.
How can we deal with it? This is a million dollar question. Our agencies are white elephants. They should improve their performance and should have more technology at their disposal. This will decrease the incidence, but cannot stop the strikes altogether. Their role is more important than the rest of the army. Unless they improve their performance to commit army for the war with non-visible enemy tantamount to lead these young jawans and officer to a slaughterhouse.
I neither agree with information minister or the spokesman of army that it is a bruised snake in desperation. In my view it is a wounded elephant, preparing itself for total destruction. With my apologies to the information minister to change the frame of mind in the thick of war, is self-deception and when we are on a weaker pitch. It would have been the best option, if our rulers have not opted to make this frame mind, for their pity interests. To undo our making has to be postponed, till we have the upper hand.
I have no hesitation to speak out my mind loudly and clearly that these types of organizations, cannot work without local links. We should not cheat ourselves any more and should thoroughly search for the rogue elements in armed forces, agencies, religious and political organizations. It is almost impossible to hit, with so much precision, without the help of rogue elements in the society and important places. We should not forget the killing of Polish Foreign minister at Karachi airport, during Ayub rule by a fanatic driver of civil aviation. Here the question of national reconciliation becomes the second priority to national extinction. The rogues are rogues where they are and who so ever they are? If our rulers would have thought at that time,” if you marry a gorilla for the sake of money, when the money finish, the gorilla will remain the same.”
We are faced with a non-visible, well-trained and well-equipped battling force with thirty years experience of the field, which is equal to the whole career of a senior Military officer, with no battlefield experience. They are having better knowledge of the terrain and having the choice of the selection of the targets. Who is feeding them this information? To find out these links, combined with national resolve, if they cannot be defeated they can be marginalised. It looks to me that their agencies are better informed about us than our agencies. It is very painful that in this crucial time we are doing politics, at the cost of the country.
The last but not the least, political disputes beside the point, we have to learn to work with Afghanistan and India in very close collaboration to finish this cancer.
BY Prof. (Dr.) Khurshid Alam………London. khurshidalam5@hotmail.com DATED: 13/10/2009
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