Are Pakistani forces really ashamed?

Today the Pakistani nation is ashamed of those whom they always pay high respect. Now, the civic society, political gurus and the public are crying on the intelligence failure of Pakistan’s agencies and the US violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty by invading a compound in Abbottabad killing Osama and other residents. Well, is it the first time United States has violated Pakistan’s sovereignty, dignity and even the freedom? United States has not only been interfering in Pakistan’s internal & external affairs but also making decisions for Pakistan since the first Marshall Law which was introduced in Pakistan in 1958. When the current government came into power, a resolution was passed from the joint session of the National assembly that Pakistan would not tolerate any violation of Pakistan’s integrity including drone attacks. Has this government done anything to stop the drone attacks? According to wiki leaks this government has committed to United States that United States would continue drone attacks and government would keep condemning those attacks in public.

Like common citizens of Pakistan are faithful to Pakistan an ordinary soldier of the Pakistani forces are also committed to defend Pakistan. Even from junior to senior officers in the forces are found to be loyal with the country. But the problem is in the high ranking forces chiefs who have been secret deals with their foreign masters for the last 50 years without the consent of the nation, passing lavish life, enjoying on the national wealth and after retirement spend enjoyable life in United States and Europe in their big mansions.

More than 60 percent of the tax-payers money of the people of Pakistan is spent on Pakistan defence. Especially, in the last 10 years, billions of dollars have been received on the name of war against terrorism from the United States and the Western Capitals which has also been consumed by Pakistani defence & intelligence forces. Pakistani army, air force, navy and intelligence services have no open audits or accountability of the funds they receive. Defence personnel have best remunerations and luxuries compared to almost all the other arm forces of the 3rd world countries. During 60 years of Pakistan’s life, 75 percent of the time Pakistan’s forces have ruled the country and remaining 25 percent of the time army Generals brought their made-up political actors. In return what the army has given to the country and the nation? From the insurgency issues in Kashmir, fall of Dhaka 1971, defeat in Siachan by India to Afghan Jihad in 180s and now war against Taliban & al-Quaeda Pakistani army has made decisions for Pakistan and the people of Pakistan without any consent of the nation and all have now proven to be failed and brought disgrace to the country and the nation. Their self-centred policies only benefited to them not to the country. I cannot go in each and every detail of the issues Pakistan is facing today but I can boldly say that all these mess of today link to the autocratic army rule. From General Zia ul Haque to General Pervez Musharraf, there has been continuous support towards United States, first in support of the Taliban, Osama Bin Laden and his companions for more than 10 years, and then against them for about 10 years brought Pakistan in this the most humiliated post raid-and-kill situation of Osama Bin Laden.

Since 1958, army has been manufacturing the political leaders, directly or indirectly making foreign policies, dealing secretly with superpowers especially with the agencies of United States and hiding facts from the public. Today, the entire Pakistani nation is distressed and shameful for the sins they never committed. The democratic government is just a puppet in the hands of armed forces.

If we look back and see, have they ever given anything to the nation? Any victory, any success on Pakistan’s territorial disputes with neighbours? Their brutal and bloody military operation on the people of then East Pakistan provided opportunity to India to enter East Pakistan and gain the sympathies of the people of then East Pakistan which led them to convert East Pakistan into their independent state – Bangladesh. Their decision to support United States in 1980s in forming and training Taliban gave the gift of heroin and Talibanisation to the people of Pakistan, similarly, never-ending fight in Kashmir, implementing fake democracy and so on has brought the country into an unstable and unsecured conditions. Their recent bloody operation in Baluchistan is creating another East Pakistan-like situation.

Pakistan’s forces and the people of Pakistan too have the perception that Pakistani forces won the war of 1965 over India and pay them high tribune celebrating ‘Defence Day’ on 6th of September every year. But the fact is that it was Pakistani forces that first ignited the war through crossing the line of control in Kashmir with the intention to capture the Indian occupied territories. When India attacked badly at the border of Punjab then it was the people of Punjab who laid down in front of Indian tanks to give their lives for the country. After the 17 days of decisive battle, luckily, United Nation ceased fire war and later both India and Pakistan agreed on seizing the war under Tashkent declaration. According to Ayub’s biographer, Altaf Ghuhar, ‘India attacked Pakistan the most surprised person was Ayub Khan. . . . Ayub’s surprise was shared by the Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army (General Musa) — Ayub was now facing the moment of truth’. Today, after 45 years, United States surprised Pakistan’s forces and intelligence by raiding a place only couple of kilometres away from the Pakistan Military Academy. The entire nation could not believe this. Even in 1971 India and United States surprised Pakistani forces in their process of helping the anti-Pakistani elements to convert East Pakistan into Bangladesh.

Today, our neighbour India has high respect in the world and the world also listens to India not because India has good relations with its neighbours or India is really shining but because India has the largest democracy in the world. Their armed forces are under control of their civil government. Their arms and civil system respect rule of civil laws and liberties.

Today, Pakistani forces once again surprised the nation when US forces launched commando operation at the place which is supposed to be most safe and secure area of the city of Abbotabad. In about 10 years of General Musharraf’s army rule and now 3 years of army backed government, Pakistani forces, ISI and the government lied to the nation about the access to the US forces. They denied for drone attacks being launched from Pakistani sites. And now as the stories are broken it is very much clear that Pakistani government have given full access to United States. The foreign offices have issues thousands of visas to US personnel and who knows who are these people and what they are doing the Pakistan.

Now a drama is being staged in the parliament house and in the media events. Chiefs of Pakistan’s forces and ISI have displayed regret and offered them for accountability in account of the intelligence failure to the national parliament. Well, instead of regretting and offering themselves for accountability why anyone of them didn’t do their judgement and resigned from their jobs if they are so ashamed - as it happens among civilised nations. Therefore, for me it is all drama - unfortunately, when they are staging all this drama in the parliament the news was coming that there was another drone attack killing 4 people and another suicide bomb blast killing 80 people and alas no one had any say on that. Again, I would say the same thing which I have said in my many published articles that it is the fault of the people of Pakistan who are just quietly watching and ignoring these wrong doings. (The writer is a sydney-based journalist and a political analyst, his homepage is www.sauhassan.com ).

Syed Atiq ul Hassan, JP,
M.Sc (Comp Tech), B.Sc (Hons), M.A (Eco), LLB, Dip Journalism
Sydney-based Journalist, Foreign Correspondent & Educationist,
Homepage: www.sauhassan.com

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