Rethinking Islam with Sultan Shahin

War on Terror

25 May 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Are Pakistani Forces Really Ashamed?
	Today, our neighbor India has high respect in the world and the world also listens to India not because India has good relations with its neighbors or India is really shining but because India is the largest democracy in the world. Their armed forces are under control of their civil government. Their army and civil system respect rule of civil laws and liberties. In about 10 years of Gen. Musharraf's army rule and now three years of army-backed government, Pakistani forces, ISI and the government lied to the nation about the access the US forces have. They had denied that drone attacks were being launched from Pakistani sites. And now as the stories unfold it is very much clear that Pakistani government has given full access to the United States. The government has issued thousands of visas to US personnel and who knows who these people are and what they are doing in Pakistan. -- SYED ATIQ UL HASAN

Are Pakistani Forces Really Ashamed?

By SYED ATIQ UL HASAN May 20, 2011 Today the Pakistani nation is ashamed of those whom they have always held in high esteem. Now, the civic society, political gurus and the public are protesting over the intelligence failure of Pakistan's agencies and the US violation of Pakistan's sovereignty. The US forces raided a compound in Abbottabad killing Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden and other residents. Well, is it the first time the United States has violated Pakistan's sovereignty, dignity and even freedom? United States has not only been interfering in Pakistan's internal and external affairs but also making decisions for Pakistan since the first martial law in 1958. When the current government came to power, a resolution was passed by the joint session of Parliament declaring that Pakistan would not tolerate violation of its sovereignty, including drone attacks. Has this government done anything to stop drone attacks? According to WikiLeaks this government has made a tacit agreement with the United States that would allow drone attacks to continue while Islamabad would condemn those attacks in public. Just as ordinary citizens are faithful to the country, an ordinary soldier of the Pakistan Army is also committed to defending Pakistan. Even junior officers in the forces are loyal to the country. It is the high-ranking officers who have been in secret deals with their foreign masters for the last 50 years without the consent of the nation. They live a lavish life, enjoy the national wealth and after retirement spend an enjoyable life in the United States and Europe in their big mansions. More than 60 percent of the taxpayers' money is spent on Pakistan's defense. Especially, in the last 10 years, billions of dollars have been received in the name of war against terrorism from the United States and the West which have been consumed by Pakistani defense and intelligence agencies. Pakistani army, air force, navy and intelligence services have no open audits or accountability of the funds they receive. Pakistani defense personnel have much better remunerations and luxuries compared to almost all other armed forces of the Third World countries. During 60 years of independence, Pakistani armed forces ruled the country for almost three-fourth of the period and during the remaining period army generals installed their political actors at the helm. In return, what the army has given to the country and the nation? Insurgency in Kashmir, fall of Dhaka in 1971, defeat in Siachen by India, Afghan jihad in the 1980s and now war against Taleban and Al-Qaeda. Pakistan Army has made decisions for Pakistan and the people of Pakistan without their consent and all these have now proved to have failed and brought disgrace to the country. Their self-centered policies only benefited them not the country. I cannot go into details of the issues Pakistan is facing today but I can certainly say that all these mess emanate from the autocratic army rule. From Gen. Zia-ul-Haq to Gen. Pervez Musharraf, there has been continuous tilting toward the United States, first in support of the Taleban, Osama Bin Laden and his companions for more than 10 years, and then against them for about another 10 years. The result now is the most-humiliating situation following the US raid and killing of Osama Bin Laden. Since 1958, army has been creating political leaders, directly or indirectly making foreign policies, dealing secretly with superpowers especially with the agencies of the United States and hiding facts from the public. Today, the entire Pakistani nation is distressed and shamed for the sins they never committed. The democratic government is just a puppet in the hands of the 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 neighbors? Their brutal and bloody military operation against the people of then East Pakistan provided an opportunity to India to enter East Pakistan and gain the sympathies of the people of then East Pakistan which led them to convert the eastern wing of the country into an independent state - Bangladesh. Their decision to support the United States in the 1980s by forming and training Taleban allowed the gates to open to heroin and Talebanization to the people of Pakistan leading to instability and insecure conditions in the country. The recent bloody army operation in Baluchistan is creating another East Pakistan-like situation. Pakistan's forces and the people of Pakistan are in the misguided belief that the Pakistani forces won the 1965 war against India and pay them tribute by celebrating Defense Day on 6th of September every year. But the fact is that it was Pakistani forces that first initiated the war by crossing the line of control in Kashmir with the intention of capturing the Indian occupied territories. When India attacked the border of Punjab, it was the people of Punjab who lay down in front of Indian tanks and sacrificed their lives for the country. After 17 days of decisive battle, the United Nations fortunately intervened and later both India and Pakistan agreed to end war under the Tashkent declaration. According to Ayub's biographer, Altaf Gauhar, "When 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 again, after 45 years, United States surprised Pakistani forces and intelligence agencies by raiding a place only couple of kilometers away from the Pakistan Military Academy. The entire nation could not believe this. Even in 1971 India and the United States surprised Pakistani forces in their process of helping the anti-Pakistani elements to convert East Pakistan into Bangladesh. Today, our neighbor India has high respect in the world and the world also listens to India not because India has good relations with its neighbors or India is really shining but because India is the largest democracy in the world. Their armed forces are under control of their civil government. Their army and civil system respect rule of civil laws and liberties. In about 10 years of Gen. Musharraf's army rule and now three years of army-backed government, Pakistani forces, ISI and the government lied to the nation about the access the US forces have. They had denied that drone attacks were being launched from Pakistani sites. And now as the stories unfold it is very much clear that Pakistani government has given full access to the United States. The government has issued thousands of visas to US personnel and who knows who these people are and what they are doing in Pakistan. Now a drama is being staged in the Parliament house. The chiefs of Pakistan's forces and the ISI have expressed regret and offered themselves for accountability on account of the intelligence failure during the meeting in the Parliament. Well, instead of regretting and offering themselves for accountability why have none of them resigned if they are so ashamed of their lapses, as happens in civilized nations. Therefore, for me it is all a drama. Unfortunately, when they were staging the drama in the Parliament, there was another drone attack that killed four people and another suicide attack that killed 80 people. I would say it is the fault of the people of Pakistan who are just quietly watching and ignoring these wrongdoings. Source: Arab News URL: http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamWarOnTerror_1.aspx?ArticleID=4699