TIME TO PAY BACK

TIME TO PAY BACK

This is absolutely new phenomenon in our country’s history that the untouchables, I mean the Pak Army is facing direct criticism from different quarters of our society, either it be politicians or civil society, at once we find people becoming brave enough to evaluate or analyze the professional capacities of our army. The criticism went to an extent that ISPR, Pakistan Inter Services Public Relation Directorate, the public affairs branch for the military, issued and unusually long and highly defensive statement after the last Corps Commanders Conference, held in June 2011. The rambling statement by the ISPR addressed the criticism of the Army. The ISPR said that the corps commanders are upset over parliament’s criticism of the army in the wake of May 2, Abbotabad raid that killed Osama Bin Laden and issued thinly veiled threat that the commanders would no longer tolerate such statements. They said, “Any effort to create division between important institutions of the country is not in our national interest. The participants (Corps Commanders) agreed that all of us should take cognizance of this unfortunate trend and put an end to it.

This is for the first time in 64 years of our country’s age that Pak Army realized the people’s voice and one must appreciate it. I personally believe that this is the right time to pay back this poor nation who has always been supporting its armed forces through their tax money as always almost 65% of national resources are spent on them. The high-ups of our forces need to realize now that present inquietude in our country is due to their own policies and propensity towards politics. The external powers with their own interests have always been successful in eluding the high-ups of our army and got them indulged in implementing their intentions while doing direct bargain with generals instead of political forces of the country, resulting in destabilization of our democratic institutions. It is therefore that still democracy has not taken its roots in our country.

It is time to go through our history briefly to find out that they were the politicians who always came for salvage of our army’s reputation when ever it touched the ground due to their own actions, either it be unsuccessful Operation Gibraltar in August 1965. The debacle was followed by an Indian counterattack that resulted in 1965 Indo-Pak war or it be the Kargil Operation.

Pakistan Army suffered devastating defeat in the hands of Indian forces in Indo-Pak war of 1971 which led to the formation of Bangladesh. Seventy thousand soldiers along with twenty thousand civilians were made prisoners. Our army was humiliated and was at the lowest level of its morale. The ruler of the country then was a military dictator General Yahya Khan but there came a democratic government who restored the lost pride of our forces and brought back the prisoner of war. The Prime Minister Zaulfiqar Ali Bhutto were so sincere to country’s armed forces that he did not tolerate the showing of movie of surrender on national television network PTV and sacked his information minister Mr. Abdul Hafeez Pirzada. The same Zaulfiqar Ali Bhutto chided severely at Mr. Hanif Ramay, then editor of party’s newspaper “Musawaat” for writing an article against the system of batmen in army. The same prime minister initiated the atomic programme to build atomic bomb against Indian atomic threat and for that reason, now our army is considered as the strongest army but what the same army did to his savior. They hanged him and sent his body under the surveillance of soldiers to be buried in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh but the same army buried his retired General Yahya Khan who died of sickness with full military protocol though he was the main responsible for heinous defeat in 1971 war.

Then comes another discrimination, another military dictator, General Zia-ul-Haq who hanged the elected prime minister and hanged thousands more, who brought culture of Kalashnikov, heroin, linguistic conflict, religious extremism, put thousands political workers behind the bar, spread the cancer of corruption in the society. When he died of air crash and burned, his ashes were buried in lawn of Faisal Mosque with full military protocol and decorum.

Yet another military dictator General Pervez Musharaf, comes on scene, rule the country for ten long years, supposedly mastermind of bloody Kargil adventure, responsible for the killing of innocents in Lal Masjid, removed his uniform, worn expensive western suit and left the country after having received guard of honour where as the same dictator sent the elected prime minister into exile in the darkness of night.

Now the time has changed. Fast and free Media is present in the country; if politicians belonging to political institutions are brought in talk show to justify their actions, then it can happen to any one belonging to any institution. If our army high-ups felt the need to take cognizance of this unfortunate trend and to put an end to it, then they should switch to more pragmatic approach instead of their prevailing approach of stakeholder in political process. It is time to start believing in politicians as sincere and loyal to country as much as they consider themselves. Let the political institute be strong to contrive the policies in country’s interest. Do we see the chief of army staff meeting with visiting foreigner political delegates of other democratic countries as we see our Chiefs on our TV channels, put a halt to your agencies from indulging in politics. It is need of time to spend your energies and resources in improving your professional dexterity instead of becoming partner with external powers for material gains.

Now is the best opportunity and time to pay back this poor nation which has always been behind its forces to support and the best way to pay back is to aloof yourself from politics, concentrate on your professionalism to prove this scared nation that you are competent to protect the country’s border. It is time to have total faith in your nation and its leaders that are also loyal and love this country like you people have this belief in yourselves.

Long live Pakistan.