Fears of Martial… How much real??
By Ch. Naeem Sidhu • May 31st, 2008 • Category: Politics, Worth A Second Look • 20 Comments
Albeit the ground realities do not corroborate the apprehension expressed by Asif Ali Zardari that some unseen forces are making attempts to destabilize the PPP Government and are intending to impose Martial Law yet the international scenario is not favourable for a smooth allowance to a democratic Government in Pakistan. Like the past, Afghanistan is again a source of destability of society and politics in Pakistan. In 1977, Gen. Zia ul Haq toppled Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s Government and imposed Martial Law. It was execution of international agenda engineered by the USA as former secretary of state Henry Kissinger once uttered on record, US would make his condition (Bhutto) woeful. Owing to some political follies of Bhutto, the opposition got opportunity to initiate movement against Bhutto’s Government. Mysterious circumstances led this agitation to get religious orientation and finally it got violent. This gave opportunity to Zia to impose Martail Law. Comprehending that the ‘thesis’ of the era is Islam, Zia shrewdly played ‘Islamic’ card to appease the democracy lovers masses of Pakistan. The real bad luck struck Pakistan when in 1979, former Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. The late seventies was a time when cold war between USSR and US was at its peak. US had to face the ever expanding and violent white bear of USSR. It got lucky to find Zia in Islamabad at the helm of affairs, who was desperate to seek international recognition for perpetuation of his illegitimate rule. He surrendered to whimsical wishes of USA. The outcome of the policies adopted by Zia is known to everybody now. The international situation helped Zia to play havoc with the bodypolitik of the country and he (mis)ruled the country for eleven long years until he died in air crash.
Post 1988 era witnessed a quasi-democratic dispensation with the inexperienced leadership of Pakistan comprising of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, engaged in fierce political battle which caused wide-spread despair amongst the people and finally in October 1999, Musharraf toppled Nawaz Sharif Government. The establishment again played it cards intelligently to bring bad name to the politicians as dubbed them as source of all evils which country had been facing that time. As Zia was lucky to get a stage for getting support from USA after Soviet invasion, exactly two years after he took over, similarly Musharraf got lucky exactly two years after when on September 11, 2001, when the USA faced terrorists attacks which proved a historic event to change the fate of the world. Again the centre of focus for the whole world was Afghanistan which under Taliban regime got reputation of hub of militants and terrorists. Again US needed Islamabad to launch its operation in Afghanistan. USA found yet another time a military ruler who was desperate to win international support to rule the country. As Zia surrendered to US wishes in 1979, the same way Musharraf did in the wake of nine eleven. The two occasions which have its roots in Afghanistan paved way for long dark years of misrule by Zia and Musharraf.
Its sermons to the rest of the world for support of democracy notwithstanding, when it came to its own interests, the USA always preferred to support military rulers finding them easy and eager to surrender their national obligations at cost of obtaining support for their rule. Their moral position is always fragile and they have sense of guilt by conceiving the illegitimacy of their rule. What happened when one telephone call from Washington was sufficient to bewilder even the caller when Musharraf acquiesced even to those demands which no civil ruler might have imagined.
With the American presidential elections few months ahead, and the Republicans making last ditch effort to stage a come back in White House, Bush administration intends to tread on yet another fierce path. US administration, to cover up its sense of guilt as result of defiant resistance by the Iraqi militants which has caused hundreds of deaths of American troops, has two pronged strategy. One is to strike Iranian nuclear installations and second is to decimate the armed resistance in Afghanistan which according to their perception is emanating from the tribal areas of Pakistan. By making another adventure, the Bush administration intends to impress the electorate for November elections. The neo-cons of Washington do comprehend that if they resort to some more aggressive acts in tribal areas of Pakistan and against Iran, it would appease the American public which had been suspicious of Administration’s policies, hitherto. The Republicans also understand that the majority of American voters have yet to make up their mind to have a woman (Hillary Clinton) or a black (Barack Obama) as American president so to consider that McCann will be an outsider, is wrong notion.
The US and NATO commanders in Afghanistan and host of American law-makers who visited the region last week have stressed need to take ‘practical steps’ to uproot the resistance which according to them is coming from the tribal areas of Pakistan. Senator Carl Levin, chairman, Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Ben Nelson, Sen. Russ Feingold and many others have urged the US administration to take harsh measures against the terrorists settled in ‘troubled’ areas.
For a moment, just have a look at the looming financial and food crises in Pakistan. The real scarcity plus the speculative business tycoons have made food shortage in whole of the world. The price of the wheat has soared from 200 dollars per ton to 400 dollars in one year. The rising economies like China, Brazil and India have caused unthinkable need for the fuel resultantly the oil prices touching all time high record of 130 dollars per barrel. The present Government assured officials of the World Bank that it would end the subsidy to the oil prices. The stark economic realities, rising inflation, ever-widening budget deficit is bound to cause miserable conditions in Pakistan in coming weeks. The economic disaster is sure to destabilize the PPP Government which so far has not done any tangible acts to win public support.
International scenario if seen with the designs of US administration will make position of Pakistan very crucial. No civil Government can afford to support any military action in Iran or against the tribal areas of Pakistan. The most trusted ally of USA in so-called war on terror, Pervaiz Musharraf has lost its significance by being extremely unpopular in the country. The grand international design will support another military rule in Islamabad to fulfill its ambitions. Surely it will not augur well for the military and society in Pakistan as it will generate unrest much more than past and the country’s stability will get at stake. But if we consider the US think-tanks, foreseeing a break-up of the whole region, it is not difficult to understand that this friction between people and military of Pakistan is exactly what they need. Ostensibly the military will like to isolate itself from the politics but considering the Pentagon’s leverage on GHQ, nothing is impossible. Asif Ali Zardari and other national leaders have to educate the masses and should prepare them for the future challenges. They need to move fast.
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Time is running out for Pakistan. We cannot afford more luxury of wasting the time, and the days of status quo are numbered. We cannot bask anymore in our laziness. We have to put up our acts together pretty fast.
US is the change agent, and she has also compromised the new rulers with few minor threats of economic meltdown.
It’s good to see a very lucid English article from your sir, after reading quite insightful Urdu articles from you.
Must agree with Professor sahib, time is indeed running out, not for the country or its people (God forbid), yes for these thugs and charlatans in the garb of politicians. Yet, another opportunity is being squandered away by these incmpetent people.
This is the main task of a military, any military, to defend and protect the country from any threats regardless of the source. It’s indeed time that either these morons are made to realize that enough is enough or military must perform its job and rid the country of all its enemies of all colours and shades playing havoc with the nationional interest.
As far as friction between military and the civilians is concerned; well, enemies of Pakistan have systemetically worked, and worked overtime, at this ill intentioned and malicious design through whatever means and methods.
All the patriotic people must condemn and reist these enemies of our nation. I do.
I agree with Aftab that enemies of Pakistan has created friction between army and civilians and that enemy is none other than Mush.
Error of judgement can happen; premeditated attempt to conceal truth or create disinformation is a crime. I sincerely, hope that Kamil is guilty of the former, not later.
What Pakistani nation are you talking about?
I challenge everybody including Farid, Imran, Faqeer +Nawaza+ Aitazaz+Kurd+Imran+Qazi and whoever Badkheein Mar Raha hey ab just take 2 million Pakistanis OK 1 million Pakistani OK 500000 Ok 100000 Pakistani jama karo aur le jao Army house .
Pakistani nation wanted, Pakistani nation wanted, Pakistani nation wanted……..
Every stupid from tip to toe is saying same thing.
I will tell you what Pakistani nation wanted now is MATIAL LAW OR 58 2 B, and the return of March 2007 so that people start living again a much better life than it is now.
Ahmed Mukhtar and Shah Qureshi just went once with President and they started loving President. Can’t any stupid understand this simple thingy!!!??????????
AOM writes, Ahmed Mukhtar and Shah Qureshi just went once with President and they started loving President.
Joke of the year.
Dear writer, will due respect, If you look at the things from the US perspective then one has to agree that US is doing right to protect its citizens, but if you look from opposite perspective, you would naturally disagree.
Goddammit to hell, America has become the trash bin of the modern media. Aw heck, it just wasn’t enough to have gone and sold the world a whole bunch of computers and hooked everybody up to the Internet. We just had to go and let every lunatic in the world get up in front of everybody and talk like they’re a bunch of morons.
The fact that Iraq had an election (as they did under Hussein), or that Hosni Mubarak is thinking about letting some Egyptian run against him and lose, or that a handful of Saudis got to vote for some local tribesmen, or that Lebanon will be having an election soon (they have them regularly already) show the mettle of the United States.
Its due to the United States, that you have a leader like Musharraf who knows how to go about in world affairs.
Anything is possible in Pakistan. General Kayani or anyone else from the top brass may get the enticement of tasting the power and rule.
No way… Martial law won’t come for at least 8 to 10 years. Its life cycle. Now pockets of Military Generals and Brigadiers are full… Lets wait for next Generation in Military…that are Majors and Captains right now…then they will think about earning by Martial law. Its an excuse for fulfilling their greedy nature. By nature, Army Officers and their families are very greedy. You will find 2% of officers…who are real officers.. rest are simply rubbish. No professional ethics and norms.
They don’t have courage to even think about Martial Law now. People are already full with anger. If they will touch this issue…people will burst and you will not find any Officer around you then. Even their own soldiers won’t forgive them.
Another Martial Law would be the death of Pakistan Army as institution and it shall become a party in local politics. top brass should sincerely think 100 times before taking such action.
“the death of Pakistan Army ”
Who Pakistan Army / MIlitary consists of ?
Lt Gen (Retd) Jamshaid Gulzar Kiyani has stressed the need for making an example of President Pervez Musharraf to block the emergence of future dictators in the country.
Talking to Dr Shahid Masood in the Geo TV programme Meray Mutabiq, he said General Musharraf had committed basic mistakes such as the Kargil debacle, surrender to the US threat of pushing Pakistan into the Stone Age and the Lal Masjid destruction.
He said no power could stay in the face of the power of the people. He said he had seen the period of Ayub Khan, who could not face the wrath of the people. When asked whether the Army was with Musharraf, he said the armymen would never say anything about it and such things were never discussed in the Army.
He ruled out the imposition of martial law, saying that the president could not use Article 58-2(b). Gen Gulzar said Musharraf’s departure from power was close at hand. He said the president should not have given in to the US threat in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy. He said the Pakistan Army was the best professional Army in the world. He said Musharraf had options at that time and he should have held a referendum to ascertain the will of the people.
Gen Gulzar said the referendum Musharraf held for himself was a fake exercise as Gen Zia did the same during his rule. He said Musharraf was clearly told about this mistake and afterwards he accepted his mistake.
He said today everybody believed that Gen Musharraf was fighting the American war on the soil of Pakistan and “we are paying for that today.” departure from power was close at hand. He said the president should not have given in to US threat in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy.
He said the threat to push Pakistan into the stone age was delivered by the then secretary of state Colin Powel and not by the American president. He said the president arrested and handed over Pakistanis to the US. Where have these unknown people gone? he asked.
He asked what was the crime of Mullah Zaeef and as a diplomat did he deserve such insulting behaviour? He said the ISI was used to commit wrong acts. He said he was in the ISI and advised against such acts but his advice fell on deaf ears. As a result today Musharraf was the most unpopular president. If he had accepted the advice, he would have been the most successful president of Pakistan today.
He said suicide attacks that were beyond imagination before 9/11 are difficult to control now, he said. He said he was not a supporter of suicide attacks but these reflect an easy reaction that cannot be stopped by anyone.
He said there were suicide attacks one after the other in the wake of the Lal Masjid and the Jamia Hafsa operation. He said if there were foreign elements in Lal Masjid, where did they go? He said innocent students were targeted with phosphorus grenades, that he added come in the fold of chemical weapons.
He said he had never seen such an act of tyranny. He said when a bullet crosses the body it is not a wrong use of power but that is a tyrannical act. It tantamounts to killing an ant with a hammer.
He said ex-servicemen should have come forward a long time ago but they have not been an organized body that could be activated on one call. About the economic situation, General Gulzar Kiyani termed the present period the worst when it was difficult for the poor to get even one meal.
When asked about his appointment and expulsion as Chairman Federal Public Service Commission, Gen Kiyani said the real differences started after the 9/11 episode. “After retiring from the Army on Oct 14, 2004, when I reminded General Saheb his commitment to doff his uniform during a meeting, he said that the nation needed him.”
He said it was a reaction to his policies that suicide attacks started in the country. He said force was used in South and North Waziristan and 80 students were killed in a Bajaur Madrassa in an American operation. What was the crime of these students, he asked.
He said he remained Chairman of the Public Service Commission for three years. At that time the prime minister was Jamali whose first demand was to give power of appointments in CBR and FIA to ministers. He said if this power was given to ministers they would have gotten their own way.
He said one of the two officers approved by former prime minister Shaukat Aziz faced a NAB corruption case while the other had no chance of promotion. “I requested them that this would cause great demoralisation among the bureaucracy. I humbly submitted to them that this was a wrong step but in a short period the chairman’s tenure was reduced from five to three years under the PCO to remove me.”
He expressed regret over the suicide attack outside the Danish embassy in Islamabad adding there was no conception of suicide bombings before 9/11. The policies of President Pervez Musharraf in the post-9/11 scenario led to suicide attacks in Pakistan.
Pulling the curtain off past events, Lt Gen (Retd) Jamshed Gulzar Kiyani denied a hand in the removal of Nawaz’s government on October 12, 1999. “I was major general then and I was promoted on November 1, 1999. After that I took the responsibility of corps commander Rawalpindi and successfully held the post for two years.”
Commenting on the 9/11 events of 2001, he said undoubtedly a hell was unleashed on New York but he never reconciled with the practical course President Pervez Musharraf adopted after the incident.
To a question, he said no aspersion could be cast on the loyalty of the Army and so on the corps commander. A corps commander also remains loyal to the army chief. However, different views came up at the corps commanders meetings in the wake of 9/11. Big differences emerged then. When General (Retd) Musharraf asked as to what were their views to the threats of pushing Pakistan into the stone age, a difference of opinion emerged in the views of the corps commanders. It was three to four days after 9/11.
Some commanders openly told Chief Executive Pervez Musharraf that they had reservations. These pertained to an outright and open support to the US. They believed that the US should not be extended support blindly. The corps commander is a professional soldier and ignoring his advice leads to losses.
Regarding the 1971 war, he said he was on the eastern border but never became a prisoner of war. He said there is no doubt that excesses were committed against the people of Bengal. He held then General Yahya Khan responsible for the same. General Niazi totally failed in East Pakistan and his role was very embarrassing which is a matter of regret.
General (Retd) Jamshed Gulzar Kiyani said according to his information Nawaz Sharif did not know anything about the Kargil episode. He was never thoroughly briefed on the same. He supported holding of a probe into the Kargil fiasco, adding factors behind the scene, about which people do not know, would also come into the limelight.
Asked what was his plan, General Kiyani said he had briefed Nawaz Sharif and told him that it was a very sensitive issue and he could not unveil all the details to him. He was only apprised of the ongoing situation. Nawaz time and again asked about the truth from senior officials including Sartaj Aziz who was the foreign minister. He also tried to persuade the chief of army staff. General Majid spoke in detail on the issue. General Mahmood was the corps commander then.
Kiyani said our Jawans (soldiers) bravely fought the Kargil War. I think they revived the memories of the 1965 war. Our officers fought more fiercely than in the 1965 War and repulsed enemy attacks time and again. Despite the fact that supplies were disrupted due to extreme cold, the Jawans continued the war. He repeated that arguments will come up when there will be a probe.
He termed Nawaz’s travel to the US a bid to save the prestige of the Pakistan Army. He said in the meeting of May 17 Nawaz gave a green signal to the operation. He assured conditional support to General Musharraf that the government would back the operation when he successfully moved forward. If unfortunately the same failed, he would not be in a position to support him (Musharraf). When the army was caught in an awkward situation, he again travelled to the US to save the symbol of the country, the Pakistan Army.
To a question about the use of nuclear weapons in the war, General Kiyani said the war could have not been kept limited to the Kargil sector or a particular front particularly when the two countries possessed nuclear weapons.
Referring to the book authored by General Musharraf, Jamshed Gulzar Kiyani said whatever has been written there is against logic. If you catch your enemy by the jugular vein he would react with full force. If you cut enemy supply lines, the only option for him will be to ensure supplies by air.
That situation the Indian Army was unlikely to confront and it had to come up to the occasion. It is against wisdom that you dictate to the enemy to keep the war limited to a certain front.
After that Nawaz went to the United States. But an attempt was made to create the impression in the print media that Nawaz Sharif was at fault to surrender there. He said this impression was created by General Pervez Musharraf which was totally wrong.
Complete sentence is “the death of Pakistan Army as institution “
Former Pakistan Air Force and Pak Navy chiefs of the Kargil era, Air Chief Marshal (Retired) Pervez Mehdi Qureshi and Admiral (Retired) Fasih Bukhari, have demanded a commission of inquiry to probe the Kargil operation and have agreed to appear before it to give their version of the events surrounding the Kargil episode.
They have revealed that the air force and the navy were not on board when the operation was planned but they declined to divulge other details about it in public.
Air Chief Marshal Qureshi, who is known as PQ Mehdi, while talking to The News on Saturday evening said that the whole world knew that the Pakistan Air Force was not on board when the Kargil operation was being deliberated. “The whole nation is aware of what had happened in Kargil since on the initiation of the action. Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee accused his counterpart in Pakistan Nawaz Sharif of stabbing him in the back. My statement will make no difference about the facts.”
He said the government should order an inquiry into the events of Kargil and everyone who was relevant would turn up with his version. Nobody can say no to such a commission, he added.
He disclosed that the events, which transpired during the days of Kargil, were preserved in the record of the PAF like other forces. “In case I am not in this world tomorrow, the whole record will be available for ascertaining the facts,” the former chief of the Pakistan Air Force said. He said that it was a serious matter and it must be taken with utter seriousness as it was linked with the future of the country and generations to follow.
Interestingly, Pakistan Air Force was not put into operation to counter the Indian Air Force due to strategic reasons. However, a PAF air defence unit shot down an Indian Air Force MiG-27 on May 27, 1999 that entered the Pakistan airspace. Pakistan also shot down another MiG-21, which had come into the area in search of the earlier downed pilot. Pakistan told the world with incontrovertible evidence that these two aircraft had violated the Line of Control (LoC) and entered seven miles into the Pakistan airspace before being shot down by PAF air defence and Pakistan Army surface-to-air missiles (SAM). The Indians claimed that they were in the Indian territory and that the aircraft were shot down by Stinger missiles.
The MiG-27 pilot, Flt. Lt. Nachiketa, ejected and he was captured by Pakistan ground forces as a POW. He was returned to India later when the then Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee pleaded for his release after cessation of hostilities. Four Indian Air Force personnel were killed on May 28 the same year when an MI-17 chopper was shot down by a Pakistan air defence unit.
Air Chief Marshal Pervez Mehdi Qureshi led the PAF from November 7, 1997 to November 20, 2000.
The former naval chief, Admiral (Retd) Fasih Bukhari, said to a question that he would be prepared to appear before an inquiry commission that would be formed by the government of the day. Such a commission could unearth the whole truth about the matter, he said.
The former naval chief, Admiral (Retired) Fasih Bukhari, became the naval chief on May 2, 1997 and relinquished the command on October 2, 1999, ten days ahead of the coup by his colleague in the Army General Pervez Musharraf against the elected government of Nawaz Sharif.
Admiral Bukhari was the first who disclosed immediately after his retirement that Pakistan Navy was not taken into confidence about the Kargil operation at any stage and it did not make any preparations for any huge eventualities. Since then, he has kept quiet about it.
“I have been maintaining silence about the subject. If the commission constituted by the government calls me for evidence, I will put across my point of view before it with each and every detail concerning the episode,” he said. “I am a military-man and I will not share with the media my experiences in the force since I am under oath,” he added. “But I will not be reluctant to say anything before the commission if I am called.”
Courtesy: The News Pakistan - 8th June 2008.