Same enemies; same blunders?
By Dr Shireen M Mazari • Dec 17th, 2009 • Category: Politics • 13 CommentsDecember 16, 1971 and the fall of Dhaka should remind us in Pakistan of the follies of our leaders and the repercussions of unfettered military action against one’s own people. It should also be a time to ponder over the role of our neighbour, India, in the dismemberment of our country and the complicity of the major powers, in giving legitimacy to this first break-up of a post-colonial nation since the end of the Second World War. The war in what was then East Pakistan was not the first civil war that had happened, although once India stepped-in it ceased to be a mere civil war, but it was the first war that split up a sovereign member of the UN and this was recognised by the UN. The Biafra case was also there but no one was prepared to grant recognition to this breakaway entity.
Our rulers’ many sins of omission and commission must be highlighted for our future generations to ensure we do not make the same mistakes again - especially in terms of unacceptable “collective punishment” which only creates more enemies amongst one’s own people, but what is equally important to understand is the role of India - first covertly then overtly. After all, the surrender of Dhaka was to India not to Bangladesh. At the time the US feigned support by trying to “send in” the Sixth Fleet - but in reality that never happened and the UNSC was not allowed to call for a ceasefire till the Soviet Union, the US and its allies were sure of the loss of East Pakistan. If we are unable to understand the Indian mindset and its approach to Pakistan, as well as US duplicity towards Pakistan, we will once again find ourselves in a similarly disastrous situation. Luckily for Pakistan, the Two Nation Theory proved its strength and so an independent Muslim nation of Bangladesh was created instead of East Pakistan being swallowed into Indian West Bengal! Again, Bhutto’s masterpiece diplomacy through the OIC allowed Pakistan to recognise this new Muslim state and leave India out in the cold.
However, we should especially recall this traumatic event in our national life so that in times of crisis we know who our enemies are and where we may be committing the same blunders again in terms of military operations and political hardlines. Pakistan’s biggest threat today comes from two main sources. First, the total disconnect that exists at all levels of national policy - which is allowing our enemies, be they the non-state actors comprising militants of multiple brands, or India and increasingly the US to do as they please within Pakistan’s territory - and a government that is either unable or unwilling to correct this dangerous drift. Second, the unholy Indo-US partnership that is giving aid and succour to Pakistani militants and separatists.
The disconnect is reflected in the leadership’s lack of clarity not only over policy but also over facts. Worse still, every time more than one leader speaks on an issue, they contradict each other. Take the case of evidence of Indian involvement in our terrorism and militancy issues - and that evidence is now more overt and substantial: we have had the interior minister stating that there was enough evidence to prove Indian involvement in FATA and Balochistan; but the foreign minister continued to insist that insufficient evidence existed. This mantra of his continued even after the prime minister himself had reiterated the growing proof of Indian involvement in Pakistan’s terrorism problem. After sending out damaging contradictory statements, finally the foreign minister, probably having recovered from his constant jetlag, condescended to declare that there was enough proof to nail India. This is simply one example of unthinking statements made that do great damage to this country especially when the substance is missing in terms of action also. Why keep making statements on India’s role in arming militancy in Pakistan without actually going to the next level and taking up the issue with India itself as well as on other international forums? Why not take it up strongly with India’s strategic partner in this region, the US? As for the leadership’s assertion that they will take up the issue with India “at an appropriate time”, what exactly is meant by that, given the severity of the situation right now? No action and confused statements coming from the leaders bodes ill for the country.
It is no wonder that there is hardly any credibility when the government denies its culpability in conceding unprecedented ground to the US, including in terms of drone attacks. Now the COAS himself has publicly demanded from the US that they stop the drone attacks. This demand has come at a time when the US is threatening to widen the scope of the drone attacks to urban centres like Quetta. Moreover, Obama himself has declared that if there is “actionable intelligence” - and we have seen the American version of this in Iraq’s WMD case - the US will strike inside Pakistan. Given that the US is already doing that through its drone attacks, presumably it is now also looking at boots on the ground in Pakistan. So, the question is, what will the Pakistan military do if the US does not heed the COAS’s demand of halting drone attacks? We certainly have the technical capability to down a drone so should the PAF not do exactly that in order to make the demand credible. Otherwise, like the statements emanating from the political leadership, the military leadership’s credibility will suffer a major dent - especially since the US continues to claim that its drone attacks are done with full support from the political and military leadership of Pakistan.
As for the Indo-US partnership, it is responsible for the free flow of arms from Afghanistan into Balochistan and FATA. Inside Pakistan, we also have US covert operatives defying all laws of the land with the Pakistan government unwilling to take any action. They keep testing our security network, supply arms to non-state actors and seek out our sensitive installations - all with impunity.
In this hostile environment, we are confronting expanding terrorism while the army conducts military operations in FATA in an operational environment devoid of any overarching political strategy. Yet, how long will we rely on the military-centric approach and how far will we use this in the rest of the country where terrorism is now striking? Can we really use drones and military action in settled and urban areas? And what is the US-India role in these acts of terror across Punjab and Peshawar? Who were the five US citizens caught in Sargodha? Spys trying to infiltrate the Taliban or US operatives targeting sensitive locations? Either way, this US game is threatening for Pakistan and should not be allowed.
If we stop to think of December 16, 1971, we will realise why we need to redirect our steps today away from the policies we are pursuing right now. Two immediate steps need to be taken. Distancing from the US and sending US covert operatives out of the country. Redirecting our military operations in FATA to more discriminatory actions against specific groups of militants and criminals - the divide and rule principle - and ensuring a politico-economic strategy as the guiding force. In Balochistan, immediate implementation of the political steps highlighted by the PM in Parliament. Mere words need to be replaced by deeds. Let us, for once, learn the correct lessons from perhaps the most traumatic moment in our history as a nation. We face the same enemies in a different garb; let us not make the same mistakes again.
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The Blood telegram (April 6, 1971)
Our government has failed to denounce the suppression of democracy. Our government has failed to denounce atrocities. Our government has failed to take forceful measures to protect its citizens while at the same time bending over backwards to placate the West Pak[istan] dominated government and to lessen any deservedly negative international public relations impact against them. Our government has evidenced what many will consider moral bankrupt,(…) But we have chosen not to intervene, even morally, on the grounds that the Awami conflict, in which unfortunately the overworked term genocide is applicable, is purely an internal matter of a sovereign state. Private Americans have expressed disgust. We, as professional civil servants, express our dissent with current policy and fervently hope that our true and lasting interests here can be defined and our policies redirected.
(U.S. Consulate (Dacca) Cable, Dissent from U.S. Policy Toward East Pakistan, April 6, 1971, Confidential, 5 pp. Includes Signatures from the Department of State. Source: RG 59, SN 70-73 Pol and Def. From: Pol Pak-U.S. To: Pol 17-1 Pak-U.S. Box 2535; [5])
n an earlier telegram (March 27, 1971), Blood wrote about American observations at Dhaka under the subject heading “Selective genocide”:
1. Here in Decca we are mute and horrified witnesses to a reign of terror by the Pak[istani] Military. Evidence continues to mount that the MLA authorities have list of AWAMI League supporters whom they are systematically eliminating by seeking them out in their homes and shooting them down
2. Among those marked for extinction in addition to the A.L. hierarchy are student leaders and university faculty. In this second category we have reports that Fazlur Rahman head of the philosophy department and a Hindu, M. Abedin, head of the department of history, have been killed. Razzak of the political science department is rumored dead. Also on the list are the bulk of MNA’s elect and number of MPA’s.
3. Moreover, with the support of the Pak[istani] Military. non-Bengali Muslims are systematically attacking poor people’s quarters and murdering Bengalis and Hindus.
(U.S. Consulate (Dacca) Cable, Selective genocide, March 27, 1971[6])
Dr. Shireen Mazari — OK if all pillars of Pakistani Establishment — every one is so angry, all they do is yell & complain against Zardari & Co. Indeed Zardari should have served the general public of Pakistan in due course of time but as right now for those who ask the questions to announce their news affiliation. Who are these people asking the questions right now without saying whom they speak for as PEMRA recently put falsely charged or with full of stupidity try to banned on Zardari & Co. corruption news? To say-volumes about their editorial or party bias or lets suppose as you mentioned in your article Dr.SM but the problem is our ruling English Speaking Elite & Wadeera Shahi who do not read Pakistani daily News Papers of Pakistan this is not matched to their STATUS SYMBOL they read only The Guardian, Times, NYT, W.St. J, WP & watch only BBC, CNN, Sky News or Fox etc hence at the end of the day they usually are trapped into their own NET because they were wearing the glasses of the West.
Dosray Kay Liayay Khuda Khodnay Walay-Pehlay Isko Deikh-
America 2010 Tuk Disintegrate Ho Jai Ga – Russian Think Tank-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acfO3KBFdH8
Duffer and greedy leaders cant go beyond their narrow mindedness and this is our real tragedy .The only factor that varies with the times is more variety in huge corruption level by our managers who have no vision to counter our blunders and go for reasonable planning to eradicate our mistakes and enemies .
enemies of Pakistan will be finished one by one I would say. The biggest enemy rite now is the militancy in Pakistan and thus we all have to unite our voice against it finish it from the root.
India is not Pakistan’s enemy. The real enemy is religion. As long as Pakistan is ruled by Islamic Sharia law, there can be no salvation.
Pakistan has to stop blaming others for every other problem. It has to first realize that the problem lies within, not United States, not India or Afghanistan. It’s skewed policies and crooked thinking has to stop. It has to eradicate all the rogue elements within their country including in the Army, ISI etc. Send out a strong signal that Pakistan is not a rogue country anymore and won’t support terrorists.
But the sad part is, Pakistan continues to provide shelter and support to global terrorists and drug dealers like Dawood Ibrahim. That itself shows how rotten the system has become.
East Pakistan was separated because of the treatment given to them( Bengalies) from the People and Illitrate masses of WEST PAKISTAN. Bengali were treated like Slaves of West. Now they are better off without West.
Love your country and treat all equally and humanley otherwise…………………………………
Carl Sandburg said “When a nation goes down, or a society perishes, one condition may always be found; they forgot where they came from. They lost sight of what had brought them along.?
Mohd Ali Jinnah said…
“You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed — that has nothing to do with the business of the State… We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one State… I think we should keep that in front of us as our ideal and you will find that in due course Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as citizens of the State.”
But where is Pakistan today? Are Hindus, Christians and other minorities really free in Pakistan? Where Ahmadis are treated like criminals and even the law supports their persecution? Where blasphemy laws are continuously used to settle scores?
Jai Ho! as world is coming in terms with sanity why does Hinduism runs away from it producing DUFFERS and LOSERS like u…
When it comes to Mumbai blasts the calls made to organisations in Pakistan are authentic and when it comes to those terrorists fighting in Waziristan and making calls to Indian embassy is bluff…WOW…i am amazed at your judgement…u manifest shunning the truth mentality of Hindus and always blaming others for ur follies…as to why i am attacking ur religion is wat should be done wth stupids like u who blame everything on religion which is the easiest of all…so you should be dealt wth the way u tell others to treat u..As for weapons when a chewing gum wraper of a pakistani origin found wth Mumbai attackers was enough to hold Pakistan responsible for the attack and which we acknowledged unlike u Hindus,then not trucks laden with Indian weapons found in Balochistan are enough to prove your involvement?again WOW for the stupidity of a HINDU…
And look at your pathetic and childish as ever logic WHAT SHOULD THE EMBASSY DO IF SOMEONE IS CALLING THEM??????????are you that naive or do u act well?i think the latter is correct since you people are an adept in acting rather copying…
As for your comments on minority you better check Indian’s status on Human rights ranking then open your mouth…
Well Same enemies; same blunders? | The Pakistani Spectator was interesting. Not exactly what I was expecting to find when searching for contract technical writer but worth a few minutes of my time anyway. You’ve clearly been busy lately!