Pakistan: To survive on our own -- by Brig (R) M Shafi Khan Back   Home  

There is no need to recount the bitter experiences and the hazards of the past faced by Pakistan and insults endured by the people. The unending chain of crises has mauled the people very badly. The mismanagement of the affairs of the State by a string of leaders proved their inadequacy or even worthlessness. The hostile quarters have developed a vision of our doom. Our friends also see the downward trend of the failing state. The pristine glory of Islam did not visit us and our claim on Islam has become a mockery by itself. The Ummah is divided. The elite class enamoured by the West is pursuing path of pleasure and personal prosperity as opposed to making the life worthy and meaningful. We have endured many tornadoes yet the people of Pakistan have not lost hope and faith in their destiny. We are faced with imminent assault on our sovereignty. We are being fixed for destruction. We have been measured for a definite treatment. Those who called us an ally and friend treated us with unlimited mischief behind every move: the drips given were filled with slow poison.

We must not be shy of calling the camouflage any more. The adversities should help us wake up. Adjusting the affairs and politics in view of the ground realities is quite different from helplessly accepting the suicide. Given the will there is no question of this nation going under.

If we get the vital events of the distant as well as the near past on the screen, we should get seriously concerned with the situation: ground slipping under our feet: The American wizards working for Kashmir Study Group, in one out of twelve recommendations had required, “India and Pakistan must develop a joint security arrangement along LoC - Pakistan must ensure stoppage of infiltration to get India out of difficult position”. Very silly it looked, but it was placed formally in the final report which was widely circulated in November 1997.

Following the Kargil episode, the sanctity of LoC was imposed only on Pakistan by the US President while personally conducting the show. The US President had also, during his visit to India and Pakistan in March 2000, warned Pakistan that the “borders are not changed by blood”. (Sikhs killed in Kashmir). So, for Mr Clinton LoC meant the border!

Albright in her letter to the Foreign Minister indicated the possibility of relaxation in financial problems, if Pakistan would abide by three requirements: CTBT (in fact giving up nuclear status) rein-in the Jehadis and stop transborder terrorism”. Here again the LoC is treated as the border: a nasty stance boldly adopted in favour of India.

The Foreign Minister was almost cornered about the alleged infiltration going on. He defended by saying that India had more troops to stop, if any infiltrators are caught, we will try them. He did not raise the serious situation created by India’s state terrorism — decimating the local population and destroying property in Kashmir.

Pakistan has never demanded presence of Red Cross to stop genocide in Kashmir which in fact is a coordinated and planned conspiracy by US, UK, the West, Israel and even the UNO in support of Indian operations against the people of Kashmir.

Knowing very well how Simla Accord had barred UN and our initiative concerning Kashmir yet Pakistan accepted every time the terms of Simla Accord and Lahore declaration which infact is a repetition of Simla Accord. Incidentally, the Foreign Minister in chair now, had performed as the Secretary at Simla. He advocates that Simla Accord was the best which could be achieved under the adverse circumstances. The Simla Accord and the LoC arrangement allowed India to neutralise UN, UN Military Observers Group in Kashmir and diluted the dispute. Since then India treated Kashmir problem according to her will.

The Foreign Minister has loudly accepted the compliance of the Washington Accord of 4 July which had imposed sanctity of LoC only on Pakistan despite Indian violations of LoC in the same area.We are in twilight zone — the minister of Interior said publicly that Pakistan will be a modern secular state. It was followed by the CE saying twice in the same breath that Pakistan will be a modern Islamic state ... disharmony on the most fundamental article of the constitution means disorientation at highest level or discordant notes played badly carrying serious consequences.

We are being dragged into Taliban’s sphere and linked with Osama’s tangle. It is clear and certain that America is determined to pressurise Pakistan to put India in better position to deal with Pakistan. India may play a vital role in operation against Taliban and Osama ... another terrible storm in the North which has direct bearing on Pakistan.

We have paid no attention towards much needed national integration — a yawning gap in national cohesion. The enemy knows that we are not one solid nation: actually this is our very serious weakness. Our TV devotes time to drama serials occupying most of the time, enriched by love making dialogues by youth groups and thrilling music. There is no effort towards welding the nation together.Devolution plan — when Sipah-e-Sahaba, Sipah-e- Muhammad, Jie Sindh, MQM and Awans etc create challenging pockets here and there, the problems of law and order will get out of hand as it happened recently when Awans drove Pathans out of villages near Chakri. It was only a beginning of conflict of ethnic groups. In fact Sipah-e-Sahba has already declared that better days are coming ahead (Press).

The democracy does not grow out of uneducated and ignorant people bound by many local ties. We will be faced with serious challenges here and there may be everywhere. The devolution plan may turn into demolition process. Presently there was no need to create a new political system — section 62 and 63 should have been applied squarely to get rid of scoundrels from the halls of dignity.

Some visionaries in America calculated (recently staged study) that we may be extinct in next twenty-five years ... did it jolt the people here to any realisation of threat or did we treat it as a joke?

The dreamland and haven of the Muslims of the subcontinent is under attack from many directions ... BJP’s manifesto is clear. The West has nothing against it when they are themselves set against Islam.

The narrators of history prove that the Muslims have the propensity to remain at odds even within Islamic circles as well as with others (clash of civilisation). Islam is being presented as a threat to others hence the process set in gear to do the needful sooner than later. OIC session at Doha identified the weaknesses of the Muslim countries individually and collectively.

American return service to Pakistan is a model of treacherous friendship. Pakistan served American interests very well by joining defence pacts against the Red Powers, provided base for over-flight surveillance of Russia by USA, flying Kissinger over Karakurams to China at midnight to build bridge with that country — all these earned Russia’s open hostility leading to Russian help to India to breakup Pakistan in 1971, US watching uninvolved. Being an ally Pakistan depended on US for defence requirements.. America closed the tap (1965 - 1971 wars) as US was not committed to security of Pakistan — our enemy was America friend. US also helped India by holding back Pakistan from taking Kashmir when China had inflicted a most humiliating defeat on India when “there was fear in the air and Nehru could not speak” (Galbraith).

The best chapter of history was Pakistan’s serving as an anvil to breakup the Communist monster: Soviet Russia — climax was the specific embargoes to defang Pakistan of nuclear capability against Indian nuclear high tide status. Holding back the paid for stores was unethical and the worst — the payments made were also retained by America for years.

What is our concept and terms of settlement of Kashmir outside UN forum — no one knows. US is set on turning LoC in favour of India. AK will be threatened for clearance by force or Pakistan asked to accept LoC as the border. We have already blundered by naming Northern Areas (disputed area) as Pakistan, therefore, we have no right to demand plebiscite in the disputed area. Our own doings! Not a far fetched lurking possibility: there may be an agreement on tripartite negotiations — even then Pakistan must be on the alert. India is determined to get Pakistan out of the show, if India gets an agreement of Kashmiris on autonomous or super autonomous status, which is on cards, India will be quite satisfied to keep proviso of legal linkage with Kashmir. I fear six out of seven members of APHC are most likely to accept it.

Indian Cease-fire: Hizbul Mujahideen declared unilateral cease-fire (24 July 2000); unconditional! India has taken four months to make an offer without relaxing on genocide of Kashmiris. Our acceptance of Indian gesture in good faith follows Indian policy of keeping Pakistan out of negotiations and India’s insistence on talking only to Kashmiri Militants of “Indian origin”.

Indian cease-fire and the guns going silent along LoC does not include relief to Kashmiris. Indian cease-fire for world’s consumption aims at splitting Mujahideen and APHC, to create irritations and disappointment of Kashmiris against Pakistan for not protecting them but talking to India: and to put Pakistan in adverse light when the militancy does not go down. If the movement loses the tempo, it will not regain the momentum. India surely wants to achieve multiple advantages with guaranteed support of USA.

Having supported UN Resolutions on Kashmir, US calls those outdated only to support India to kill or drive out Kashmiris from their homes. What a finale to an alliance!!! Pakistan has to live with honour — let us not suffer the embrace only to lose the identity and the sovereignty.

The political moorings were not fully established in our country. The activities in this field meant that the authority and power were used as a facility to plunder the State. Without inspiring personalities nations have not survived and flourished. Out of 14 crores we have no heroes — a miserable situation. Those who are honest and worthy are not willing to fight even for the survival of the country.

We must now see the American role in proper perspective. America will surely put India in more advantageous position towards settlement of Kashmir problem.

This development will be a certain threat to the security and position of Pakistan. Any settlement in Kashmir engineered by USA will mean a creeping nuisance and a checkmate aimed at China. Our loss or damage will be of and immediate nature.

Since we have not been masters of our situation, being in a state of dependency both physical and psychological and almost without powerful friends, we must act to survive on our own by arranging our survival kit.Against the gathering of imminent storms there is an emergent need at national level for the awareness and realisation of consequences.


This article was published in Friday, January 05, 2001 edition of The Pakistan Observer. I found this article interesting in the sense that it clearly shows the unrest in the Miliatary personnel of Pakistan with the ongoing peace process in Kashmir, India and West nexus.