Rawalpindi attack - what next?
Defeat, Disgrace and Dictatorship are inevitable companions of the Pakistan Army despite its possession of a few nuclear crackers. The 24 hour-long, not unexpected, Mumbai-style hostage taking suicidal attack by the Islamist militants inside Pakistan's political and Military Headquarters (GHQ) at Rawalpindi once again exposed the myth of the Pakistan Army, the capability of Pakistani Talibans and grave concerns over Pakistan's nuclear arsenals. Shock, fear and panic gripped the whole country. No one, no place in Pakistan is safe from the militants now. In fact in the last 2/3 years, on several occasions the militants attacked the GHQ, all big cantonments, Air force and Navy Headquarters (HQ) and bases, commando, paramilitary and police HQs and barracks and killed/injured a number of generals and ministers including Benazir Bhutto. The Pakistan Army is the architect as well as the victim of the Islamist militancy. About three decades ago, Pakistan, USA and oil-rich Wahabi Arab states had taken the Afghanistan 'jihad project' as a cost-effective way to fight against the Communist Russian invaders. The jihadis ('mujahidins') were recruited from all Afghan ethnic groups and youths from Muslim countries including Bangladesh. After the Soviet pull-out and US disappearance, strategic and ideological planners of the Pakistan Army created a number of militant organizations for different purposes: Taliban was originally created from Afghan Pashtuns (Pathans) refugee students in Pakistan madrasas for the strategic purpose of controlling Afghanistan and central Asia; several Kashmiri militant groups were created mainly for the territorial-strategic purpose against India; violent militant gangs in Pakistan's Punjab (and Baluchistan) province were raised mainly to terrorize other sects (non-Sunni), non-Muslims and Shiite Iran. Some gangs in Sindh and Baluchistan provinces were created to tackle the nationalist and democratic forces. Talibans were portrayed as Islamic Robin Hood (heroic defenders of Islam and the only hope for the poor). As Plato said, “What is honoured in a country is cultivated there” a recent survey showed that about 60% Pakistani still see Afghan Talibans as heroes. All these plan and propaganda worked nicely until the 9/11 (2001) when the Pakistan Army 'reluctantly' sided with US against the Taliban government in Afghanistan. Introduction of modern education to Pashtun tribes by the British brought relative stability in that region and produced Pashtuns like Gaffar Khan, actor Dilip Kumar (Yusuf Khan) and cricketer Imran Khan. Indoctrination of Wahabi ideology in the same Sufi-mystic Pashtun society in the last three decades by the Pakistani military planners increased intra-tribal bloodshed, brought international warfare and produced extremists like Mullah Omar and Baitullah Mehsud. Common Pashtuns both in Pakistan and Afghanistan side - are terrorised and are suffering (over 3 millions became refugees during the recent Pakistan military operation in Swat area). During 'mullah-military' friendship years, the Pakistan Army, civil society and the militant groups had transformed completely. Islamabad is probably the only capital in the world without a cinema hall for the last 7/8 years (a major demand of the militants). Also, the Army falls into its own propaganda trap an alarming percentage of officer cadres came under radical influences. Despite about 6000-7000 troop deaths in last few years, there are strong evidences that elements inside the Pakistan Army are helping certain militant groups. While there is strong debate whether 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner US President Barack Obama can resolve the Arab-Israel conflict, he and other world powers should immediately bring the Pakistan's nuclear stockpiles and infrastructures under safe UN control and save the world before they are handed over to the militants.
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