Rawalpindi attack - what next?
We thank Mr. M.Emad for this thoughtful and thought provoking letter with the above heading on 19t October. I would like to add to that subject as to the nature, interference of Pakistan army of the past and present.
We are ashamed of the fact that we were part of a peculiar country named Pakistan. Pakistan was born out of intrigue, myopia of many Hindu leaders of the then Congress ( they conspired to oust 'Netaji'- why a Bengali babu ! and later on overruled Gandhi), and brilliance, fatigue and impending death of an extremely secular ( more of a Parsee than a Muslim) Barrister named MA Jinnah.
The first blow on Pakistan came on 11th September 1948 on the death of MA Jinnah and the second and semi- final one in October 1951 with the assassination of Prime Minister Liakat Ali Khan. His assassin was killed on the spot by another group of killers. It was reportedly widely believed that he was killed by the feudal land lord coterie as Liakat Ali Khan wanted massive land reforms. Pakistan Army agents were believed to be involved in his assassination. Pakistan Army started meddling in the state affairs since 1951! Gen Ayub Khan became the first native chief of Pakistan Army. He hailed from Hazara district in the border of Punjab and NWFP. He was a Punjabi-Pathan whose mother tongue was Hindko, not Pashtoo. He played the Punjabi card as well as the Pathan card as the situation warranted.
We were made to believe in the sixties and seventies (even later on) by massive propaganda campaign that Pakistan army is unbeatable, invincible and 'one Muslim Pakistani army man is equal to ten Hindu Indian soldiers'! The Indian army has many Muslim units like JK Rifles etc. while pre-liberation Pakistan army had only four Hindu officers- three AMC and one combat.
Most of the officer corps of Pakistan army was and still is drawn from the Punjabi feudal, semi-feudal gentry etc. An East Punjab born, butcher of the 'Jordanian Palestinians', Gen.Ziaul Huq inflicted the final blow to Pakistan by aligning with the oil rich 'Wahabi' Arab states. He along with the US created the monster called 'Taliban' to fight the Soviet and Afghan infidels. Now, the monster is threatening the very existence of Pakistan and also rendering the whole world an unsafe place to live in, to do business, prosper and thrive.
Ironically, now it has become imperative on Pakistan army and the US to destroy the 'thousand headed hydra' named Taliban and its off-shoots. In short, Waziristan has to be completely cleansed. This is a tough job and may require many years.
We wish the Pakistan Army-USA forces good luck and demand that they render 'the area' and hence the whole world safe, peaceful, happy and prosperous. And also never repeat such misadventures.
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