Hats off to the Sons of Soil!

Youm-e-Shuhada is a day to remember the brave and courageous souls which departed for us. It’s a day to acknowledge the sacrifices of those soldiers who defended their country at their best and offered their lives for this cause. Soldiers, whose primary objective always remain to defend their land with passion and belief. They are the symbol of sacrifice and nation pride. On 30th of April, Forces and Nation address this day in respect to those soldiers, who laid their lives for protecting their motherland. Speakers and writers come forward to pay tribute to these national heroes. Here one should not forget the sizeable number of dear and near ones of the martyrs who suffers from immense mentally trauma after loosing their loved ones.

Focus of Pakistan Army always remained on governing and serving Pakistan. Nation salutes these martyrs because we feel proud to have such fighting tigers, who always step forward to fight with enemies. We owe a debt to these great souls, who served the nation well, who hugged death for the good of Pakistan. They will be always in the heart of this nation. These are our heroes. They instigate sense of security and hope. They are the mark of our self-esteem. They put their lives on a line to make us safe.

Our Army is the largest military branch in the country. It has the status of being powerful, experienced, and professional army. Pakistan Army with an active force of 619,000 personnel and 528,000 personnel in reserve makes Pakistan a seventh largest military force in the world. Pakistan Army jawaans are serving this land since 1947. The main responsibilities of the army are to protect the borders, security of administrative areas, and defending the national interests of Pakistan. They have been involved in four wars. But beside these responsibilities Pakistan Army played an important role in war on terrorism. A large number of soldiers are deployed on different places for the military operation against militants. The lives given by hundreds of young officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army in fighting militant outfits during Operation Rah-e-Rast and Rah-e-Nijaat should be acknowledged globally. Approximately around 2,400 personnel lost their lives and another 6,500 were wounded in 2009-2010. In comparison, US/NATO forces in the region combined had a casualty figure of approximately 1,600. This just goes to show that the price paid by the Pakistani nation in pursuit of elimination of terrorist elements has been very high. The Operation of Bajaur is a great success story by security forces. Over 1600 militants were killed in the operation including some important commanders and foreigners while 86 security forces personnel also embraced shahadat for restoring peace in this area. In addition to its role on the War on Terror, Pakistan Army is also responsible of contributing towards the United Nations peacekeeping efforts. Pakistan Army recently grabbed the title of being the largest active force in the peacekeeping efforts by the United Nations. Many soldiers embrace shahadat in these peacekeeping missions. We honor all these martyrs who offered their last breath to protect our nation day and night from the terrorists and other anti-Pakistani national interests. It is also the time to give tribute to the soldiers of Siachen. They deserve immense admiration as they are silently sacrificing their today for ours tomorrow since last twenty-eight years. We daily talk about the fatalities of drones’ attacks and bomb battering, we promenade against Nato supply but before this incident we never spoke about the martyrs and affectees of Siachen. These 139 soldiers ensured the safety and security of Pakistan’s borders; they are the redeemer of Pakistan’s honor and dignity. These are our real heroes, the silent saviors of this land.

People will always love their soldiers who are fighting this war on frontline and this reality will not change. It doesn’t matter how the world injected hatred in them. The martyrs of Pakistan Army need to acknowledged and respected for many years to come. They have sacrificed the most precious thing for our safety. The nations, who do not acknowledge their true heroes, live a purposeless life. We salute our Army for having such soldiers who can risk everything for the safety of this country and its people.

In short, Pakistan Armed Forces role in establishing the peace and saving motherland will certainly be remember as tremendous character of future Pakistan History. Pakistan has played a brilliant role in the war against terrorism while its sacrifices and services are hard to be undermined. The role of Pakistan Army deserves to be acclaimed nationally and internationally, it has always played a significance role in countering militancy and extremism. People always love these warriors who fight for their country instead of politicians who run their country, because we will always find Jinnah’s photo in a meeting of military officials and our national flag in our hands while in a battle field. Conversely as politicians are concern, we will always see their own party leader’s photos in their meetings and their party flags in their public gathering. Our soldiers are our heroes to inspire, they are more than celebrities. They achieve something which our young admirers can relate.

Salute to these martyrs who when surrounded by enemy, with bullets and rockets hurling past their ears are asked by their commanders that “This is the moment we were made for, this is the day we were trained for, this is the day our mothers fed us for and this is the moment our fathers prayed for glory! I cannot force you to embrace death, which seems inevitable in this situation, so I beg for your advice. We all have to die, if somehow He wishes to give us some more time, we might end up dying on beds, but we all used to shout back in our training days – Live like Ali, Die like Hussein. So do you want to live like Hazrat Ali Sher-e-Khuda and die like Hazrat Imam Hussein?” The soldiers without any slightest of utters stood up, say “Nayar-e-Haidri ” – ” Ya Ali ” amongst the sound of bullets and pointed their guns towards enemies. Even after watching their jawaans wounded and martyred they never retrieve and always move forward in the rain of bullets without any fear. Hats off to these brave sons of soil, who in the valleys of fire, in the thunder of bombs, they just do not stop. Knowing that they are surrounded by death, knowing that they could leave their wives widows and children orphans, They just keep on moving because something is pumping in their hearts and flowing through their veins known as honor, devotion and motivation, ‘Death over surrender’- ‘Death before Disgrace’. All these martyrs were sons, brothers, husbands and fathers, but foremost they were soldiers and proudly upheld the obligation to global cause and national ideology for peace above and beyond personal responsibilities and relationships.

We salute their courage. It is obvious that their spirits are very high. Their sacrifice of for this nation will never be forgotten by the people of Pakistan. Despite of all the negativity and issues in Pakistan, these brave men give us hope and give us inspiration that if these sons of soil are ready to die for their motherland then no doubt we have an army of 16 crore willing to die for the Green Flag! 

Maimuna Ashraf

How difficult was it at Giyari!

A write-up for the April 30 Yaum-e-Shuhada edition

Giyari last year was caught unaware and hit in pre-dawn timings by a crumbling mountainside of huge ice slabs several meters thick. This frozen waste also brought along with it gigantic boulders weighing tons which were floating, rolling and gathering speed in powdery snow. Inaccessible, highly varied terrain did not leave scope for accurate forecasting. Finally, the snowy disaster exacted its price from the loyal, brave guardians of our frontiers. The tragedy that hit Giyari was the work of a snow slide of a scale that easily qualified as the most extreme case both according to the US as well as European standards.

The breadth of the avalanche was over a kilometer, the valley is about one kilometer wide and the height of the accumulated snow varied from 25 to 65 meters. This makes 40 million cubic meters of snow. It would total up to slightly less than half a billion cubic feet of accumulated snow and debris. The problem with this U-shaped, disaster-struck valley was that the excavated snow could only be dumped downstream. Summarily, clearing the entire area before the then approaching winter was a physical impossibility. Since the entire mass of snow could not be shifted, digging was confined to selected areas. This was possible through vertical shafts or, tunnels in the vertical plane or on an incline.  The selection of digging sites had to be done based on intimate knowledge of the layout of the camp as well as satellite photography. Fortunately, all possible means were employed for making sound decisions.

The problem of digging out of bodies was compounded by the fact that slab avalanches have tremendous speeds.  Scientists have recorded speeds up to 250 miles per hour. In face of such a powerful natural phenomenon, personnel and equipment must have been dislocated like pieces of straw.  It was logically concluded that due to such unpredictable displacements, bodies might not be found at the projected sites. Despite these problems and after the efforts of more than one year most of the bodies of shaheed soldiers have been recovered.

It was also worth analysis as to what happened to machinery at such a high altitude. Giyari is located at over 13,000 feet above sea level. At that altitude, the air becomes thin and barometric pressure falls to half. As is well known, diesel engines generally have a compression ratio of around 1 to 16. In view of the physical change, the output of the engines drops dramatically and machines lose power. In high altitude areas of advanced countries, engines have been suitably modified to induct air through compressors to ensure that air pressure is maintained at one barometer. Inadequacy of such equipment had also curtailed speedy progress of the rescue operation.

In addition to problems related to equipment, the snow deposited by the avalanche itself was undergoing change. The snow, ice and rocks that had accumulated in the valley covered the termination point of the glacier. Accumulated snow was also getting converted into a glacier. This implied that packed snow would become rock hard and machinery would not be able to effectively operate in the area.  It also implied that all the activities that took place in a glacier would also occur in that snow bed like formation of crevices and glacial movement towards the snout, which was the end of the glacier.

Giyari’s high altitude rescue operation was being conducted in an extremely hostile environment. Due to lack of oxygen, personnel easily got out of breath and were exhausted within minutes. It was also very difficult for soldiers to use their personal tools and equipment because of extremely cold weather. Due to extremes of environment, the human brain’s concentration and coordination between mind and body was reduced.  Men could also get, and many did get, frost bite due to exposure to cold temperatures.  Men also had to wear dark goggles to protect themselves from ultra violet rays that could cause snow blindness at that height.

Besides foregoing problems, there were generally medical complications leading to loss of appetite as human blood becomes thicker due to addition of red blood corpuscles as a result of the body reaction to make up for oxygen deficiency. Diseases related to oxygen starvation could also occur, and it did occur. In addition, over exertion could lead to a deadly disease called edema. In this case, the patient has to be evacuated to a lower altitude. If that is not done, the patient can lose his life. Alternately, edema can inflict irreversible damage to the patient’s body or brain. In high altitude conditions, human heart palpitation can also rise dramatically and there can even be cardiac arrests. All these elements had factored in the Giyari recovery efforts.

Throughout the year, all through day and night, personnel, dogs, detection equipment, excavation equipment and dumpers were working to their limits. Ironically, at such high altitudes, many of the daily results were sometime reversible. Excavated pits continuously filled by powdery snow during blizzards. Similarly, the recurring freezing and melting process continuously hardened the snow brought down by the avalanche.

Dawn to dusk, soldiers kept working non-stop to retrieve the bodies of their comrades-in-uniform. All these efforts continued much after the extinction for the faintest ray of hope that any of the victims was alive. Human lives were lost in avalanches primarily due to injuries, asphyxiation and low temperatures. The glaciated graveyard of Gyari was certainly unique. Amongst those mosses and lichens were buried the proud sons of our soil who dared awesome natural phenomena in the line of duty by sacrificing their lives.

In the lower reaches of Giyari valley, some bushes have now started sprouting and budding.  Nowadays, there is a fine fragrance in the air. In the late spring that characterizes the area, wild roses have begun to blossom. These are the famous roses for which Siachen has been named. The wild, pink roses look beautiful from a distance and their fragrance is intoxicating. Despite their allure, they grow on thorny bushes and cannot be easily picked. Those roses signify the ambiance of our shuhada (martyrs) as also the determination that they are not an easy target for the enemy. They can only be appreciated from a distance but cannot adorn decadent lawns.

This fiercely independent bush only grows and flourishes on the fringes of Karakorum’s glaciers. Its thorns deter alien intrusion aimed at picking the flowers and attempts to do so will result in bloodied fingers. This is the message for all those harbouring ill intentions against Pakistan. Those gallant soldiers laid down their lives defending the frontiers of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. As we have observed Yaum-e-Shuhada on April 30, let us pledge and prove it through our words and deeds that we honour and cherish the ideals and honest commitment of our shuhada and ensure that our green flag with the proud crescent and star is always flying high.

Rehman Bilal & Fawad Ashraf

“WHAT MORE CAN A SOLDIER DESIRE?”

Book Review

“WHAT MORE CAN A SOLDIER DESIRE?”

(A tribute to Maj Shabir Sharif Shaheed, SJ and NH) – by Col (retd) Azam Qadri

Reviewed by Faryal Ashraf

The book “What More Can a Soldier Desire” that was recently launched by General Ashfaq Parvez in the Army Auditorium, Rawalpindi, written by one of his closest friends, Col (retd) Azam Qadri, pays tributes to the soldiers of our army and particularly eulogizes the bravery of Major Shabir Sharif (Shaheedf, Nishan-e-Haider, Pakistan’s highest decorated officer.

Based on his letters to the author as well as information gathered from various sources the book contains wealth of details of Major Shabir Sharif’s valour and about his life in general. The uniqueness about his performance during 1965 and 1971 is that in both the wars, he was severely wounded; bullets were lodged in his body but he refused to receive medical aid while he was engaged in fighting. His valour was also recognized by the Indian army as well. He was an officer who had the honour of having won the coveted “Sword of Honour” at the Pakistan Military Academy and also had been decorated for bravery with Sitara-e-Jurrat and Nishan-e-Haider.

In the Pakistan-India War of 1965 he attacked an Indian gun position and knocked it out. He later got an Indian three ton truck, put a captured Indian Artillery gun behind that and evacuated his wounded comrades and captured Indian troops, after the battle of “Throti” that features in Chambb-Jaurian Sector, back to his positions. He did all that with a bullet-wounded arm. Much later he was hospitalised in CMH Kharian from where he escaped as the bullet was removed from his arm, to rejoin his battalion back in action.

In the War of 1971, he led his Company against a formidable Indian position, based on a water obstacle system with a high bund that the Indians prided in being impregnable. This obstacle system was replicated on the lines of famous Mussolini defence system, adopted by Gen Mussolini during the World War II. What is more remarkable is that he took the brunt of Indian might and held these positions against numerous counterattacks that were supported by tanks, artillery and air against heavy odds. He embraced Shahadat after his body was riddled with cuts, bruises and bullets. A night before embracing Shahadat, he had killed an Indian Major in a one-on-one duel, (Major Narain Singh, who was in turn decorated with India’s highest award for valour). He finally fell to an Indian tank shell, while engaging advancing Indian tanks, confirming frailty of the human body but his spirit had achieved immortality. As the Qur’an says: “Call not those who have given their lives in the way of

Allah as dead; they are living but ye perceive it not” (Surah al-Baqarah: ayat 154). 

He had strong belief and faith in Allah, as is evident from all his letters that he wrote and mentioned by his comrades. It is difficult to describe Shabir’s personality in a few terse sentences because his was a larger than life image in all respects. There are few parallels to his heroic deeds on the battlefield. Officers like Major Shabir are born leaders and exceptional human beings. He was truly a “Born Warrior”. He was in the prime of his life, just 28 years old at the time he embraced Shahadat, but what a life he lived in these 28 years? As Marcel Proust said “Do not wait for life, do not long for it. Be aware, always and at every moment that the miracle is in the here and now.” For the students of military history and those who have been reading about the great Captains of War from the west or east, here is a shining example of one, right from our very own soil and our beloved country who can rightly make us all proud and is perhaps the greatest of them all. He reveled in life that was nothing but the best, exceptional and most exemplary. As a child he excelled as an all rounder, being top in academics as well as sports. Shabir has left behind an “unparalleled legacy”, a very high benchmark of professionalism and heroism for our future generations to emulate from. The author has tried to portray some of these actions while at the same time brought to fore, his sterling qualities of “head and heart” especially for our young leaders of today and those aspiring to take up soldiering as a profession.

Shabir was perhaps among the finest of them all.  The author requests the sons of soil and those serving the Pakistan Army to follow in the footsteps of Major Shabir Sharif like men of immortality while safeguarding the country.  “The army stood by the nation, withstood all challenges - external or internal – with only one mission in mind and that is “to protect our motherland at the peril of his life.” It is this great Army that ensures that our nation gets to sleep comfortably at night while they keep a vigil round the clock.  That goes for all the three services “Air Force, Army and Navy”. It is great soldiers like Shabir, who have shown what this nation means to the “Man in uniform”.

This book is a must read by all Pakistanis especially the younger lot and men in uniform. 

The challenges that await the next government

The first ever political government completes its much trumpeted five years and the political parties are preparing for next general elections scheduled on May 11, 2013. During these five years, the ruling coalition had complete freedom to make policies and run the government. Yet, their achievements remain mundane at best. Most of the legislations that were hurriedly passed by the elected representatives were aimed at bolstering political image rather than creating lasting impact on the well being of Pakistani people. Similarly, various development works and schemes, barring a few, essentially focused on drawing political mileage. No sincere efforts were made at the national level to address the grave challenges faced by the country and alleviate the misery of common man. A review would be essential to highlight challenges that the next government would inherit.

 

The recent terrorist attack on the Shia community in the Abbas town, Karachi, has again reminded us of the painful agony that the innocent people of Pakistan continue to face. It is continuation of the recent spate of anti-state terrorist activities to further the gulf in the society by instigating Shia-Sunni divide. The ongoing killing of the Hazaras in Balochistan and the targeting of Shia population in Karachi is a case in point. As if this suffering wasn’t enough, burning down the houses of Christian community in Lahore compounded the misery and sense of insecurity amongst religious minorities. There has been no letup in the targeted killings and lawlessness in Karachi and Balochistan. Since the time we decided to side with America’s (Global War on Terror) over the last decade, the country has been gripped by violence unleashed by terrorists which has been cashed by the criminal elements. Despite the resilient and brave fight by the Pakistan Army deployed in FATA and Waziristan, especially the major reversal in Swat, the terrorists continue to operate and target with virtual impunity in major cities.

 

The unabated wave of terrorism has further dented the already damaged societal fiber of social harmony on religious and ethnic lines. While there may be foreign influences involved in these perpetual acts of terrorism, acute poverty, illiteracy and a general sense of insecurity add to the deterioration matrix. Resultantly, Pakistan is being portrayed as a lawless country which is a safe haven for terrorists. Understanding the gravity of the situation is most vividly needed. Preserving our unity is a major task to successfully navigate through this quagmire. While our ancestors got us independence against heavy odds, we are morally bound to preserve our ideology, sovereignty and national integrity. It seems that a scripted narrative is at play to weaken the very foundations on which Pakistan stands. On the other hand, opportunists amongst our leaders are embroiled in their competition for power and influence. The state has thus been at the mercy of individuals, whose only objective is to cling to power, whatever it takes. The deepening differences among the provinces and sub nationalities tend to decimate our notion of nationhood. The viciousness of the situation has divided and scarred our people. One cannot help recalling the dismemberment of Pakistan’s eastern wing in 1971 that caused a serious blow to our integrity. While because of our nuclear capability a full-scale conventional war would be inherently risky, sub-conventional warfare is being perpetrated by our adversaries. We must express and sustain our resolve – never again.

 

To implement such a resolve, the absence of a true and visionary leadership remains a vital challenge. We are besieged with plethora of complex challenges that starkly stare us in the face. Successive martial laws that put military dictators in power, have failed badly. Besides highly fragile economy, major challenges include an acute disunity as a nation, confusion of identity, sectarian disharmony and a huge ethnic divide that cuts across the nation. Due to colossal mismanagement of economy, rampant corruption, exorbitant increase in proportion of foreign loans, huge debt servicing, shortage of electricity and gas etc have made the country vulnerable to further manipulation by foreign powers and international financial institutions. To add to the complexity, the dysfunctional institutions heralded by politicized or disillusioned bureaucracy, less than perfect judiciary, rampant corruption and incompetence of our leaders impedes formulation of just and fair national policies, judicious allocation of resources and above all the implementation snags.

  

Despite our large natural reserves of gas, copper and coal, huge human resource, vast coastline, weather, diversity in terrain and an advantageous geostrategic location, we have never fully capitalized on our advantages. We must learn to stand on our own and capitalize upon our strengths, before the windows of opportunity start to close. This nation and its armed forces have weathered many calamites. Only a resilient nation can survive what we have passed through the last few years. The prevailing situation merits very serious endeavors for developing cohesion within the country and to put it on the path of prosperity.

 

A number of steps can be taken to achieve these objectives. We should hold the resolve that led to the creation of Pakistan. We must endure this tough test of time with strong will and determination. We direly need sincere leadership chances of which are bleak at best. But it has rightly been said that “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”, our choices will make the difference. We must vote for change because drawing room talks and criticism will not change anything. The political and military leaders must jointly evolve a comprehensive strategy to counter the menace of terrorism and religious intolerance in the society. The political leadership should endeavor to embed our ethnic and linguistic identities of Punjabi, Pakhtun, Sindhi, Muhajirs or Balochi merge under a national banner. Print and electronic media can be used as effective tools for promoting the national harmony. Recalibration of foreign policy with the US, India and Afghanistan will be an important undertaking for the next government. Post-May 2013 elections, huge challenges await the next government. Pakistani people have placed very high hopes in the future leaders.

 

(The writer is a Ph.D candidate at Quaid-i-Azam University. She can be reached at ayesharana1972@hotmail.com)

Willing suspension of disbelief

Think of Waziristan___ military, bloodshed, IEDs, guns roaring all around and all sorts of blood raining events flashes in one’s mind. Clinking of guns and muskets occupies one’s mind when he thinks of Waziristan. All this comes in mind due to the knowledge which you get from newspapers, TV anchors and gossips.  

Two days back I got an opportunity to visit South Waziristan. The idea of visiting Waziristan was rejected by my friends and family due to obvious perception about Waziristan. It was considered to be the most dangerous place where only the guns and bullets are dancing and death is visible everywhere; however this entire thought vanished when I reached there physically. This changed my entire thought which I had in my mind since 2004. In news papers and on TV, I only heard news about slaughtering and killing but I did not see anything like this in South Waziristan Agency.  I met locals there they all are peaceful and want the continuation of peace in their area which is now prevalent there.

I saw kids waving hands to army vehicles and gather around soldiers shaking hands with them. They are very happy over the works which Army initiated in their area. Elders tell army about their problems, this shows their trust on army as they consider army their savior. Locals of SWA were deprived of education and all the basic necessities of life. Due to which they were easily misguided by rogue elements. Now schools have been rehabilitated and children are taking classes as kids go to schools in other parts of Pakistan.  I saw a girls’ school in Kotkai which is ready to educate the girls of area. The principal told me that session of classes is about to start and people of area have shown him their keenness to send their girls to schools.  Army has constructed a Cadet college in Spinkai where students are studying and willing to serve the country as other professionals are doing. Apart from this Army distributes books and other literary readable to the children of area. Free medical camps are also held occasionally by Army.

One of the most notable things is that the people there are very talented. Army constructed a football stitching center in Chakmalai. Army Commanders brought football stitching instructors from Sialkot who trained the locals of area the stitching of football. When the boys of the area stitched the footballs there, these proved to be the footballs of international standards which can be exported in all over the world with the stamp of “made in Waziristan” so the world could know that Waziristan is peaceful area with a unique potential. I came to know that locals of Waziristan are so fond of football that they used to play football in pre-partition era and even now there are two competent football teams which held tournaments in the area and a huge number of people come to see this healthy activity. Keeping their athletic spirit Army made cricket gourds and other playing fields in the area which are now filled with sportsmen of Waziristan. So the battle fields of death have turned into the grounds of life.

Since people had no opportunity to get education and find the ways of livelihood so army made an entire sections of rehabilitations which meets people, who are jobless, conduct their consultancy and schooling to make them earning members of their families. Some people have been suggested that they should cultivate their fields and others to focus on their cattle. Many families after cultivations earn profit and many benefitted from farming. Army helps them buy cows and goats of good quality from Punjab and other parts of KP, to start business of livestock. Now people are engaged in hard work and earning, they have threw their weapons aside. They want to earn and get education. This gave trust and sense of security to IDPs who were reluctant to come back in the area. Now they have started returning to their areas. In the same way poultry farms and honey production has been started in the areas. After the laboratory test the honey produced in SWA proved to the purest form of honey. Which can be exported in the other areas of Pakistan with the stamp of “Waziristan Honey”.  Now people are working in these livelihoods trying to make these lasting in their lives.

Lastly Army is training suspected militants in rehabilitation center at Tank, these suspects were involved in assisting hardcore militants but they were not involved in any bloodshed or any heinous crime. Many of them are educated; even I met an electrical engineer there. They are being taught the real face of Islam which is peace; other professional training is also being given to them according to their interests to make them the healthy members of society. It’s all due to Army and its efforts.

After this visit to SWA my fear by and by suspended and my disbelief that there are only guns and blasts in Waziristan changed in to belief that if they are guided in right directions which Army is doing the FATA can again become the most peaceful area as it was in pre-2000 era. 

Raja Waheed Ashraf

Difference between Justice and Revenge

Cicero the father of jurisprudence in 54BC had said that law is based on nature not opinion. For the principles of law and the accentuation of it he even gave his life, was offered high pedestals but he refused all.

He did two things; one converted the Roman Empire into a legitimate entity through the application of law of nature and secondly transformed the brute legal fraternity to a cultured body.

Augustus, who had acquiesced in Cicero’s murder, once, found his grandson reading Cicero’s book, the child got frightened on committing the high crime of his times, but Augustus in deep voice and glossy eyes told the young lad “That was a master of words, my boy. A master of words and a lover of his country”.

Who is becoming who here, a dictator who is behaving law abiding or a judicial system based on dictatorial tinges. A common man who is being miss treated by the absence of timely legal dispensation are now being subjected to physical violence by lawyers.

The recent events at Lahore and Rawalpindi are enough to vindicate this. Lawyer, lawyer is liar; liar can be heard as the simmering resentments of a common man. Honorable Chief justice of Pakistan who is commonly known in legal fraternity as chief sahib has said that over 1.6million cases are pending in the courts.

It is indicative that the focus is on hearing fame gathering political cases rather than absolving a common man from the agony of going to courts for years to settle minor issues and in the process bear some form of violence from lawyers.

This country is lacking legal reforms at grass root levels , no government has ever tried to implement any in what so ever form, for reforms one require will and good intentions rest of the things are mere excuses to evade the same.

The courts seem very eager to take contempt cases, where as biggest contempt is the bartering of the self respect of a common person. Laws, legal systems, rules and principles are all made and practiced to alleviate a man; the objective is to make a citizen believe that he or she is honorable.

Musharraf‘s trial is a good omen, becoming a repeat act of Augustus and Cicero. Three times the justices took oath under PCO; twice it happened during Musharraf’s period. There were few who refused and were shown the door by the dictator, but they are today respected by all and sundry.

The problem with law is not the law itself but the interpretations, now every one is accruing meanings of own choice from that of the different articles of constitution of Pakistan.

It has become the test case in the judicial history of Pakistan and the eagerness to wind more the winding road against the former dictator has actually damaged the spirit of historical struggle and the lawyer’s movement in Pakistan.

A cow holier than thou, is now becoming questionable, not in the eyes of other holy cows but yes the common man, who is asking that judicial activism of the nature of photo shoots has given nothing except the promises of good days ahead.

How many more Arsalans, Maliks, Siddiques and God knows what they have to bear till they are really emancipated from the shackles of one tyranny from the other.

Being from a weaker gender I am not supposed to talk in baritones of country side, but this is the true pulse and being the ardent admirer of chief justice, judiciary and its positive role in Pakistan, I cannot see going everything down the drain.

In Pakistan everything is passing through its formative phase, so it be the judiciary, reforms to address the woes of common man are to be applied, and applied soon.

Let Musharaff be trialed under treason, but apply the principle of natural justice and have a universal trial of all, let hundreds of terrorists be also trialed under the same law by devising the circumvention and special amendments in laws of evidence, the question of admissibility and non admissibility be dealt as the original jurisdiction of supreme court rather than the appellant one.

Hand cuff Musharraff, but also gather courage to tie down the terrorists, they scoot free to fight another day.

The  suo motto phenomena in legal dispensation actually makes the normal legal system redundant, so strengthen the common law and its apparatus, in the western world and even in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh it is very rarely applied rather than sparingly.

The honorable chief justice can’t be everywhere all the time, so what the lower judiciary is doing in tehsils, districts and even cities? They have to help the senior judiciary in curbing the tendencies of photo shoots.

One of the reasons of emergence of Taliban in Swat was the exploitation of the desire of timely and speedy justice for the common man, the same case studies are now being taught at the Harvard law school.

What we are waiting for, the inclusion of few more case studies for Harvard students or  the writing of own legal history with the swagger and pride of a enliven nation .

Justice Cornelius once said   “ It must be recognized that crime is a biological fact of society, whether ancient or modern.” So let it be like that, politicizing pillars of state will result in more confusion and yet another interpretation, which will add to general be wilderness.
Sherbano Khan

"In Swat Valley, US drone strikes radicalizing a new generation"

Lately a report “In Swat Valley, US drone strikes radicalizing a new generation” by Nic Robertson published in CNN. Report focuses on effects of drones in Swat. It says The boys in Swat aged 8 to 18, were all militants at some point, until they were captured or turned over to the Pakistani army. Since 2003 there have been more than 350 drone strikes in Pakistan.  According to The New America Foundation estimates that in Pakistan, drones have killed between 1,953 and 3,279 people since 2004 , between 18% and 23% of them were not militants. The nonmilitant casualty rate was down to about 10% in 2012. U.N. Special Rapporteur on drones, Ben Emmerson recently stated that "The consequence of drone strikes has been to radicalize an entirely new generation."

It was interesting to read that "If it is lawful for the U.S. to drone al Qaeda associates wherever they find them, then it is also lawful for al Qaeda to target U.S. military or infrastructure where ever (militants) find them." This edition is appealing in a way it has pointed out diverse affects of drones other than killings. It has pointed out the humanitarian and psychological threats posed by ‘drone war’ of US. It articulates drones are radicalizing a new generation and turning the young boys into terrorists.  US drones are currently creating havoc and the long term consequences are horrifying. The drone war will be resulted in creating more terrorists than eliminating terrorists. The report concludes that drones are unlawful, violates Pakistan’s sovereignty, killing more innocents than militants, pushing young minds towards extremism and leaving no difference between US and Taliban’s.  No doubt drones are destructive in every way and US need to seek new counter-terrorism policies to eliminate terrorists.

Asha Khan

Do not spare him, but can’t we wait?

The Lal Masjid “Operation Silence” was meant to silence the ‘Red Mosque’ loudspeakers, and it did silence them for the time being, but, as the time passes, that silence is turning into heat. Musharraf is now in custody and every gun has turned its barrel at him. It has timed with the release of Lal Masjid Commission report that implicates Musharraf for the whole saga. As the turncoats have shifted from loyalty to bigotry, new storm seems to be in the making. This all is the cost Musharraf is meant to pay for his return to home country despite ‘saner advices’. The man from the best of armies has apparently fallen into a trap. A number of cases, including that of Lal Masjid, imposition of emergency, removal of the super judge and dismissal of elected government, are now out to decide his fate. What is on the surface seems to be gloomy. What is clear is the revenge of time that it takes from the taker. Time may not spare him. But daring was his step to stage a comeback. It is not that he didn’t know the consequences. He is not that stupid that he could not exactly gauge the reality of his following back in Pakistan. The ‘warm welcome’ at the airport, throwing of shoe at him in the court, and manhandling of his bodyguards etc is enough a humiliation for a former strongman, both a president and chief of army staff in one. One must appreciate that he chose a difficult task. What the course of law does to him is not clear but a group of terrorists, in a video message, threatened to kill him “come what may”. Nawaz Sharif says he can forgive Musharraf but law will not. As long as the law is in the ‘iron’ hands of Chief Justice, Musharraf family should not expect anything called leverage. Still people at the other end call it a drama but the ‘hero’, it seems, is destined to become ‘villain’ very soon.

Whatever is his fate, yet the ‘dictator’ was a “better democrat” and a “con economist”. What he gave to this country was missing before. The mushroom of TV channels, now almost all against him. The freedom of expression, no one – anchorperson or columnist – spared him. The economy of the country would never be as strong, at least in near future, as it was in his tenure. One doesn’t know whether Nawab Bugti was killed by his orders, but I admire his gesture of sparing Nawaz Sharif’s life who was meant to be his enemy number one at that time. Even, Musharraf was the first to call Nawaz Sharif to condole his father’s death, offering him any kind of facilitation in burial etc. He was open to media and available to speak, though it proved to be counterproductive. He shouldn’t have written “In the line of fire” that actually “ignited start of his downfall”. But if we consider the army of today under Gen Kayani as a subservient force and a guarantee to democracy, the credit must be given to Musharraf who handed over command to a man who earned laurels at home and abroad. Today Musharraf stands arrested; the credit must go to the legacy he had left. It may prove to be a long test of nerves for him but the reality is, he has daringly come back, though we believe he was better safe abroad.

The judge who issued his arrest orders is said have record of corruption and failed election attempts. He may or may have not been having personal or guided grudge, but the fact remains that newspaper reports and columns, TV channel bulletins and talk shows were full of demand for Lal Masjid operation. According to an analysis made by the reference section of a strong media group, 92% reports and comments criticized the authorities for not acting against, for delaying action and for calling the army to launch a sweeping operation. According to another survey conducted through social media networks, 42% people said “yes, it was right decision”, only 4% said “army is to be blamed”, 23% said “army was just order, it was government’s decision”, 16% said “no, government took the wrong decision” and 3% said “the Lal Masjid authorities are to be blamed.”

Shakespeare rightly said “when sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions”. This aptly describes the conundrum now facing Musharraf. “The place called Pakistan has gone through centuries of invasions from outside forces. This has conditioned the minds of common people and ruling elite. So when anyone is in power then nobody questions his judgment. They just massage his ego and tell him that everything is great. As soon as he is out of power then all of them come with stones. All of them want to take their revenge.” This is what is happening to Musharraf. None of his past colleagues gives any statement in his favor. Nobody talks about billions taken away by the politicians, under Zardari & Co. Law must take its course but before the law declares him guilty, we as a civilized nation must not subject him to punishment.

 

F Z Khan, G-8/4, Islamabad 

To talk or to balk

Talks of talks with the TTP are rife. It seems the ploy of TTP has worked and even old enemies are willing to ‘forgive’ in favour of such talks. Political parties that had sworn earlier to continue this war for which so many had laid down their lives are now thinking otherwise. Well, probably in some manner, the poor souls of the dead have communicated the futility of their lives. Or has this anything to do with the elections being nigh?

So what are we talking about? Is the TTP serious in throwing down the towel or does the incumbent US withdrawal from Afghanistan has anything to do with it? Has the TTP receded on its terrorism efforts? Have they suffered such great losses that they are willing to renounce their tactics? Or is it a pure longing for peace?

To see through to the answers of the above, we must first answer a few rudimentary questions: First, what has the history of any such talks with TTP been? Second, has the offer of these talks been supported by any recession in their terror activities to show their seriousness? And, what is there to talk about? Finally, what does the TTP stand to gain or lose if it does indeed talk?

Answers to these basic questions are not too difficult. First, the TTP has never stood by any peace agreements, and how can it do so? For the very means they have adopted to successfully wage their campaign so far has that been of terror and militancy.

Second, the offer for talks should not be mistaken for the offer of a ceasefire, for there has been no recession in the terror tactics of TTP. Indeed, the first mention of these talks was coupled with increased attacks on innocent civilians and law enforcement agency personnel alike.

TTP’s demands are on the line of demanding the sky and getting away with whatever you get in between. Let’s see how practical their demands might be for the Government: They’ve asked for imposition of Shariah, which would not be conceded to. They’ve asked for complete withdrawal of the Armed Forces from the FATA area, the military would not like to transform FATA into a lawless frontier region where it has no authority and allow the TTP to consolidate their gains. They’ve asked for an end to Drone strikes and severing of ties with Washington. At most, even this demand would only result in raising some hue and cry about the drone attacks, and that is about it.

On the other hand, if the Government does decide to talk, what would be its demands? That the TTP renounce terrorism and lay down arms? TTP would not do away with their strategy of terror and militancy as this is what has got them so far. Next on the cards could be consent to the writ of the State in FATA. This would be unacceptable to TTP as it would deny them a sanctuary and curb their freedom of action. So, could there be a talk of ceasefire, assuming the government is ready to close their eyes on the first two essential demands? Now, dear reader, we seem to be going somewhere….

So if there is nothing real to talk about, why has TTP floated such a call and is now propagating it through their shura and proposing names of guarantors? Essentially, TTP is demanding something which the Government of Pakistan is in no position to concede to. So what does the TTP gain out of it? Actually, TTP is in a no-lose situation with the offer of these talks. If the Government is even willing to talk, this is a win situation for TTP as it provides them recognition. While, if the Government doesn’t accept their demands (which it cannot), the TTP would claim the Government to be a bunch of infidels who do not want Shariah, do not want to end drone strikes against innocent civilians (we know the TTP’s demand to end drone strikes is for their own freedom of action and not out of a love of civilian lives) and who ascribe to the patronage of kuffar. Furthermore, the TTP can get away with offer of a ceasefire (an offer the Military would hardly subscribe to). Not taxing our memories too much, we can still recall the last time a ceasefire accord was struck with the TTP: they consolidated, restructured and came back stronger, fiercer and meaner. Getting some fellow Taliban freed might even come as fringe benefits.

For the past decade, the TTP has waged devilish terror in the name of their extreme ideals. Their murderous campaign is not only restricted to law enforcement agencies as they’ve ruthlessly murdered countless innocent civilians including women and children. They’ve barbarously slaughtered, tortured, maimed, dismembered and mutilated their captives. They’ve targeted people from all walks of life, especially those who dared to raise a voice against their cruel tactics and mala fide intentions. With a sinister design, they’ve razed schools to the ground, destroyed vital infra-structure, converted peaceful areas to lawless frontiers and pushed areas under their control to the dark ages. They’ve harassed, extorted, killed, oppressed and instilled fear in the hearts and mind of the people. They’ve provided an umbrella to any and all anti-state factions and are prompt in accepting any and all terror incidents, providing them a brand name. No longer an organised single entity, they’re a loose conglomerate of a wide array of sub-groups featuring terrorists, extremists, separatists, hate groups, et al.

To allow the TTP to talk from a position of strength would be fatal. It would compromise the sanctity of countless innocent souls the TTP have mercilessly despatched to the next world and would undermine the efforts and sacrifices of our law enforcement agencies.

The TTP have played their card of “talks” wisely indeed. The timing is nigh perfect. Election season is setting in at home. Albeit slowly, the Afghan peace initiative is moving ahead. The backdrop of US announcement to withdraw from Afghanistan is significant. Pakistan is reaching out with more than its share of efforts for lasting peace in the region. If the Government must talk with the TTP, it must be fully cognizant of appropriate timings and conditions, what ground it is treading upon, what is at stake and what would be the price to pay. Caveat emptor: this could be a perilous deal, if not approached with prudence.

(Owys Zemir is based in Islamabad)