Operation ‘Weaken Pakistan
through covert war’ launched in 2002 by so-called allies of Pakistan was part of
four-dimensional plan to destabilize, de-Islamize, denuclearize and destroy
Pakistan. For eleven years concerted efforts have been made by the US and its
allies grouped together in Kabul to achieve their objectives. The first phase of
destabilization has progressed fairly well and today Pakistan’s
socio-politico-economic-military fabric is seriously disheveled. Fast crumbling
economy has made the state fragile and vulnerable to military intervention. But
for deceptive friendship and slavish compliance of our leaders, this sort of
progress was impossible to achieve by our so-called allies. So far it was
intensely debated whether India or religious extremism cum terrorism was the
existential threat to Pakistan’s security. It is now being said that the biggest
threat is posed by the ruling coalition subservient to the wishes of Washington.
In its near five-year tenure, the PPP led regime has left no stone unturned to
destroy each and every institution of Pakistan and to bring bad name to
democracy.
After ZA Bhutto and his daughter Benazir Bhutto’s efforts to secularize the
society, secularism was promoted by Musharraf through his enlightened moderation
concept under the garb of presenting a soft image of Pakistan to the world.
Sudden expansion of TV channels was a step in that direction. Secularism was
further promoted by PPP led liberal parties after they assumed power in 2008.
These efforts were reinforced by India and the west through Indo-western
cultural invasion to promote obscenity and vulgarity with the help of foreign
movies, X-rated CDs, NGOs. Propaganda war was launched on electronic and print
media to undermine Islamic culture. Two-nation theory, Islamic ideology and
other settled issues were debated to sow seeds of doubts among the youth.
Quaid-e-Azam was portrayed as a secularist. The US and India financed TV
channels and journalists to sell their themes and manipulate perceptions.
Madrassahs, mosques, religious scholars, ulemas and Islamists dubbed as
extremists and terrorists were hit hard to undermine Islamic culture. All these
efforts were made by Indo-US-Western-Jewish lobbies with the help of liberal
groups within Pakistan to soften the glue of Islam which kept the federating
units and the people of differing cultures united and to transform the
complexion of Pakistan to secularism. These sustained efforts have made seculars
and liberals in minority into ultra liberals, but Islamists which are in great
majority have clung to their Islamic moorings and Islam is spreading rather than
getting curtailed.
The US sustained efforts to disable our nuclear program or force Pakistan to
roll it back and handover the manufactured bombs for safe custody elsewhere
because of threat posed by the militants have been foiled because of the dogged
determination of the armed forces. Pakistan military’s nuclear deterrence has
not been compromised and its conventional capability is still strong and robust
despite the decade old fatiguing war on terror. Our nuclear arsenal has been
made secure through multi-layered security system meeting international
standards. Foolproof command and control mechanism of its nuclear arsenal and
its nuclear production capability as well as missile power have an edge over
Indian wherewithal. The nuclear and missile capabilities are constantly being
upgraded to meet the Indian challenge. None of the service chief has got
overawed with the presence of US-NATO in Afghanistan and India’s hostile
posturing posing a twin threat.
The lawyer community was instrumental in getting chief justice Iftikhar and 60
judges of higher courts reinstated and in freeing the judiciary from the
clutches of military-political bureaucratic power centres. Judiciary with a
tainted past has got fully reinvigorated and it is asserting its independence
resolutely. But for proactive judiciary, the country might have been sold off by
now as was evident from memo case. Wrongdoers irrespective of their social
status have been netted and the day is not far when each one would be punished.
A sensational beginning was made when former PM Gilani was forced by Supreme
Court (SC) to relinquish his charge.
Despite the fact that a segment of media has been bought by foreign powers, the
media is playing an important role in highlighting the failings of the elites
and ills of the society boldly. The stagnant civil society and the youth got
energized during the lawyer movement and are now endeavoring to bring a healthy
change in our decayed political system hinging on dynasties, Baradaries, power
of wealth and the gun. The disillusioned people are abandoning the status quo
lovers and flocking towards revisionists promising change.
The people have braved the hardships of power and gas outages, scarcity of food
items, joblessness and pains of poverty and spate of suicide bombings/bomb
blasts bravely. Financial hardships, poverty and insecurity have not lowered
their spirits. In the depressed environment, Pakistan’s hockey team won Asian
championship by flooring Indian team in the finals and our cricket team shared
the trophy with India in T20s and won one-day series, both on India’s home
ground. In the field of songs and music which is the domain of India, Pakistani
singer Nabeel won the Sur Kshetra competition.
The military has kept itself restrained from taking over, despite extreme home
pressure to intervene and Gen Kayani has promised to support democracy and to
help in conducting free and fair elections. Tehrik-e-Insaf (TI) has emerged as a
third political force to challenge the monopoly of status quo loving two
mainstream parties. Dr Tahirul Qadri has also stepped in with his electoral
reform program when elections are close by to add fuel to the rising political
temperature. He is under severe criticism of all political parties except MQM,
TI and PML-Q. His detractors are frantically trying to besmirch his image by
calling him a Canadian working on someone else’s agenda.
Untested TI wants removal of corrupt leaders of the two mainstream parties seen
by Imran as chips of the same block, equitable justice, effective taxation
system and dialogue with estranged militants in FATA and Balochistan. Imran’s
balloon to a large extent has been busted by Qadri who has snatched the
initiative from him. Imran could have gained politically had he stuck to his
earlier inclination to get associated with Qadri and participated in his long
march. As part of damage control he hastened to join the sit-in of Hazaras in
Quetta and has now asked President Zardari to resign. Opportunist MQM is
supporting Dr Qadri but must be ruing its decision of backing out from his long
march. This u turn however was to the advantage of Qadri. While MQM is pressing
the government to accept Qadri’s demands and not to create any hurdles in his
sit-in, it is unwilling to resign from federal and Sindh governments. Altaf is
facing scathing attacks of people of Pakistan on his imprudent utterances
against Quaid-e-Azam.
Two-time tried out PML-N desires true democracy to strengthen institutions and
turning Pakistan into an Asian tiger, but it is dejected that its dream of
wearing the crown is being sabotaged by Qadri. The ANP having lost many of its
leaders and party activists at the hands of militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa want
all political parties to get united and develop a consensus to take a decisive
action against militancy. At the same time it has offered unconditional peace
talks to TTP. Religious parties want interference of USA in domestic affairs to
end, independent foreign policy, early resolution of Kashmir issue based on UN
resolutions and implementation of constitution strictly in line with Quran and
Sunnah. However, conceptually, all religious parties/group differ with each
other.
Of late TTP and its affiliates have stepped up its attacks and at the behest of
its patrons are trying to provoke the government to launch a major operation in
North Waziristan thereby helping Hakimullah in reunifying divided TTP and
mustering support of all other militant groups and putting up a united front
against security forces. Attack on Malala and Peshawar airport and assassination
of top ANP leader Bashir Bilour were undertaken by TTP with this hidden
objective in mind. TTP has accepted government’s offer of talks provided it
agrees to promulgate Shariah and not to insist on surrendering arms.
The PPP regime smug on having reached the tail-end of its five-year tenure was
looking forward for a smooth transition of power, or preferably to win again,
was suddenly confronted with multi-dimensional threats as if the events had been
synchronized. On one hand, militants have stepped up their activities, and on
the other Indian military have heated up the LoC. Drone strikes are continuing.
MQM kicked up dust on the issue of delimitation of constituencies in Karachi. Dr
Tahirul Qadri has added to the woes of PPP by staging a massive sit-in in
Islamabad. Carnage in Quetta on January 10, wherein over 100 Hazaras died in
terrorist attacks and hundreds got injured. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Jaishul Islam
are behind most attacks on Shia Hazaras.
Under intense pressure, Zardari was forced to sack Aslam Raisani’s thoroughly
corrupt, inept and insensitive government and impose Governor Rule for two
months in the wake of sit-in by Hazara community in Quetta for four days and
refusing to bury 86 dead bodies till the Army took over. Men, women and children
protested in freezing cold silently and neither resorted to violence nor uttered
a word against Pakistan. Dual-faced Fazlur Rahman and Akhtar Mengal, seemingly
satisfied with weird Raisani, have not welcomed Governor Rule.
Chaudhri brothers vainly tried to hold back Dr Qadri from undertaking the long
march but couldn’t break their past record of failures. Qadri’s impressive long
march managed to reach Islamabad on the night of 14th despite hurdles created by
Punjab and federal governments. He spelled out his seven-point agenda for change
which revolves around electoral reforms under competent and independent
caretaker government before elections. During his address to the lustily
cheering people including women and small children on the following day, Qadri
demanded immediate dissolution of national and provincial assemblies as well as
Election Commission. He thundered that the executive head and legislators had
lost the moral right to rule and must quit.
While he was still addressing, the SC gave another landmark judgment, ordering
Chairman NAB to arrest PM Raja Ashraf and 16 others on account of their
involvement in Rental Power Plant corruption case. Chief Justice was compelled
to take this drastic step since NAB had failed to take any action on its verdict
given in March 2012 despite repeated reminders. It may be recalled that to add
insult to injury, President Zardari had appointed under trial Raja Ashraf as
replacement of sacked PM Gilani. Except for the types of Asma Jahangir and Hamid
Mir, the SC decision was hailed by the people and they danced ecstatically.
Jubilant Qadri told the audience to offer thanksgiving prayers.
With Ashraf in the dock, the ultimatum given by Dr Qadri has compounded the
dilemma of Zardari and his gang of thieves. In case D Chowk multitude doubles up
on 16th, and the swelling crowd stays on for two to three days or more, Zardari
and his band will either have to roll up their beddings voluntarily or face the
wrath of the people. Any silly mistake by Rahman Malik will trigger
uncontrollable reaction from the charged up crowd. What is required is coolness
of mind and sagacious handling of the delicate situation. The government should
immediately hold parleys with Dr Qadri, seriously consider his seven demands
which are backed by the people and adopt a conciliatory posture. He should be
consulted in forming a caretaker government and the process of long due
electoral reforms may be undertaken to put an end to the practice of rigged
elections.
Asif Haroon Raja
The writer is a retired Brig, a freelance columnist and a defence analyst.
Email: [email protected]