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A tribute to Pakistan armed forces and people Dr. Ali Mohammad Ever since its inception in 1947, Pakistan has been under direct aggression by India and other powers. The nation's enemies have tried everything in their power to undermine its independence and territorial integrity. But the greatest harm has originated from the country's enemies within its borders over the years. Pakistan's tragedy is that its successive leadership has failed to appreciate its immense potential - abundant natural resources, sufficient manpower, a beautiful landscape, a rich and varied culture, and its strategic geographic location. The Pakistani leadership has failed to take a sound stand against those who have constantly maligned Pakistan's armed forces, the ISI, or its nuclear assets. Moreover, it has unnecessarily entertained foreign leaders to meddle in Pakistan's affairs, while maligning it for every problem that happens on foreign soil. Many of these Pakistani leaders have been inept and weak to boldly face outside powers. More recently, it is disgusting that some known political figures, who are asking for an end to the operation against the enemies of Pakistan and their agents in Swat, Malakand, and Waziristan do not appreciate what sacrifices our armed forces are paying, and have been paying, to rid the country of these enemies of Pakistan and Islam. While the Western media has been generally hostile and negative towards Pakistan, our national media has also been guilty of irresponsible and, sometimes, unpatriotic reporting. Shamelessly, they report every shred of news printed in the foreign media that goes against our national interests. In the name of freedom of the press, many of our media men and women have seriously compromised their professional integrity, while they have also tarnished the sanctity of the press. These persons have been promoting a distorted version of events in Pakistan. The resulting disinformation has contributed to increased terrorism, economic and financial crisis, political instability, and social chaos within the country. Since the 1980s, Pakistan has also been suffering from sectarian violence. Pakistan's foreign enemies and their agents have caused a lot of strife and destruction of life and property by attacking mosques, imambargahs and other places of worship. Fortunately, they have been unsuccessful in their mission to provoke the true believers of Rasool ul lah (PBUH) to incite civil and sectarian war in the country. However, since the invasion of Afghanistan by the Allied forces, Pakistan has unnecessarily been drawn into a war, which should not have been ours. Yet, nearly 2,000 Pakistani soldiers have laid down their lives to save humanity around the world from acts of terrorism. Similarly, thousands of civilians have perished, and millions of people have suffered in the ensuing bombing of their homes and have been left homeless to make their fellow human beings in other lands safer. Moreover, we have suffered economic losses to the tune of $5 billion per year since 2001, while the life and property of other countries have been made secure. It is ironic that we are asked to do more. There has been an unrelenting disinformation campaign against Pakistan's nuclear assets, which has as its sole aim, the effective deterrence to Indian aggression. Presently, some politicians have joined the bandwagon of foreign powers that are bent on discrediting the Pakistan Army and ISI. The ISI has played a highly credible role in identifying real enemies and exposing them. Obviously, then, the internal and external enemies of Pakistan are determined to destroy this vital institution. We must not allow the enemies of Pakistan to succeed. Nor must we oblige those who criticise us while our young soldiers are dying on the borders to save millions of lives in other lands. It is no secret that who is supporting militants in FATA and Balochistan. How else could they be fighting the world's most professional armed forces? But the real mystery is that why the Pakistani government is not forthright in naming those countries and their agencies that are financing, training, equipping, and guiding the militants? The second question that comes to mind is why the successive governments have been so incapable in thwarting and destroying the evil game that has had been played against Pakistan? The Pakistani political leadership should not behave cowardly as the survival of the state is at stake. It should be cognizant of India's threatening designs and its aggressive international posturing. Our patriotic leadership must reject and fend off all internal and external pressures that are detrimental to our vital security institution. One hundred and seventy million Pakistanis stand firmly behind their armed forces; they are ready to form a formidable second line of defence behind their soldiers against any aggression from any quarter. Thus, with our political leadership, our populace, and our armed forces united we should not be the first to blink in the face of foreign bullies and belligerents. In fact, we should never blink. Pakistan's armed forces, which have always defended the nation, in the latest campaign to rid the country of the menace of the Taliban and militancy and to safeguard the country's defence are writing history with their precious blood. Those who are aware of the geography of FATA know how difficult and dangerous it is to tackle an operation against well-entrenched militants in the rugged mountains of NWFP. These brave and dedicated soldiers have gone there to challenge the thugs in their dens. The nation, and even the world, should not under-estimate their patriotism, perseverance, and loyalty to Pakistan. The history of our armed forces is one of honour, valour, and commitment to the defence of the country. Similarly, during peacetime, there are several examples where they saved many lives in national disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and cyclones and rehabilitated hundreds of thousands of families. Their sense of duty has earned them and Pakistan a great tribute. It is now the duty of the politicians to fully support our armed forces to search and destroy all enemies of Pakistan. The APC has done the correct thing in standing behind the present campaign against militants in Swat, Malakand, and Buner. But they must fulfill their responsibility to provide full support to the displaced families, which are crucial for the success of this operation. The Government of Pakistan should increase its efforts to help those families who have suffered due to terrorism in the country. Pakistanis today salute these civilians who have immensely suffered, but who have arisen to the crisis every time. We also commend other patriotic Pakistanis who did not fall into the trap of sectarian animosity laid by the enemies of the country. Pakistanis themselves are to be commended for their resilience in which they have not only safeguarded the honour of the country, but have bounced back after serious setbacks. The Pakistani nation finds assurance in recent pronouncements from the Prime Minister that "nuclear weapons were the cornerstone of Pakistan's deterrence strategy and enjoyed complete national consensus and support". He also stated that "We are determined to retain nuclear deterrence at all costs while ensuring foolproof security of our nuclear assets," and that "No use of coercion, direct or indirect, will ever force Pakistan to compromise on its core security interests. Insinuations to the contrary are plain mischievous and designed to create doubts in the minds of the people of Pakistan and I dismiss these with contempt," he declared. The nation expects that all the leaders in the country confirm this stand. The history of Pakistan contains moments of great triumph and seemingly irreparable loss (as after the nation was divided into two countries in 1971 after India-Pakistan war). But the nation overcame even this calamity, and rose like the phoenix from its own ashes. The Pakistani people may seem divided in happy times, but in a crisis they become an insurmountable force. The Pakistani people stand behind and deeply respect those brave men who have guarded our borders to defend our independence, who have shed their blood to save our country and our lives, and who have stayed awake, so that ordinary citizens could sleep peacefully. Pakistanis also offer their condolences, but also their deep sense of gratitude to their mothers and fathers, and their families and friends for the loss of these brave men. The Pakistani nation has made immense sacrifices so that other nations can attain peace. But the fighting spirit of our citizens will prevail. If any enemies attempt to destroy our homes; we will build again. If they try to destroy our schools; we will teach our children on simple school mats. If they spill our blood; we shall not succumb. Let there be no doubt that the entire nation stands united under the shadow of Allah's grace during the present crisis. The Frontier Post: Sunday, May 24, 2009
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