MORE than half a century has passed since our eastern wing separated from us, but have the current rulers learned any lessons from this tragedy? Nations that do not learn from the past and repeatedly make the same mistakes meet the same fate we encountered in 1971 and continue to experience today. The sobering reality is that this relentless cycle of destruction has not ceased; instead, the same sinister game is currently being played in Balochistan. Who is playing this game, why are they playing it, and is the enemy more powerful than us? No! Rather, it is the internal conspiracies and the hidden Mir Jaffar within our nation that have hollowed out this country economically, socially, politically and ideologically. Those damaging this homeland have their origins within, and now the question arises: who are these internal figures?
India succeeded in weakening Pakistan through the conspiracy of 1971, and intoxicated by that success, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi boasted that today they had submerged the ideology of Pakistan in the Bay of Bengal and avenged a thousand years of Muslim subjugation. If we look closely, India’s animosity towards Pakistan still thrives, while it should have been the case that not a single terrorist or supporter of the Mukti Bahini would remain to celebrate the fall of Dhaka. However, that has not happened, and today, Balochistan is under attack; terrorism is uncontrollable, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. One cannot overlook the involvement of external forces in the deteriorating peace and order situation in Balochistan. Just as there were external hands involved in the conspiracy of 1971, they are still active today. In August 2016, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi crossed the red line while discussing Pakistan’s internal affairs, which was blatant evidence of India’s interference in Balochistan. Modi, the butcher of Gujarat, had audaciously praised the terrorists of the Mukti Bahini. It is regrettable that today, some individuals and parties in Pakistan still regard Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as their leader and patriot, aligning themselves against the country’s security institutions.
When East Pakistan separated, the country’s economic situation was better, but distances between the two regions increased. The 1,400 km stretch of Indian territory between West and East Pakistan brought about administrative challenges, but in 1971, this distance played a crucial role in facilitating India’s nefarious conspiracy to divide Pakistan. The current political landscape is different from that time; however, today the nation is moving towards division instead of unity. The current situation illustrates how divisions between the PTI and the federal government are being fostered, as can be gauged from the sensitivity surrounding the recent D-Chowk protest on November 26. Analyzing this matter is a challenging task. Today, the insidious influence of fake news is rampant. There are bans in the country on various alphabets, including X and VPNs. It is deeply unfortunate that to spread hatred against state institutions, labels such as ‘Punjabi’ are placed on the army in East Pakistan, and this is still happening today. Pakistan is being referred to as ‘Punjabistan.’ Allegations of the ruling coalition being subservient to the establishment permeate the discourse in the country. At this time, all eyes are on the court-martial of former ISI chief General (R) Faiz Hamid, against whom, according to ISPR, charges have already been filed. It is commendable that the military is setting an example by holding one of its senior officers accountable; undoubtedly, this will correct the course of many other institutions as well.
On the other hand, regarding the question of whether another Mukti Bahini is emerging today, the answer can be found in the political style and protest demonstrations of the PTI. Certainly, the two cases are not identical. In principle, there should not have been a single supporter of Mukti Bahini left to celebrate the fall of Dhaka. Who said, “Whoever goes to East Pakistan, I will break their legs”? At that time, a barrage of allegations was directed at the military leadership, but time has proven that the separation of East Pakistan was a political, not a military, failure. The history of 1971 bears witness that the Pakistan Army fought valiantly despite unfavourable conditions and numerous challenges. At that time, a false accusation was levelled against the military leadership regarding the killing of 30 lakh Bengalis; this allegation was so bogus that even Bangladeshi journalists denied it. Noor Islam, the editor of the English newspaper “Morning Sun” in Dhaka, who was not a supporter of Pakistan, stated that to ensure the death of 30 lakh individuals in three months, 11,000 people would need to be killed daily, which was not the case.
For the past seven decades, toxic propaganda in Balochistan has claimed that the Pashtun-Punjabi alliance rules over the country. India has been funding and arming the TTP and Baloch separatists for terrorism in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, seeking to halt CPEC’s completion. Ongoing attacks on security forces are part of this nefarious campaign, with India operating 66 terrorist training camps in Afghanistan, including 21 in the Indian State of Rajasthan. Despite these external conspiracies, Pakistan’s political landscape remains unstable, with confusion abounding. On one hand, malicious elements aim to destabilize the country politically and economically, while on the other, PTI has sought to harm the nation through the tragedies of May 9, the November 26 D-Chowk protests, and a civil disobedience movement.
PTI supporters target public properties and institutions during protests, with Afghan nationals participating, leading to arrests during the November 26 protests. PTI’s social media warriors continue to attack institutions and high-profile individuals, spreading venom against the state for political gain. Soldiers of the Pakistan Army sacrifice their lives for the nation’s defence, yet their memorials are desecrated instead of honoured. It is unfortunate that no decisive action has been taken against those inciting attacks on military installations and martyrs’ memorials from May 9. The approval of military trials for 68 accused in May 9 events is encouraging. The political instability is largely driven by politicians who invoke intervention by the Establishment to deflect blame for their failures, thus undermining political and democratic processes.
—The writer is Chairman, Tehrik Jawanan Pakistan.
