Muhammad Usman
OF late, PDM launched its political campaign to oust Imran Khan but the path it is treading is anti-Pakistan. A responsible political force desists an utterance which contains even a scintilla of anti-state stuff. Here, it is in abundance and coincides with Indian hybrid warfare against Pakistan. In spite of being in danger of going astray politically, PDM seem hell bent not to relent in their mischief. A few out of them are confronted with existential problems and are desperate to find solace, no matter from whom and how much cost it entails. A Few have found it a God-sent opportunity to advance their mischievous pursuits. India is a direct beneficiary of chorus being produced by them. A mere cursory glance around stands its testimony.
Indian media is rejoicing every bit of it and tries exuberantly to present it a gospel truth to malign Pakistan, particularly its Army. This gives a fillip to their hybrid war, especially in the information domain. The ultimate Indian aim is to create an environment which could help disintegrate, destabilize and demoralize Pakistan. Methods employed are proxy warfare, escalation on borders, insurgency, subversion and disinformation. Main target is Pakistan’s Army. It is the first and last hurdle in materialization of their inimical scheme because no other organ/institution of the state is capable to discharge its assigned role. This was only the Army which refused to leave Pakistan at mercy of circumstances. It took loads of all ungrudgingly and turned the tide startlingly. After having failed to coerce Pakistan militarily, India had to resort to hybrid war and, unfortunately, PDM is lending them much needed shot in arm to achieve their nefarious ends. In Gujranwala, Nawaz Sharif singled out top military leadership individually for causing national disasters by distorting the facts. He explicitly sought to portray the Army a rogue outfit, absorbed in exclusive pursuits at national expense and sow mistrust about them among people. He also did not spare the highest judiciary by casting aspersions on its verdicts at implicit bidding of military quarters in question. In Karachi, it was Urdu language which came under the scathing attack of a renegade, Mahmood Achakzai. He emphatically called that Urdu is not a national language while addressing audiences in Urdu.
In a day, it was the second insult perpetrated upon Father of the Nation, Quaid-e-Azam who declared Urdu a national language; a common language is a basic ingredient to constitute a state. Earlier it was PML (N)’s leadership which instigated its workers to indulge in slogan mongering/hooliganism at Mazar-i-Quaid. It was a sacrilegious act. Its perpetrators needed to be punished sternly. Instead PPP chose to side with them and staged a thinly veiled drama of incubating rebellion among Sindh Police against Sindh Rangers which muscled their way to get FIR registered against guilty of desecrating sanctity of Quaid’s mausoleum. This was nothing but a badly rehearsed performance by a bunch of minions, void of sense of history and statecraft but full of partiality for petty gains nevertheless, had potential for our nemeses to abuse it for furtherance of their wicked plans.
At Quetta, PDM started with raising it a notch further. They called a PTM’s leader, Mohsin Dawar, to share the stage with them however, the Balochistan government rightly turned him back from Quetta airport. The links of PTM with Indian RAW needs no elaboration. At the Jalsa, an Azad Balochistan was talked about and no one raised the objection. The CPEC was also criticized indiscreetly. Both must have sounded music to Indian ears. Azad Balochistan is its vaulting ambition and CPEC a tranquilizing dream. Last but not the least, Nawaz Sharif added more venom to his uglier assertions by cunningly drawing distinction between wrongful command and military subordination. This implies creating division and rift within. In short, it was a full meal of delectable dishes for India. Next it was Ayaz Sadiq who talked which no could talk with a shred of patriotism.
With a pure fabrication, he vainly tried to shore up Indian false claims of coercing Pakistan to get Indian pilot Abhinandan released. It was a deliberate assault on capability and resolve of Pakistan to defend itself against extreme odds. Again it was maliciously aimed at weakening confidence of troops on their high command and damaging trust of the nation on defence forces. Then, it was brother of PDM Chairman, Senator Ata-ur-Rehman who obliquely accused Army of exporting terrorism in neighbourhood. Whatever they have spoken is a pack of lies/twisting of facts. PDM is a political conglomerate, ganged up against one man – Imran Khan. It is an established fact when it happens, it leaves no doubt that he is an honest man. One can question his deliverance but not the sense of purpose he displays. The Army stands with him. This is no favouritism but sincerity of purpose.
Probably PDM thinks that it is an imperative to ditch Army first to dislodge him. In doing so, PDM is forgetting a conclusion, painstakingly drawn by our nemeses, for Pakistan to collapse, it is first Pakistan’s Army has to collapse. For self-seeking pursuit, hitting the pivot is a sheer lunacy. Before Imran, the Army stood with them also when they were in power. Inevitably, it had to step back every time when they saw their rampant corruption, egregious ineptitude and occurrences like Dawn Leaks/Memogate etc. It seems that PDM is unlikely to relinquish its treacherous path because their insatiable desires of power, material possession and fear of accountability are too compelling for them nevertheless, this cannot be allowed to go too far because repeated lies also have implications of their own.
— The writer, a retired Lt Col, is freelance columnist based in Islamabad.