Dr Mehmood-ul-Hassan Khan
ANCIENT political science doctrine upholds that power always cheap to central power which is now far away from the opposition parties in the country. Lust for absolute power for unlimited looting, corruption and untamed reign has pushed them into a blind alley due to which they have lost senses and start bashing the defence forces of Pakistan. Now there is a full-fledged campaign of politicisation of Pakistan defence forces going on in the country. Divergent political parties, pressure groups, greedy clergy, forces and even various non-state actors and social groups have started bashing defence forces of Pakistan. Primer intelligence agency of Pakistan ie ISI is also in the line of fire.
However, civil society, intellectuals, middle classes and last but not the least, common people do not accept their rebellious rhetoric and speculative, untrue and baseless oratory. Political fugitives are now in the race of making castles in the air. They are trying to dismantle fortress of Pakistan’s defence, territorial sovereignty, stability and, of course, sustainability. Their constant bullies to Pakistani military and its premier intelligence agency has a larger agenda which is indeed anti-national and anti-state. It is feared that continued bashing of the defence forces may be dangerous which may also hurt its professionalism. Despite ongoing follies of the opposition, prestige, respect, trust, love and compassion of defence forces are still intact and alive in the eyes of common people in the country which should be a wake call for all political magicians.
Worshippers of blind political affiliations, gurus of personal glorification and gratification, schemers of conspiratorial politics and last but not the least, investors of agitation, instability, social disorder, religious disharmony and communal hatred are head-on with the state and defence forces of Pakistan, thus playing in the hands of enemies of Pakistan. Thirty crows of politics are in search of shelter to cool down their greed and grafts and looted money too. It is the beginning of 5th generation of hybrid war against the existence of Pakistan and its custodians ie brave defence forces of Pakistan. It has certain external linkages too. The blame game and dirty politics got momentum during the recently held All Parties Conference (APC) in the country in which wandering souls of politics showed their highest levels of frustration, anger, deprivation, displeasure and discomfort with the current regime of PTI. They raised baseless concerns about real mandate of the PTI and termed it engineered and manipulated.
Most of them and especially, former three-time Prime Minister of Pakistan burst out on the establishment of Pakistan for his own political decay and disqualification. In order to sell his narrative and so-called love for democracy, political decency and democratic norms he crossed all limits and in the end reached to point of no return. It was a speech of a fraudulent, defeated and irritated person nothing else who himself responsible for downfall because of unlimited corruption, money laundering, land grapping and misuse of discretion. On the contrary, contributory role of the defence forces of Pakistan has been beneficial and productive. In the times of national crisis and natural calamities, the Army stood first to rescue its country fellows through its well planned and executed nation-wide operations.
Our national history has been indebted of its unconditional bravery, valour and humanitarian assistance. In the time of war or peace, the defence forces of Pakistan have been acting as first shield of defence so shame on those who have no loyalty, wisdom and character to stand and speak against tremendous services of the defence forces of Pakistan. Political history of Pakistan has been instable because of many complex and complicated reasons. Majority of the politicians have been trying to project their own personal agendas on the price of the state and ultimately got doomed. Most of the politicians remained corrupt and indulged into illegal practices and damaged even the basic core of the statehood.
They intentionally promoted and institutionalized corruption in the administrative core and society alike to loot more and more national resources from the treasury. They have been god father of money laundering and off-shore companies due to which they are now most wanted by the courts of the land and they are in their places instead of behind the bars. We are living in an era of 5th generation hybrid war where our enemies are in search of safe heavens to pollute our souls and minds and puppets are always on sale. Politicians should understand that their jugglery will achieve nothing but political instability, chaos, social disorder and communal disharmony. So stop basing defence forces of Pakistan and be ready to face cases in the courts by dropping conspiratorial hang-over and basic instinct of manipulation.
Forces of darkness and enemies of Pakistan in the region and beyond have been targeting the defence forces by raising irrelevant variables in different times in the past too. They still enjoys the staunch, strong and a sustainable support from people of Pakistan. In the war against terror they succeeded to defeat terrorists because of trust and strong relationship between Pak Army and the masses. Domestically, they have been confronting separatist radical groups in Balochistan, the fanatic core of TTP in former FATA, KP and rest of the country. It has also been fighting against many splinter groups that attacked directly and indirectly while supporting the TTP. Moreover, it has been frontline shield against infiltrators and militants from Afghanistan who indulged to attack military posts and innocent people deep into Pakistani territory.
Political differences should be discussed and resolved in Parliament which is indeed a right place for it. Processions and agitations will achieve nothing but resultant total collateral damage. Political concession and bargaining chip has now become out of the reach of opposition and genie of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is haunting corrupt political leaders. The defence forces of Pakistan hold unlimited martyrdoms which should not be easy prey of malicious politicians who have no sympathy for the struggling people of this country and always prefer to live in their places in a stranger land. They do not have any love for true democracy which stands for the people, by the people and of the people. They have their own agendas of survival and political existence, validity and relevance which has nothing to do with wellbeing of the general masses. Rule of the law and rise to social justice should be mantra of the government and the establishment because dreams of common people survival, qualitative life is still far away from materialization.
—The writer is Director, Geopolitics/Economics Member Board of Experts, CGSS.
