Page 4 - Pakistan Link - May 17, 2019

P4 – PAKISTAN LINK – MAY 17, 2019 OPINION
Pakistan Link Chair of Islamic Studies at Ameri- 1971 Field Notes – Lessons for Pakistan Today
n By Dr Akbar Ahmed
can University for the birth of our fi rst child. My
Washington, DC daughter’s birth was delayed, and in the
Advisory Board meantime all fl ights to East Pakistan
Dr Sohail Masood resident Ayub Khan was right. were cancelled and the war began. With
President Th ough watching the 1971 cri- her birth I received my offi cial posting
Arif Zaff ar Mansuri Psis from Islamabad, as a fi eld order to Peshawar, the one Wali Khan
ArifMansuri@PLpublications.org marshal of the Pakistan Army, he had lobbied for.
had spotted what It was a traumatic year for my
Editor for me, a junior country, my people and me. I was a
Akhtar Mahmud Faruqui assistant commis- helpless witness to the destruction
afaruqui@pakistanlink.com sioner in the fi eld of Pakistan, and its demise was like a
in East Pakistan Greek tragedy in which no one could
Editor Urdu Link & Bureau Chief (Pakistan) t h a t y e a r , alter the fi nal act. I felt Pakistan lost due
Shabbir Ghori w a s g l a r- to its incompetent, corrupt and bun-
urdulink@yahoo.com i n g l y obvious: gling leadership. Pakistan witnessed a
no nation could fi ght on two fronts humiliating surrender in Dhaka and
Resident Editor Urdu Link
& Director Video Operations and hope to win. Aft er the military 100,000 troops were taken into captiv-
Anwar Khawaja action against the Bengalis he saw ity.
akhawaja@pakistanlink.com little hope. including Major Sabir Kamal who es- situation and advocate for their pulling We waited in vain for the Ameri-
As I was staying with my school corted her to her seat. As the plane took us out. We were brushed off . A senior can fl eet and later learned that the
Manager Sales & Advertising friend Tahir Ayub Khan, the son of off , and Zeenat safely gone, I felt a huge secretary heard our story with some Americans had drawn a red line that
sales@pakistanlink.com Ayub Khan, I took the opportunity to pressure lift ed from me. cynicism and a complete lack of sym- prevented the Indian Army from cross-
call on his father and update him on In Dhaka I saw the political lead- pathy. One batch-mate described his ing into West Pakistan.
Regional Offi ces
the unfolding crisis. President Khan ership of Pakistan attempting to sal- ordeal of escaping with his life from I was never to return to what was
was not well but still came to the liv- vage the nation. All the big names were his headquarters, having to hide at once East Pakistan.
YKKB ing room, wearing a dressing gown and there and I had the opportunity to in- the bottom of trucks and boats before Th at was the darkest hour of Paki-
ykkb03@gmail.com carrying a book, as he always did, to see teract with several of them. I took Mr fi nally managing to get to Dhaka to stan’s history but it may still have les-
me. His Sandhurst training lingered, Mahmud Ali Kasuri, then the law min- take a fl ight out. He kept his pistol in sons for us today.
Sacramento, CA
Sacramento@plpublications.com and as I was leaving Maaji gently said ister, around Dhaka in the evenings so his belt ready to take action, but it had Firstly, using military force to bru-
he wanted me to have my long hair cut. he could see the situation for himself. only one bullet. At this, our senior col- talize a civilian population to solve po-
San Fransisco/Bay Area, CA I headed straight for a barbershop. Meanwhile, Wali Khan, as a key league exploded and called us “funk”. If litical problems is not only inhumane,
Sanfrancisco@plpublications.com In contrast to Ayub Khan, West member of the National Assembly, ar- the army could rough it out, so could it will almost certainly backfi re.
Pakistani offi cials were not appreciating gued with the martial law authorities we. Our argument that we were civil Second, it is crucial that the cen-
New York, NY
Newyork@plpublications.com the scale of the crisis. Th ere were even to send me back to Peshawar, as he said servants without weapons, tanks, or tral government treat its minorities and
celebrations cheering on the military the province requested the return of its missiles, and were therefore totally vul- outlying provinces with honor and dig-
Houston, TX action, and people were gleeful that offi cer. His pleas fell on deaf ears. nerable made little diff erence. We were nity. Even today, the smaller provinces
Houston@Plpublications.org the Bengalis were being taught a les- And in the midst of negotiations, unceremoniously told to go back to our complain of being neglected, culturally
son. Th e crudest abuse was heaped on Yaqub was ignominiously sacked when posts. It was suicide. humiliated, and deemed “backward” by
Phoenix, AZ the Bengalis. Th ey were called bingos, he argued against military action in By the end of 1971, of the seven arrogant higher offi cials in Islamabad
Phoenix@Plpublications.org
the equivalent of the “n-word” for Afri- East Pakistan noting the impossibility West Pakistan CSPs who remained, and the words “miscreants” and “ter-
Ontario, Canada can Americans, or “black bastards.” For of holding the province with only three three had been brutally butchered in rorists” are bandied about.
Ontario@Plpublications.org simply arguing for justice and human divisions against the Indian army in the the fi eld by rampaging mobs and three Th irdly, Pakistan needs to rees-
rights my wife and I were sarcastically war that would follow. At his send-off were taken prisoner to spend several tablish its civil service. When Jinnah
Letters to the Editor referred to as “Bingo-lovers.” at the airport I was one of the very few miserable years in an Indian POW in Pakistan and Nehru in India lauded
An articulate and artistic people, civilians invited to say goodbye. camp. I survived by sheer chance. It was their civil services as the “steel frame”
Readers are welcome to express their opinion
in these columns. Please keep your letters Bengalis, in spite of forming the ma- President Yahya Khan decided to a game of Russian roulette at a time of for their nations, they recognized their
brief and to the point. Letters without full jority province, faced widespread dis- launch a military operation to crush the Apocalypse Now. central importance. Unfortunately, the
name, complete address, and a daytime
phone number will not be published. crimination within the government: opposition. Bengalis who resisted were In the midst of the madness, be- ways of the CSP attracted jealousy and
Also, copies of letters sent to other news- there was only one Bengali general called “miscreants” – this was a time be- cause of my posting, I could still per- hatred, and each government dimin-
papers are not encouraged. Letters can be
mailed, faxed or e-mailed to the Editor at among thirty-fi ve generals in the Paki- fore the word terrorist was popularized. form acts of kindness. I got a well-spo- ished it. Today, Pakistan, always own-
the Pakistan Link Headquarters address stan army and not one central secretary If the vast majority of Bengalis were in ken Bengali couple two coveted plane goal champs, have reduced the services
listed below.
Pakistan Link (ISSN 1074-0406) is pub- among twenty. Although Bengalis had favor of Pakistan before this action, the seats, for example, aft er I advised them to malleable plastic, making the pursuit
lished weekly for $85 a year by JAZ LLC, been at the forefront of the Pakistan fi gures were reversed aft er it. Just as to leave for Karachi and escape from of good governance nationwide much
DBA PL Publications, LLC. movement, the military action had West Pakistanis were killing Bengalis, the hungry eyes of the offi cer who de- harder to achieve.
Periodical postage paid at Anaheim, CA been the last straw. Because Benga- Bengalis were also rounding up and sired the wife. In another instance, I In this same vein, all governments
and additional mailing offi ces.
POST MASTER: Send address changes to lis associated the Pakistan power elite killing non-Bengalis. Th e fate of the was able to save a senior Bengali CSP must attempt to maintain law and order
Pakistan Link, P O Box 1238, Anaheim, CA
92815 with the Punjab province, some Ben- Biharis was particularly tragic as in the offi cer from serious harm, possibly and at all costs. Th ey must check those
The management has the right to refuse gali friends warned me that I needed end they were rejected by both wings of peremptory execution, by taking bold who would challenge the writ of the
to print any advertisement, news, article,
letter or any other material. In case of to memorize “I am not a Punjabi” in Pakistan. Society was descending into bureaucratic action. All this was risky state as in Faizabad and on the campus
any errors in advertisement the manage- Bengali in case I was attacked by a mob. universal anarchy. No one was safe. stuff and could have cost me my job in Peshawar recently; that is a symptom
ment will not be liable for more than the
amount paid for the advertisement to the In March that year I was Sub- Hundreds of thousands were raped and and worse; recall we lived under mar- of a dysfunctional state.
Link. divisional Magistrate in charge of killed and although the fi nal number of tial law and civilian life did not matter Finally, the power elite needs to
Advertisements in Pakistan Link are
placed in good faith. The newspaper is not Manikganj sub-division of Dhaka dis- deaths is debated Bengalis claim over much. be far better informed and sensitive to
responsible nor endorses the contents of trict, when an all-East Pakistan protest three million lives were lost. As if to confi rm the reality on the the trends and opinions of their own
any advertisement. In case of a frivolous
lawsuit, the plaintiff will bear the total cost strike was called. Th e strike literally Following the military operation, ground, one quiet aft ernoon when I people and the outside world. Senior
of the suit, including but not limited to the paralyzed all administration and move- I boarded the fl ight to Karachi and was serving as a member of the gover- civil servants and politicians must be
Link’s costs and the attorney’s fees.
ment. Th ere was no communication was seated behind Zulfi kar Ali Bhutto. nor’s inspection team, my friend Ma- in close touch with fi eld offi cers na-
between headquarters in Dhaka and I knew him but was too agitated to go jor Sabir, in full uniform, came to see tionwide, so as to avoid remaining in
Information for myself except through sporadic tele- up and say salaam. I knew Pakistan was me. He walked in, cocked his revolver, an echo chamber. Yayha Khan hiding
and put it to my forehead. He told me
bizarrely behind a still photograph on
graph messages. Rumors of attacks on
in deep danger and I felt angry and be-
Subscribers West Pakistanis were circulating and I trayed. On disembarking, Bhutto said to write to the chief secretary of East television and ordering his army to ex-
The printing of Pakistan Link is unfail- was concerned about Zeenat, my newly something about thanking God that Pakistan and request emergency leave, pel the Indians aft er the fall of Dhaka
ingly completed by Wednesday every
week and its copies are handed over to married bride. Pakistan had been saved. I wondered as he believed we were in grave dan- summed up the disconnect of that fate-
the mailing house for prompt dispatch I wrote a personal hand-written whether he believed that. ger. I just pushed the paper away and ful year.
to the subscribers. The Link should letter to the recently installed Martial On arrival I tracked down Gener- said it was impossible as all leaves were As Santayana famously stated,
reach its destination on time if there is
no delay at the post offi ce. If a delay is Law Administrator, General Yaqub al Yaqub who was living under a cloud cancelled. Sabir became angry, saying if “Th ose who do not learn from history
occasioned it is in no way attributable Khan. I had asked my most trusted or- and there was talk of court martial. His you stay you will be killed. “What about are doomed to repeat it.”
to the performance of Link’s manage-
ment. In case of delayed receipt of Pak- derly to hand-deliver the letter to his house was watched but I went straight you? Why are you here then?” I said.
istan Link or missing issues, please con- headquarters, somehow avoiding the in and asked to see him. He entered the He replied, he had married a general’s Views and
tact your local Post Offi ce and submit a opinions ex-
“Publication Watch” form. groups of people who had set up road- drawing room and greeted me warmly. daughter and he was being sent abroad.
blocks. In it I pointed out that my batch His fi rst words were: “How long do we It was therefore a shock for me to pressed by
of CSP offi cers were sitting ducks in a have?” “Six to eight months,” I replied. hear that when the war began in De- authors and
PAKISTAN LINK civil war situation, and three of them He sat down as if I had hit him. “What cember, Sabir was still at his post in contributors
articles,
in
is your reasoning,” he asked. “Mainly
had already been savagely killed. Wives
the northeast of East Pakistan on the
Headquarters were not spared. Shortly aft erwards a because the Pakistan army has been border and killed in action. He had letters, opin-
P O Box 1238, Anaheim, CA 92815 man came running from the telegraph trained to fi ght conventional battles on refused to surrender to a vastly larger ion pieces,
Tel: 714-400-3400 reports, advertisements, etc
Fax: 714-400-3404 offi ce informing me of an urgent or- the plains of the Punjab not guerrilla Indian army force. Th at year I lost two
E-Mail: Editor@PakistanLink.com der from Martial Law Headquarters in warfare in the rain-sodden lowlands good and noble friends who went down appearing in Pakistan Link
Dhaka. General Yaqub, God bless him, and deltas of Bengal,” I replied. He honorably fi ghting rather than surren- and Urdu Link are their own.
had transferred me to Dhaka. Once looked somber. der —Major Sabir and Major Shabbir Th e paper neither shares
Pakistan Offi ce there, I managed to get a seat for Zeenat From Karachi, I took the opportu- Sharif. nor endorses them and thus
42 Rehman Court on the daily fl ight to Karachi, impossi- nity to fl y to Islamabad to meet senior In late November, I fl ew to Kara- should not be held responsi-
Plaza Square, Off M. A. Jinnah Road bly overbooked due to the rush to get offi cials with some of my batch-mates chi on short leave given on “compas- ble for the views/opinions of
Karachi-74400, Pakistan
out. I saw her off with several friends to apprise the government of the dire sionate grounds” to be with my wife the writers & advertisers.
www.PakistanLink.com