Page 4 - Pakistan Link - May 17, 2019
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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
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