One Brigadier on another Brigadier
By Mohammad Ashraf Chaudhry
Pittsburgh , CA
The nation is embroiled these days in the dust raised by the whirlwind created by the confessional statement of a former James Bond of Pakistan, once a director-general of the ISI, Brigadier (retd.) Imtiaz. Brig. Imtiaz made an astounding revelation that the concept of the creation of a “Jinnahpur” and its map was not prepared by the MQM, and that it was a hoax. Therefore, the excuse to start a military operation against the MQM on June 19, 1992, resulting in the loss of some 15,000 human lives was not a valid one. The MQM leader, Mr. Altaf Hussain in an emotionally charged address from London has now demanded the formation of a national truth and reconciliation commission. He also seeks an apology from Mian Nawaz Sharif, the then PM.
The question is: Why did this veteran Brigadier wait for a period of 17 years to blurt out this ‘truth’ in the month of Ramadan when the people already have their platters full of problems. Was it politically engineered, or was it the voice of his own conscience? Has it something to do with Mian Nawaz Sharif’s fixated resolve to invoke Article 6 of the Constitution and bring President Musharraf to books? Or was it a ploy to deflect people’s attention from the scarcity of eatables and from bad governance in this holy month?
Any loss of life is a human tragedy. About 450 target killings have already taken place in the last one or two months in Karachi. On May 12, 2007, when the CJ was to land in Karachi, some 38 people lost their lives, (and 10 more in the next three days), and about 140 got injured. No amount of tears shed in the memory of those 15,000 people who lost their lives in the military operation of June, 1992, is enough to wash out the scars. The big, blunt and honest question, however, is: “Who had been behind all this?” Just the military that goes crazy from time to time; or the main party politicians who make alliances to break them, and then incite their votaries to indulge in violence… or, it just happens because it is a natural phenomenon? The fact finding commission is a right demand, but it must be honest and bold enough to “hold the bull by the horns and not by the tail.”
Just to refresh my memories as to what was happening in the year 1992 in the month of June, I consulted some of the books. Mr. Hassan Abbas in his book ‘Pakistan’s Drift into Extremism’ writes on page 147 of Chapter 7: “…between Jam (Jam Sadiq, the CM), Marwat (Irfanullah, son-in-law of President Ishaq) and Altaf Hussain of the MQM, Karachi was in for an unending night of unbridled loot, rape and murder”.
Mr Hassan Abbas further writes, “In May, 1992 the army operation started to clean up the rural Sindh… but interestingly, the army commanders on their own decided to extend this operation to major cities in Sindh that had become strongholds of the MQM… MQM was a coalition partner of Nawaz government in Sindh… in December 1991, MQM reigned supreme and functioned above and beyond the law…”
It was alleged in those days that even General Asif Nawaz Janjua stood marked on the hit list, and as the circumstances hinted later and as is confirmed by General Aslam Beg in a statement, “ Janjua was all set to impose martial law in the country when the unexpected happened”. This unexpected was his sudden death on January 8, 1993. The country could have tasted the pre-Musharraf martial law as early as in 1993. The inevitable, however, happened in October, 1999. Who is to be blamed here? The army, or the politicians, or both?
Abbas writes, “The party also maintained a military wing, which was reportedly involved in ethnic violence, robberies and kidnapping for ransom witnessed in Karachi’s urban sprawl”. In 1994, about 800 people were killed in ethnic cleansing. Each year the figure varied between 800 to 950 on the average. Somebody must have been behind all this mayhem. Let the commission for fact finding uncover those hidden faces.
Stephen Cohen in his book ‘The Idea of Pakistan’ writes on page 216. “From the mid-1980’s onward the MQM led by Altaf Hussain developed a tightly organized political party structured along Leninist lines, complete with a hierarchy of commissars: it had a penchant for torture, kidnapping and murder…..” These are very serious charges. The fact finding commission must look into these matters and vindicate Mr. Altaf Hussain of them, or hold him responsible. After all, he is running the party on an auto-pilot pattern. Basically, he is the party.
The country’s main channels have gone overtime in discussing the confessional statements of Brigadier Imtiaz and General Nasir Akhtar. This, instead of vindicating the MQM and its leader of the main alleged charges, has resulted in further polarizing the nation. Each one is blowing his own trumpet, accusing the other, adding more heinous charges. All this is out of context. Even an elementary school kid can figure out that the timings chosen for making such a “good statement” has not been without a political tag.
Brigadier Syed A. I. Tirmazi, the predecessor director of Brigadier Imtiaz in the ISI writes one full chapter on him (Imtiaz) in his book “Profiles of Intelligence”. MQM did not do itself a good job by betting for the vindication of its integrity, and for a proof of its innocence on the statements of an officer who had always been dubious, mysterious and well-known for his vain-glory.
Mr. Zahid Malik, the editor-in-chief of Hurmat, an Urdu weekly in its volume 11, serial 38, dated 18-24 of September, 1992 published a special report , titled, ‘007: Brigadier Imtiaz James Bond of Pakistan”. Brig. Tirmazi writes on page 334, “ It is not known if it was a paid article, sponsored, complimentary, inspired or conspired, but, quite contrary to the claims of the author, Zahid Malik, it suffers from serious inaccuracies, exaggerations and distortions of facts… it would be unforgivable if corrections are not made and facts are not separated from fantasy”.
The seven missions accomplished by Brig. Imtiaz and Major Amar are categorically debunked, refuted and disputed by Brig. Tirmazi in this book. “As regards the operation for which Imtiaz was awarded Sitara-e-Basalat, the fact is not known to Zahid Malik … Actually, it was primarily due to human considerations. One day, he came to me in Islamabad and confided in me, ‘Sir, as you known I am only brother of seven sisters. My father died, without leaving any assets, when I was still very young … now one of my sisters is due to get married and I have no money. Can you kindly help? .... I discussed his case with DGI and suggested that if we could get him an award he could get financial benefits. The General agreed. I wrote the citation and the DGI got it approved from the President. Imtiaz got his award encashed for Rs. 25, 000 and was happy and grateful”. So much for the famous case of CIA-KGB mission.
Another interesting incident reported in this book is, “Zahid has again tried to give his own interpretation to a verse from Holy Qur’an. He writes, “I have titled this research report, “Two James Bonds of Pakistan”. Holy Qur’an says, ‘We created pairs of everything’, in the light of this saying of the Holy Qur’an we can say that in Pakistan a pair of James Bonds (Imtiaz and Aamir has been created”…. We the Muslims, even those like myself, only understand just a little of God’s Book, know that our Creator created pairs of living beings for the propagation and multiplication of their species…. If Imtiaz and Aamir start to reproduce, Pakistan has had it”. Who would trust people like these? Not Altaf Bhai, but he did.
Similarly, the other cases like the one pertaining to the hijacking of PIA Boeing by al-Zulfiqar, or the curbing of the terrorist scheme in interior Sindh; or his role in Afghan war, Brig. Tirmazi finds clear exaggerations and distortions made deliberately to attain self-glorification. Tirmizi mocks at Zahid Malik’s statement that Imtiaz “moves against the terrorists and saboteurs of Al-Zulfiqar… it seems that he is working on instructions from the Government, but in fact, there are two other motivating factors. One, his personal love for PM Nawaz Sharif and second, the order of Almighty Allah. For him the defense of Pakistan is God’s order…”
“Imtiaz’s love for Mian Nawaz Sharif is understandable as with Mian Sahib’s blessings and kindness he became a billionaire from a pauper. How much guidance and inspiration he has acquired from Qur’an is reflective from the fact that Imtiaz has been charged with sedition, large scale corruption and misappropriation of government funds. FIA has asked him to account for six bungalows that he and his family own in Islamabad. I am sure Zahid Malik cannot produce a Qur’anic verse to justify these activities of his hero”.
“Aamar, the other James Bond has also been charged with similar crimes and is on the run. He has been declared a proclaimed offender and the police is looking for him”.
Altaf Bhai should come to Pakistan, face the court and clear his name once and for all. He should not trust these retired turn-coats who change their statements as per the direction of the political wind.
He should build understanding with the main leaders that befit his status, and they are Mian Nawaz Sharif, Asfandar Yar Wali Khan, and the leadership of the PPP. Altaf Bhai has much to explain regarding the notion that Karachi and Hyderabad and Sukkur are the fiefdoms of the MQM. It is a good gesture that Mr. Altaf Hussain concludes his emotionally charged address by repeating the word ‘Reconciliation and his vow to forgive all”. It is good that he does so.
But words should render some meanings. What good such good gestures serve when a new line of hatred gets drawn in the stone!
