As one reads through the pages of Gul Hasan’s book, it becomes clear that the dark years of Zia-ul-Haque occupying the seat of power was the culmination of a sequence of decisions made by both the political as well as military leaders starting in the 1950s – Naya Daur

 

Memoirs of Lt Gen Gul Hassan Khan – A Good Reference Point for Chaotic Times
By C. Naseer Ahmad
Washington, DC

After the failed invasion of Cuba in 1961, late US President John F. Kennedy reportedly said: “Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.” Assuming responsibility for failure is something most public figures in Pakistan’s troubled history have avoided leaving the country’s citizens to pick up the pieces from the mess created by those at the helm of power.

In these chaotic times in Pakistan with major political parties at loggerheads and a bedlam in which the reputation of armed forces has become questionable, it is useful to ponder over a Chinese proverb: “Failure is a mother of success” meaning that having failures enables people to not only cope with defeat but also learn lessons to forge ahead on a path to future successes.

One of the most spectacular failures was Pakistan’s humiliating defeat during the 1971 War resulting in the loss of East Pakistan. Fifty years on, Bangladesh outperforms Pakistan in almost every measure when the two countries are compared economically. For both the literacy rate and life expectancy, Bangladesh rates higher than Pakistan.

Before his retirement former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Ahmad Bajwa had some thought-provoking remarks in his speech during the passing-out parade of the 146 th Long Course at Pakistan Military Academy (PMA). One of the evocative quotations referenced Field Marshal Philip Walhouse Chetwode ‘The safety, honor and welfare of your country come first, always and every time. The honor, welfare comfort of the men you command come next. Your own ease, comfort and safety come last always and every time.’ COAS Bajwa went on to say that these quotes are boldly etched even today on the walls of PMA’s Brigadier Francis Ingle Memorial Hall.

It is ironic that COAS Bajwa chose a century old quote from a military leader of a colonial power. This begs a question: are there no military leaders within the Pakistan Army who can serve as inspiration for today’s young officers?

While inspiration is important, introspection is quite valuable, especially if the goal is to make failures the mother of successes to come. For this reason, it is important to encourage reading “Memoirs of Lt General Gul Hassan Khan,” published about a quarter century ago. Gul Hassan wrote in a language soldiers might be speaking in the officers’ messes around the country. It is devoid of pomposity but a record of a military leader taking ownership of the failures in 1971.

Autobiographies can be sometimes self-serving, score-settling and blaming others for disasters created by famous personalities themselves.

In his book, Gul Hassan tells the story about his life and gives a detailed firsthand account of some wild rides in the country’s past. It is a useful exercise to learn from his experience because Gul Hassan was a witness to some pivotal moments in history when the British Empire was recovering from some humiliating setbacks during World War II, the birth of Pakistan, the martial laws in Pakistan, the toppling of governments and the fall of Dhaka.

Because he was witness to history at some pivotal moments, the reader will get the proverbial ringside view as history is unfolded.

Gul Hasan tells the story about the time when he was seated next to the driver in the car in which the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah was riding in the back. When the car approached the railway crossing at Malir, the gate was closed but the approaching train was quite far. So, in order to not make the then first Governor General of Pakistan wait needlessly, Gul Hasan got out of the car to ask the gatekeeper to open the gate and let the car go through. Upon returning to the car, Mr Jinnah ordered Gul Hasan to return to the gatekeeper so as to keep the gate closed until after the train passed. “If I do not obey the law, then how should I expect others to do so?” Mr Jinnah told Gul Hasan.

Fast forward 24 years later in 1971, Gul Hasan was riding in the car with Mr Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, whose party had won most seats in what was used to be West Pakistan but was neither the country’s President nor the Prime Minister then. They were together going to China to get help for Pakistan. As they were approached a traffic light, Bhutto asked Gul Hasan what impressed him most about Mr Jinnah during the time he worked for the country’s Founder. So, Gul Hasan told him this story and just then Bhutto barked at the driver to run through the red light: “Drive on, no one can stop me.” So, what unfolded during the few tumultuous years of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s reign was unsurprising.

As one reads through the pages of Gul Hasan’s book, it becomes clear that the dark years of Zia-ul-Haque occupying the seat of power was the culmination of a sequence of decisions made by both the political as well as military leaders starting in the 1950s.

From this book one learns that Gul Hasan had bailed Zia twice during this military career. In fact, in 1970, Zia was in serious trouble for his conduct during a deputation to Jordan because of which his commanding officer (then) Brigadier Nawazish Ali Khan wrote in a confidential document that Zia “is not fit to be an officer in the Pakistan Army.” Yet, he was the man who held the levers of power in Pakistan for eleven years – perhaps the longest of anyone in that role.

And it probably won’t come as a surprise how Zia paid back the favor to Gul Hasan. He briefly imprisoned Gul Hasan based on an arrest warrant issued by Bhutto whom Zia had already overthrown.

An important character trait in a leader, especially a military commander, is to take responsibility for outcomes, both good and bad. If a leader has the courage to take ownership for a negative outcome, then he has a greater chance of earning the respect from those who are following. Both spoken and written words become worthy of believing if there is honesty. In this respect, Gul Hassan will have earned the respect of those who chose to read the book in these chaotic times to find inspiration while practicing healthy introspection.