Today the South Waziristan is facing an army operation targeting tribal areas within and surrounding it. These tribal areas in Pakistan are commonly known as “Ilaqa Gher” (unruly areas). These tribal areas are neither part of any Pakistani province nor any province administers them. These tribal areas are formally known as FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas), e.g. Wana (South Waziristan), Ali Zai, Kotal (also known as Landi Kotal), Meeran Shah, Misson Posh, Khyber Agency, Kurk etc. Smuggling of drugs including heroin and other sophisticated lethal weapons is not only conducted in these areas but is also considered legitimate. Any Provincial Administration and the Federal Government can not take any action to apprehend any wanted person or recover a stolen vehicle etc within these areas. Following the accepted traditions, Federation contacts its “political agents”, which in turn meets with the related tribal jirga or the Sardar. The verdict of the tribal jirga is then passed to the political agent and then forwarded to the Federal Government, which has to content with it. The Government of Pakistan wanted certain elements from these tribal areas but the tribal jirgas and sardars through the political agents replied that the wanted elements are not present in these tribal areas. The Government of Pakistan had evidence of the presence of foreigners in these areas and more importantly information of the presence of leaders of Taaliban and Al-Qaeda. It was not possible for the Government of Pakistan to search for and arrest these wanted persons in the tribal areas spread on 27219 square kilometers with a few hundred personnel of frontier constabulary and local police because all these tribal areas are armed. It is for this reason that the Pakistan Army was sent in to arrest these wanted persons. High Officials of the Army held several talks with the tribal leaders through the political agents for the handover of these wanted elements, which proved unfruitful resulting in the battle between the army and the tribal people. Small and heavy artillery was used including Cobra gunship helicopters. As a result, lives of both sides, i.e. the personnel of Pakistan Army and the armed fighters of tribal areas, were lost; several innocent people including innocent children also lost their lives. Amongst the armed tribal fighters who lost their lives were Chechens, Uzbeks, Arabs and from various countries of Africa, which proved the presence of large number of foreign fighters in the tribal areas. Also discovered were several miles long tunnels. Furthermore, several hundred families were left destitute and displaced from their homes. After 56 years of Pakistan’s independence, in 2004, it is for the first time that the Pakistan Army launched an operation in these tribal areas.
Here the question arises that when even a common Pakistani is aware that the law of land is not enforceable in tribal areas, arms and drug smuggling, trade of stolen vehicles is the order of the day and the wanted persons fleeing arrest take refuge in these areas causing severe embarrassment to the Federal and Provincial Governments; then why the Government of Pakistan previously failed to launch an operation in the tribal areas? The Pakistani law was flouted in these areas and crimes committed but for the past 56 years a sincere effort was never made to bring these tribal areas under the law of land. Most significantly why now the Pakistan Army had to launch an operation? It is very simple and every intelligent Pakistani including the members of political and religious parties is aware that this action has been taken under the implicit pressure of the United States of America (the only super power of today’s world). Certain elements comment that if Pakistan would not have launched this operation then America and its allies would have entered Pakistan and carried out this operation or bombarded these tribal areas. Today several political parties are opposing this operation; particularly all the religious parties are actively and vociferously opposing the operation and organizing demonstrations. The religious parties are terming the Wana Operation is being as prejudiced and bigotry and a conspiracy to break the country, whereas their leaders are declaring the act of participation in this operation as forbidden in Islam. These leaders are also issuing religious decrees that the army personnel who lost their lives in this battle are not martyrs but in fact their death is illicit and to offer or participate in their funeral prayers is forbidden in Islam. They are justifying their decree with the claim that a Muslim Army is attacking Muslims; therefore, such an act is un-Islamic and forbidden in Islam. Moreover, all these religious parties are announcing that General Pervez Musharraf has deposited Pakistan’s security as collateral at the hands of America and have traded the sovereignty of the country. Another question arises why General Pervez Musharraf is being singled out as being responsible for the current grave situation? It may be recalled that Nawaz Sharif, during his premiership, after returning from his visit to America and meeting with President Clinton, met with General Musharraf and ordered him to stop the Kargil’s Army Operation. If Kargil Operation was wrong then Nawaz Sharif would not only have ordered to stop it but also have sacked General Musharraf. However, the irony of fate is that General Musharraf was removed from his post while he was visiting Sri Lanka just as General Ziaul Haque dismissed Prime Minister Junejo while he was on a foreign visit. What is the difference between the act of army dictator General Ziaul Haque and civilian Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif? Similarly, the role of Benazir Bhutto, during her period in office, in strengthening the Taaliban and sending them to Afghanistan has been openly acknowledged by her own interior minister Naseerullah Babar when he stated that Taaliban are like our children – however, later Benazir Bhutto, her Government and her party opposed the Taaliban. Why?
During Benazir’s rule, her brother and the son of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Mir Murtaza Bhutto was brutally murdered in broad daylight but despite being the Prime Minister she kept silent. Why? Moreover, till today, she has failed to inform the followers of Bhutto of who killed Mir Murtaza Bhutto and who was behind his murder. Similarly in the General Elections of 1970, the Awami League gained victory with huge majority – but the intellectuals, researchers, historians and students may reply to the question that why Zulfikar Ali Bhutto raised the slogan of Idhar Hum Udhar Tum (Us here – You there)? Why the democratic will of the people was slaughtered and threatened to break the legs of any member who went to Dhaka for the National Assembly session? Why did Bhutto thanked Allah Almighty when army operation was being launched in East Pakistan and said that Pakistan has been saved and why he repeated this statement when East Pakistan emerged as an independent and sovereign country on the world map? Zulfikar Bhutto refused to handover power to the democratically elected majority party, the Awami League, but after the independence of Bangladesh, why he not only spearheaded the movement to accept it as an independent country but also acknowledged Bangladesh? The answer to the above question is that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was a feudal (jaagidar) and was not only playing the role of adopted son of General Ayub Khan but also have served the military government as ministers. Under the full patronage of army generals, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto entered the field of politics. On the other hand, Nawaz Sharif entered in the field of politics under the total patronage of General Ziaul Haque during his Martial Law. Subsequently, both these political parties were presented to the public under the full patronage and support of the army generals and gained popularity through the propaganda campaign of the powerful state agencies. Today, both these political parties propagate that Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) is the product of General Ziaul Haque but these political parties of the feudal lords, i.e. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), are unaware that in 1979 during the dictatorship of Ziaul Haque, the MQM Founder Leader Mr Altaf Hussain was sentenced by a summary military court in a false and fabricated case for nine month rigorous imprisonment and five lashes. Altaf Hussain didn’t ask for pardon and served the illegal sentence of nine month but refused to bow down in front of the army rulers. Now, Benazir Bhutto openly issues statements that as soon as she received green signal from the GHQ, she will return to Pakistan.
Now lets come to the religious parties who continue to blame General Pervez Musharraf for everything and anything. I would like to put forward a question to the people – whether these religious parties reacted in the same manner against any previous military ruler as they are reacting against General Pervez Musharraf? Within a democratic country, a democracy loving person can never consider the rule of army general as legitimate or suitable. Is it not true that all these religious parties accepted the martial law of military dictator General Ziaul Haque? Is it not true that the leaders of these religious parties became ministers in the martial law government of the army dictator? Did the leaders of the religious parties then demanded of General Ziaul Haque to remove his uniform, as they have been demanding of General Pervez Musharraf for the past year? Have they done anything so far for the welfare of the people? These religious parties are opposing the military action in South Waziristan – is it not true that all these religious parties praised the massacre of Bengali Muslims in East Pakistan? Is it not true that Jamaat-e-Islami in collusion with the Army created Al-Shams and Al-Badr to massacre Bengalis in East Pakistan? Why the murder of Bengali Muslims was not declared forbidden? Why the decree was not issued that any army personnel being killed in East Pakistan is not a martyr and to participate in his funeral prayer is un-Islamic and forbidden?
During the Cold War between America and Russia (Soviet Union), is it not true that America was declared “Ahl-e-Kitaab” by these religious? All these religious parties issued decree of jihad against Russia and under the patronage of America incited the innocent Muslims in the name of jihad? After the destruction of Russia was it not the leaders of these religious parties who declared it as the victory of Islam and praised America? Is it not true that because of the cooperation of our religious parties, America has today become the unipolar power? Why now these religious parties are against America? Why are they issuing decrees on the army operation in South Waziristan? Why are they blaming only and only General Pervez Musharraf for the current situation? The fact is that General Pervez Musharraf has to reap what these religious parties sowed in the past.
Wouldn’t it have been prudent that during the Cold War if the two super powers, i.e. America and Russia, would have been left alone to fight their war? After all by siding with the America in the Cold War, what benefits were achieved by our religious and political parties? Why these religious parties did not inform the people that we must not take sides in the war between the two elephants? Did these religious parties preached that we must concentrate on our country, welfare, education and health of our people?
These religious parties who are responsible for making America the unipolar power must beg for Allah’s pardon and also seek pardon from the public: that they misguided the public, that because of free flow of dollars they forgot Islamic teachings and preaching, that they deluded the people in Allah’s name and in the name of Islam for their personal gains. They should beg for Allah’s forgiveness. However, sadly enough even today these religious parties, instructed and funded by their masters, instead of telling the truth, are bent upon deceiving the innocent citizens. We pray to Allah Almighty to grant all of us good faith, direction, courage to take right decisions, open our eyes so we can discriminate between truth and lies; and also to feel that how much responsible we are of the blood being shed in South Waziristan today. (Amen)