Anarchy is spreading in Pakistan. There are two – the primary and the other secondary – sources of this anarchy. The primary source is the West generally and the United States specifically. And lately, now, Israel has entered the arena. The secondary source is the elites and the rulers of Pakistan. But without American and Western interference and support the elites and rulers of Pakistan would not have deteriorated to the extent we see them deteriorated today. Moreover peoples of Pakistan would not have faced permanent sabotage to their efforts for democratization and rule of law in the country. In nutshell, without Western and American interference, Pakistan would have been, at least, a functioning state today. But today, one has to convince oneself forcefully in believing and hoping that Pakistan is not failing and disintegrating.
Is it coincidence or coordination that both American and the so-called terrorist attacks in Pakistan create the same or similar results? They demoralize peoples of Pakistan and shake their belief in the future of their country. But it is also true that, whichever government or group in power, the State of Pakistan has become totally unreliable for the peoples it is responsible for. Therefore of the so many attacks, in Pakistan and on the security forces and peoples of Pakistan, we cannot say which of them was real and which was sponsored. All the time, the situation for the people has remained dubious.
Whatever they are, ‘Al-Qaeda’, ‘Taliban’ and their likes or derivatives cannot be separated from their manipulators and creators — American-Zionist-Western-Pakistani Combine. This seems to be one part of the reality. And in the Pakistani establishment and elites, there are elements whose lust for power is not fulfill-able within the present setup of Pakistan. They are ‘Al-Qaeda’ and ‘Taliban’ who have not been, but also do not want to be, identified as such. And this seems to be another part of the reality. Of them those who are not opportunists and adventurers are ideologues. They are like the Mujahideen of Afghanistan, of whom every one must have in his mind his own hodgepodge of power – in fact, another name of ‘pure’ oppression in the name of religion. And there must be many such groups operating in Pakistan these days. But unfortunately for them, Pakistan is not in the position to give them the type and quantity of power they want from it. Therefore like the Mujahideen factions, if allowed, they will end up destroying everything around them.
Leaving aside Al-Qaeda, Taliban, their likes or derivatives and their apologists, where stand the others – the ‘secularists’ vis-à-vis the future of Pakistan? Corrupt to the core, every one of them has his own personal agenda. They are simply the under miners of another type, nothing more. And we know that there are many, in this category, who from within the state institutions or from the outside are undermining Pakistan. Musharraf, Benazir and Zardari fall in this category. They, under the American sponsorship, deceived the peoples of Pakistan in the name of democracy and committed a mega fraud with them that perhaps all mullahs of Pakistan put together may never be able to repeat.
Therefore, perhaps, lately, Musharraf’s acts and behaviour were no more explainable by his personal ambition alone. I had started believing that in his actions and the way he took them, there seemed to be a design to demoralize Pakistan Army. I had suspected that within the larger American-Zionist-Western agenda, Musharraf had developed his personal and language-based communalistic mini-agenda also. What else could have been concluded from the carnage of May 12, 2007 in Karachi? And when Musharraf deliberately first encouraged Lal Masjid clerics and then committed brutalities for his own ends, the terrorist attacks, in particular the high profile, on Pakistan Army and killing or making its soldiers hostage could not have been, I believe, a separate phenomenon from Musharraf’s design. How to separate the sponsored from the un-sponsored attacks, if any? Unless things become clear, we must remain suspicious. And how else could one explain the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti except that Musharraf wanted Pakistan Army be sucked into more and more troubles?
And nobody knew since how long he had ceased to be a Pakistan’s man. Behind the smokescreen of his ‘Presidency’ he was busy in factional politics to attain whatever objectives he had conceived, which could only be achieved at the cost of Pakistan.
Musharraf reached the summit and had more power than any other ruler before him ever had. Even then and after his long rule, he had an agenda! And the peoples of Pakistan were tired of him and were always apprehensive about his next move. And in fact the apprehensions of our people about Musharraf’s next move were the proof that he had an agenda, which obviously he could not realize within the four corners of Pakistan although the country since 1999 had remained in his pocket. Many of his hidden things remained hidden until he had to leave.
But above all this, in fact, as I see it presently, there is a complicated and larger game being played which is beyond the comprehension of the small-minded players in Pakistan or Afghanistan. The American-led West and Israel are steadily moving towards their agenda in the region – the break-up of Pakistan. This will solve their problem – a nuclear and totally anti-American Pakistan. And it seems, India will not be unhappy.
But I do wish to see India to be doing otherwise. I want India to have its own independent stand – uninfluenced by American-Western-Zionist influences — about the region. Given the behaviour of Pakistan since Partition, I know it is difficult. But then right decisions are normally difficult decisions. I wish India should feel grieved when we are grieved. And if we do not do the same in return, and I know we don’t do, they should know that we have been manipulated. If they are more free than us as I think there is such a consensus in India, their actions have to be more right than ours for the future of the region specifically and mankind generally.
Anyhow, if Pakistan continued to be pushed into such or some similar situation, you may find Musharraf still around doing some sinful things, as his agenda did not seem to be different from what would ultimately come up in the break-up of Pakistan.
And if this or similar is not American-Zionist-Western agenda, then, they are simply idiots. What, then, they are doing here? Are they here to what they call ‘stabilization’ of Afghanistan? If so, then they are even bigger idiots. Or was not this even so-called stabilization their afterthought? Did not Bush said that ‘nation building’ was not their job? “We’re not into nation building,” Bush told reporters within days after bombing [of Afghanistan] began. “We’re into justice.” [1]
If the forces of evil did succeed in their designs, who in the world would mourn the death of Pakistan? No one except the peoples of Pakistan who will be insulted and thrown into such uncertainties that to fathom them today is almost impossible. There may be many at the funeral, but nobody will be mournful. This is the earning of about 60 years of those to whom the British handed over power in 1947, their heirs and their subsequent generations.
Overall, the situation is such that a new chowk, a crossroad and/or a defining moment for the peoples of Pakistan have arrived. We can make history or go down as the wretched and the unworthy of having any respectful place in the world.
Therefore, we have to be clear in our minds that those who have already done the damage or those who indulge in the further break-up of the existing social fiber of our society anywhere in the country, deliberately or by playing in the hands of others, are the enemies of the peoples of Pakistan. We all agree that our police are corrupt, for example. But if things are spoiled to such an extent that even this police structure breaks down, will not the people suffer even more?
Therefore in line with this thinking and when we have so many experiences of social breakdowns in the world, I state that whosoever, with whatever justification, destabilized and/or is destabilizing Pakistan directly or indirectly, in fact, helped and/or is helping American-led West and Israel in their game in Pakistan and in the region. And in spite of the fact that Pakistan Army has been used and is being used according to the wishes of the American-led West, even then, I categorically state that whosoever undermined and/or is undermining the present capabilities of Pakistan Army directly or indirectly again has helped and/or is helping American-led West and Israel in their designs in Pakistan and in the region. Taliban, their supporters and their apologists in Pakistan fall in both the above categories. They have directly and openly destabilized and are destabilizing Pakistan. And they have directly and openly undermined and are undermining Pakistan Army.
American–led West with its hidden Zionist component, Pakistan’s ruling elites, Afghanistan’s ruling elites, and those against whom they all declare to be fighting or pretend to be fighting in their so-called “War on Terror” in Afghanistan or in Pakistan, be they Taliban, Al-Qaeda or any other individual, group or entity, are collectively involved in anti-civilization and criminal activities in the region. They feed on each other to do what they are doing. It is the manipulation by the Zionist-Christian extremists of the prejudices and weaknesses of the Muslim world that the scenarios of Al-Qaeda, Taliban and the like fighting against the West on behalf of the Muslim world have been created. By this they have snatched from the peoples of Pakistan and Afghanistan the initiative to stand for truth, independence and civilization and exhibit the right behaviour worthy of a superior culture and thus have condemned them permanently, at least apparently, to remain in the slavery of the West. And the story of our region – Afghanistan-Pakistan – is not unrelated to Iraq or Palestine.
These parameters and others, which follow, will obviously determine the direction of our struggle. And we will also judge others accordingly.
And in view of their imperialist masters’ designs, therefore, I believe, the more enterprising of the elites and the rulers are now seeing beyond Pakistan. Preparing for that eventuality, they are presently canvassing and seeking the enlargement of their selfish agendas in the darbar of Imperialism.
No doubt, they are stupidest of the stupidest. They have again tied their future with Imperialism as their forefathers did. But they want Pakistan’s dead body also to fulfill their satanic wishes. And peoples of Pakistan will not let that happen. The elites will discover, after having many surprises, that they had committed a huge blunder. And for that they will pay a very heavy price. This time, inshaallah, they will get nothing and instead lose everything.
Imperialism is now old and becoming poor rapidly. And with impaired mind, it cannot see things rightly. What can it deliver to its lackeys who are in the habit of remembering good old days? And those who are anxious to see Pakistan’s dead body soon will be disappointed. This time it will not be ‘business as usual’ and peoples of Pakistan will fight back and will astonish not only its enemies but also the whole world.
But this will be unbelievable for the rich and the powerful that the peoples of Pakistan can fight back. It should be inconceivable for them because even their previous generations had written off the people time again? Their power was never actually based on the people. So far they have held power by manipulating them.
They have damaged the country so much that today I see with a heavy heart, despair and hopelessness all around in the people. Although I know it is transitory, but it is a Herculean task to give hope to the hopeless and that too under fire. For that establishing trust between the peoples of Pakistan and a new leadership will be so essential that howsoever strong my emphasis here will be less than actually required in practice. The solution lies in building a political culture based on truth. And to ensure this for the future, we have to be untiring in our constant and vigorous struggle to remain truthful to the principle of truthfulness.
Coming back to the question of present hopelessness, when we know that this despair and hopelessness was not our integral part, it was not due to us but came from those who led us and in whom we placed our trust, a new hope and confidence will start coming to us. For this we do not need any weapons. For this we do not have to physically attack anybody. If we can grasp this simple fact, this will lead us to a great unity of our people – the corner stone of our struggle. And in that way perhaps it is more than half of our Liberation.
Those who have evil minds make things complicated for humanity. They create one wrong and justify it. Then they create another wrong and justify it. And in justifying second wrong, the presence of first wrong helps them. In this way they continue to create wrongs after wrongs and create more and more complicated arguments to justify them. A stage comes when they themselves become prisoners of this mountain of wrongs and arguments justifying them. At such a stage, their game ends. Someone else has to come and remove them, their wrongs and their arguments from the center stage of the society. Hurdles have to be removed. Life has to move forward. Pakistan is in such a state of affairs.
The degradation we have fallen into is very deep. To pull our country from this depth necessarily requires a very competent, honest and visionary leadership. Short of that the country cannot be salvaged. The struggle, which leads to the success of such a leadership will not let it rest, I tend to believe, with half measures. Therefore as we begin our struggle, we should think simple as well as big — to make our country vibrant, innovative, enlightened, a leading player for civilization in the world, peaceful and law abiding, capable of helping others, a lender and not a borrower, a country where human rights are sacred and we are counted as one of the top few of the world, as a worthy example.
And in this way, if we continue to probe matters, as in the following pages, we will continue to be surprised with many of our defects about which we could never have been able to even think before. But whatever our honest probe brings forth, we should not avoid but face it with courage and fortitude. Truthfulness cannot be abandoned for our convenience. On my part, to remain faithful to this principle – Satyagraha — is the cornerstone of my struggle.
Never really independent since the day one, Pakistan was always under the indirect American control. But after 9/11 a qualitative change has occurred. It is now practically like an occupied country with the difference from the physically occupied like Afghanistan or Iraq that there is no resistance to this Pakistan specific occupation. Therefore, the occupation of Pakistan – a proxy occupation — is perhaps the cheapest one for the American-Zionist-Western occupiers. This change from indirect control to proxy occupation first through the Musharraf regime, and now through the Zardari regime is indicative of the more and more general deterioration of the ruling classes of Pakistan which we see otherwise also in their acts and behaviours on daily basis in Pakistan.
Who else could have resisted when our elites and rulers had completely deserted the peoples of Pakistan? Mostly incompetent, the cleverer of them have permanently committed themselves to the cause of the foreigners and work for them. And they have reached the stage that there seems to be no chance they would ever be able to look back. And as long as they live or until they are overthrown, they are likely to remain with the occupiers and therefore the enemies the people.
Nothing in Pakistan can now be termed normal the peoples of Pakistan are comfortable with. There is nothing in Pakistan, which gives them hope. There is no one in Pakistan to whom people can give their trust without an element of doubt. And there is no one in Pakistan to whom people can look for salvation. Already in difficult times, but really more difficult times are lying in wait for us in the future. I call upon those who are on the right side of things to prepare and prepare well. Pakistan is too much criminalized internally that without clearing it even a ‘Liberated Pakistan’ will not sustain and will again fall back in the lap of criminals and their foreign masters.
It is indeed a far heavier agenda for even the best estimate of our capabilities. But we have to accept the challenge, as there is no escape. And these tasks demand from us not only qualifications for a variety of tasks, but sacrifices of historical proportions too.
The ruling classes have reached such a point, in stages. Hypocrisy was always their weapon to cheat the simple masses who were ever unfortunate not to have an honest and competent leadership. But now their hypocrisy is touching the skies that they term their nakedness with pride the best of clothes! And people look at them bewildered and amazed!
They collude with each other to bypass truth and what really matters for the peoples of Pakistan. They are involved in the politics of total lies. They do not offer genuine alternatives but have ganged up against the people. They do not face the Zionist-Western designs against Pakistan and Afghanistan but always conspire to oppress their ‘own’ people. They disagree on superficial issues and do not touch the matters of substance. Disorder and chaos or fitna is on the increase. And American-Zionist-Western interference is accelerating Pakistan’s disintegration.
Peoples of Pakistan have many questions. What will happen next, is their constant worry. At what stage is this disintegration? And then, can it be stopped? Can it be reversed? Or, in other words, is Pakistan repairable? But there in no one to listen to their muted questions. There is noise all around. The rulers and the elites are merry-making. They are drunk and their happy parties continue.
And if the disintegration is irreversible, which it is, then for those who have been alienated, blocked or ousted by the cleverer, more powerful and the rich and therefore have lost hope, their Pakistan — as they had known, believed, experienced and felt it good in many ways – is no more there. Their Pakistan has already disintegrated.
What could not have been imagined earlier has already happened and continues to happen daily. Americans bomb Pakistan whenever they want and Swat, for example, has become practically a ‘non-Pakistan’ territory. And as the elites and rules of Pakistan live in a culture perfected with falsehood, therefore they themselves will never tell us what really is happening there or in many other parts (or perhaps former parts) of Pakistan.
On June 11, 2008 at least 11 paramilitary soldiers were killed in an air strike by US-led forces on a security post of the Frontier Corps in Sheikh Baba area along the Afghan border in Mohmand tribal region. It “shows just how quickly the American-led war in Afghanistan is spreading into Pakistan. It also shows Washington’s growing readiness to attack old ally Pakistan. Pakistan’s military branded the air attack ‘unprovoked and cowardly.’ However, the unstable PPP-led government, which depends on large infusions of US aid, later softened its protests. The US, which used a B-1 heavy bomber and F-15 strike aircraft in the attacks, called its action, ‘self-defence.’ In recent months, attacks by US aircraft, Predator hunter-killer drones, US Special Forces and CIA teams have been increasing steadily inside Pakistan’s Fata. US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has been openly advocating major ground and air attacks by US forces into Pakistan. Pro-Israel neoconservatives in the Bush administration have been denouncing Pakistan as a ‘rogue state’ and a ‘sponsor of international terrorism,’ and are calling for US air and missile strikes against Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and reactors.”[2]
And it was reported from Peshawar on June 24, 2008 that the emboldened militants have set their sights on Peshawar: “The security situation in Peshawar is grim. . . . [T]he might of the militant groups operating around Peshawar from one to the other end is all too visible and alarming to ignore. . . . The kidnapping of Christians from one of the NWFP’s biggest teaching hospitals and the sighting of militants in the very heart of the military cantonment has made even the very laid-back sit up and take notice. Police stations in rural Peshawar have long given up patrolling at night after a contingent was blown up by a rocket-propelled grenade and charred bodies of policemen were retrieved and buried without allowing their dear ones to see their faces for the last time. . . .” [3]
On September 3, 2008, around 4 a.m., “at least 20 people, most of them women and children, were killed in an assault by US-led coalition forces on a village near the Afghan border on Wednesday.” The village is near Angoor Adda, in South Waziristan Agency. According to a villager: “The Americans came in helicopters, landed, walked up to the houses, started shooting and then flew back towards Afghanistan.” [4]
On September 8, 2008, “Suspected US drones hit the house and seminary of former Taliban commander Maulvi Jalaluddin Haqqani in Dandi Derpakhel area of North Waziristan on Monday killing 23 people, including three Arab and two Azerbaijani nationals among them. … It was the seventh violation of Pakistan’s territory by US forces over the past 10 days and at least 61 people have been killed in the attacks.” [5]
On September 12, 2008 “Twelve people were killed and 14 others injured when a US drone hit the building of a non-functional school in Toolkhel area of North Waziristan on Friday. This was the fifth air attack by the US-led allied forces in North Waziristan over the past 10 days.” [6]
On September 17, 2008, “Hours after the American military commander had assured Pakistan’s political and military leadership that the United States would respect the country’s sovereignty, missiles were fired from US drones on a house in South Waziristan, killing six people and injuring three others. The unmanned aircraft which entered the tribal area from Afghanistan fired four missiles on the house in a village near Angoor Adda which is close to an allied forces’ base across the border. The same area had recently experienced an attack by US commandos.” [7]
On September 23, 2008, “A suspected US unmanned spy plane crashed on Tuesday in a tribal area bordering Afghanistan, officials said. The drone came down near the village of Angoor Adda in South Waziristan, the scene of several recent missile strikes by American drones, a senior security official said.” [8]
On October 23, a joint session of the two houses of parliament adopted a resolution in which apart from many other decorative things, it said: “That Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity shall be safeguarded. The nation stand united against any incursions and invasions of the homeland, and calls upon the government to deal with it effectively. “That Pakistan’s territory shall not be used for any kind of attacks on other countries and all foreign fighters, if found shall be expelled from our soil.”
That Peshawar was slipping into chaos was reported in the Daily Times on 8-12-2008: “Four years ago, journalists used to go to Waziristan for the story. Today, the story itself reached Peshawar. In October 2003, a team of journalists reached Baghar in South Waziristan, to file follow-up stories of the maiden airstrike on a suspected Al Qaeda or Taliban hideout. … Four years on, a look at the damage caused by Friday evening’s car bomb blast near the historic Qisakhawani bazaar and an attack on parked trucks carrying NATO supplies testifies the danger has arrived as close as possible. The government itself is a hostage. An Iraq-like green zone was established in Peshawar with checkposts on the roads leading to important offices and residences. High profile kidnapping and murders have added to the fears of Peshawar residents. Security analysts forecast that Peshawar might face an even worse scenario if over 500 hardened militants camping in Khyber Agency storm the provincial capital and the army is called upon to reclaim the city.”
Add to this the observation of an ANP (Awami National Party) leader, reported on 7-12-2008: “What will be the credibility of the military operation in Swat when houses of ministers are destroyed and their family members are queued up for shooting.” “What I see is that the situation has gone out of control of both the federal and provincial governments and the people have lost confidence in the government and the army.” [9]
And according to a report published on January 15, 2009: “Nearly 800 policemen — half of the total sanctioned strength of police in Swat, have either deserted or proceeded on long leave on one pretext or the other. Only one of the 600 police recruits trained by the military at the Punjab Regimental Centre in Mardan, volunteered to go and serve, while the others plainly refused to head to what is now being called the ‘valley of death’. The second phase of the military operation Rah-i-Haq in July last to regain control of the northern district of the North-West Frontier Province appears to have made little headway. Many analysts agree that the state writ has shrunk from Swat’s 5337square kilometre area to the limits of its regional headquarters of Mingora — a city of 36 square kilometres. Indeed, local residents say militants routinely carry out patrolling in Mingora, where its central square, the Green Chowk, came to be known as ‘Chowk Zebahkhana’ or the slaughter square. … Contributing further to the already grim scenario is the growing negative public perception of the military operation that they say has killed more civilians than militants. … The damage caused to property and infrastructure since the emergence of militancy in Swat has been evaluated at Rs3 billion, according to a senior government official, as militants blow up bridges and schools. The number of schools blown up or torched now stands at 181 – the highest perhaps in any insurgency anywhere in the world in an area as small as Swat. …” [10]
Obviously, these reports can only be a part of the whole, which must have happened during this period. And even if the report about Peshawar or some other reports were exaggerated, as some claimed, they represented the general situation, which had taken time to build up, and was likely to worsen further. What else is needed to conclude that the present politics – whatever it may be – has failed? What else is needed to understand that others – who could have never thought to be in the forefront — have to come forward now to rescue the people?
How anyone can escape these hard facts? But how painful and worrisome are these realizations, depends upon the extent of our concern about the unity and respect of our nation in the world. Obviously I am not talking about those who have already drowned themselves in the prevalent degradation and are the primary local cause of the ongoing disintegration in the first place.
And on my own authority, I can say that without confronting the Western madness as a united people and taking the right path at the same time, the disintegration process cannot be stopped or reversed. It may be prolonged. Either way, therefore, in the present setup, our country is beyond repair. This leaves no option for us except to build a new, independent and civilized Pakistan. And, obviously, in such a Pakistan there will be no place for those who have brought us to the present situation.
They never stood up to face the problems of our era. The real problems, in fact, never came up on their agenda. Under the shadow of Imperialism, like spoiled children, they continued to exploit and misbehave with the weak. They continued to try and increase their power, influence and money at the expense of the society – mua’shra — and the country. Practically as a class or classes, they operated like adventurers and gamblers. And adventurers and gamblers do not salvage nations or liberate and empower the downtrodden. They do what they do and for bad results they blame others.
They would have been ousted from power long ago had Imperialism been not behind them. Their new generations, which dominate the stage today, have proved to be of more criminal mentality than their older generations who were reared under the British ‘care’. And those who are not criminals are fools and/or incompetent.
Obviously they did not behave responsibly and rightly when they had the option to do so. As the history has moved forward in the meantime, and, so, the time that they lose their power, influence and money is fast approaching. It is as simple as that. No group or class can have license forever to dominate a people or a country. There is limit to everything. There is nothing mysterious about it.
The un-workability of the ‘communist ideology in the Soviet Union’ took about 70 years to reach its end point, for example. Pakistan is now 60 years old and the “system” is hovering over us and every one is guessing where it would finally crash.
Let us resolve to defend the peoples of Pakistan from its rulers and the West and avoid the coming crash. The odds are overwhelming, no doubt. But this should not perturb us, because, our case is based on truth. We have to understand it, and then deepen our faith. I know the counter reply that truth does not matter. And when this has been the experience throughout the lives of most of our people who are alive today, the difficulties, I agree, for creating a bridgehead for truth in the territory of falsehood are really immense. But we have to accomplish this. I repeat, we have to accomplish this. There is no other respectable way out. Let us have courage, ‘burn our boats’ and march forward.
But if truth does not matter then why Pakistan, which remained on the path of falsehood all its life, is failing and disintegrating? If it was falsehood that really mattered most in human affairs, then Pakistan’s ruling classes should have been ruling a powerful country today having their own place in the world. But what are they today? Degraded and not able to look into the eyes of their people, they are a third rate servants of the declining imperialism. And, then, why American imperialism is not succeeding? Clearly, falsehood has failed. It has failed not only in Pakistan, it is failing worldwide. We, therefore, must have faith in truth.
If this fundamental and simple truth is understood, we can defend Pakistan. And therefore, inshaallah, we shall raise the edifice of our ‘New Politics’ on the simple and understandable truths of our existence. We shall oust all jadoogari from Pakistani politics by faithfully practicing truth. And when we will take even a few steps in the political arena on the path of truth, the people will start experiencing a feeling of new energy in them, which they had never experienced before. They will feel they can do things, which earlier they could not have even imagined.
Therefore, we will not despair. Wherever it is now, we will start defending and retrieving Pakistan, here and now. And I want you, your family, your friends, and your acquaintances to have faith in yourselves and others too. The people around you are yours and united we are so big a powerhouse that we will not only change Pakistan, we inshaallah will be the pioneers of the right behaviour and the right changes in Pakistan which will also benefit the Muslim world and the world at large. ■