Swat- Leading to an Overview: Where are we headed?
The most suitable title for this post may be the name of the scenic valley which today faces distress beyond words could express. The hullabaloo of the emergency rule and protests against it plays down one of its dire triggering factors. Militants, belonging to a religious extremist lot under the leadership of Mullah Fazlullah have taken over most parts of Swat stressing the imposition of (their own form of) Sharia Law. Mullah Fazlullah is also widely known in Swat as “Mullah radio” as he would make speeches through a pirate FM radio station, calling it holy war against the government. The inhabitants of the region are harassed and are seen evacuating their homes and cities/ villages in troops only for their own safety and freedom.
courtesy washingtonpost
I hate to be the one reporting this but our very own “proud” and “capable” army that boasts and stresses on the “fact” that we civilians don’t have a right to democracy or “don’t know how to mind our manners” crumbled to the Taliban militants due to what I would say, poor training, both religious and ethical. Where army men who are to support and protect us, gave in to the fact that “we are fighting our fellow Muslims”? Did no one ever teach them the meaning of a Muslim or what Islam is all about? Surely they have had no access to the religion but by the “Maulvi” assigned to their Corps/Regiment/Company. He of course would never ever be a learned scholar but just another one of them out of the Mullah race. Where are the morale boosting speeches that they show in every TV drama that shows gallant army men? Wherever did the saying go which went something like “We sleep at night because the forces take care of the borders” (pardon me its just the bottom line I could remember). Where are we headed with all of this? Army troops crumbling in Swat, Taleban militants taking over a new area in NWFP by the hour, and the same Military declaring in Islamabad a Martial Law wrapped in the pretty foil of a state of emergency. Politicians on the other hand are another pack of wolves ready to tear this country apart, to savagely chew every bone till it is reduced to compost and suck every drop of blood in its veins. What have they done for Pakistan? They’ve all had their chances haven’t they? There are manuscripts in praise of how they brought up their families and flourished during their reigns. They all take ruling a country up as a job, for feeding themselves and their families. Get the most out of it and run strategy. Where does the country go in all of this? They are supposed to serve the nation, on the contrary the nation ends up serving them. Ever tried getting to work if your time and route clashes that of a minister’s? You’re never office on time trust me on that one! But hell he is!! Because the entire city is blocked only coz he has to PASS (pun intended!)!!
Shehr e jana mein ab baa sifaa kaun hai
dast e qatil ke shayan raha kaun hai
rakhtedil baandh lo dil figaaro chalo
phir humee qatl ho aayein yaaro chalo
Our Politicians should be shipped off to the middle of the Ocean and drowned along with ll these religious Militants who are giving a grotesque picture of what our religion is. What my religion is. May Allah SWT NEVER EVER forgive them. Aamiiin!
The student body of the country is out protesting instead of studying and I might as well back them up, this is a time for desperate measures. We might be on the verge of something big. We might see something in our lifetime. A revolution which may lead us to be able to look our future generations in the eye instead of our heads hanging down in shame.
Hum dekhenge
Lazim hai ke hum bhi dekhenge
Woh din ke jis ka waada hai
Jo loh-e-azl pe likha hai
Hum dekhenge
Jab zulm-o-sitam ke koh-e-garaan
Rui ki tarah ud jayenge
Hum mehkumoon ke paun tale
Yeh dharti dhad dhad dhadkagi
Aur ehl-e-hukum ke sar upar
Jab bijli kad kad kadkegi
Hum dekhenge
Jab arz-e-khuda ke Kabe se
Sab but uthwaye jayenge
Hum ahl-e-safa mardood-e-haram
Masnad pe bithaye jayenge
Sab taaj uchale jayenge
Sab takht giraye jayenge
Bas naam rahega Allah ka
Jo ghayab bhi hai hazir bhi
Jo nazir bhi hai manzar bhi
Uthega analhaq ka naara
Jo main bhi hoon aur tum bhi ho
Aur raaj karegi khalq-e-khuda
Jo main bhi hoon aur tum bhi ho
Hum dekhenge
Lazim hai ke hum bhi dekhenge
Hum dekhenge
I’m a Pakistani, that is my ID all over internet as of now.
Will you join me in the pride?
Lazim hai keh hum be dekhenge, Inshallah!
Hota Hey shab-o-roz Tamasha Merey Agay(Ghalib)
It’s time to revist Every Country has Army, Pakistan Army has a country.
I don’t have a problem with Retd. Army officers but I have serious reservations against ON DUTY personnel’s running civilian departments. Forget about Job performance, they can’t be at two places at once. As for corrupt politicians we need to put checks on them. Reject anyone who spends too much time abroad. Vote is the strongest tool which citizens can use against politicians. If there is accountability then people learn to behave quickly. If there is money there would be greed and corruption will remain as in the western world, but common men don’t witness it. That’s what I want for my country, where I can do everything legally.
Brilliant post sumbul.
The other day someone rightly mentioned that Govt. has full rights and power to shun the news-channels off our tv sets but no one takes a step against the privately-owned and 24-hr FM channels spreading hatred in Waziristan, Swat and areas such.
24-hr FM channels spreading hatred in Waziristan, Swat and areas such.
Any news about that station, is it banned yet?
that’s the dire situation when you’re talking about FATA. These tribal areas have always been a no-go area for the government. they really cant do anything about them. tribal men have presidents for breakfast!
Sumbul,
True, but what was our Army doing since 1947? They should have integrated those areas (mind you were peaceful until few years ago) into Pakistan long time ago. But then they were too busy fighting war with the help of these militants. This is nation gets when our priorities are all meshed up.
A very good post! The poetry at the end, is it by Faiz? Sends shivers through me every time I read it!
tribal men have presidents for breakfast!
:D
@ neena; point taken army should’ve integrated them as part of pk by now but peaceful was something they never were. Ever heard of a stolen car or kidnapped person taken to ‘ilaqa ghair’ coming back? these areas were always stronger allies with afghanistan because of the pakhtoon connection. Our beloved barra shopping was also bcoz of them. They have had arms and ammunition factories there for ages now. Yes the army should’ve effectively kept the tribals in the FATA as talebans are hazardous for any nation and this was an obvious and ideal filter point for them.
@V yep that’s faiz. one of the only two revolutionary poets of the subcontinent the other being Iqbal. Funny, revolutions have this mysterious connection. Poetry written decades ago still makes perfect sense today. Gives you extra energy we have an opportunity to take their cause forward. This is what happens when civil rights are challenged. This game will always have the same pawns and the same rules.
Sumbul, it is heartening to see someone with the prettiest of names like yours have the heart to speak from it too, with such confidence.
I agree with on certain point, but might disagree with you on others. But that is for a later day. Please visit, this and this post on my blog, and also check out this category if you like.
Dear NEENA
The territories that comprise todays Pakistan were jelled by the British to form a state. They themselves didnt know what they wer doing, but felt an obligation towards those who have served them well to save them from Nehru’s land reforms.
Jinnah negociated with the tribes, the baloach under Khan of Kallat never wanted to be the part of Pakistan, but under pressure from British they accepted Jinnahs offer and signed an agreement with him. That agreement is legally still valid and the Baloach show it off even today when the federation of Pakistan encroaches upon their land.
You said Pakistan army should have integrated the tribes in 1947. That is naive, in 1947 our army was commanded by a British General, the tribes were the Northern army which ventured into Kashmir and reached Srinagar, unfortunately upon reaching there, the native instincts kicked in and they started whole sale loot maar allowing the Indian army to sneak in via the Airport and beat them back.
Talibaanization is a relatively recent phenomenon, first promoted by Gen Naserullah Babar of PPP, in the refugee camps, objective to secure Afghanistan for oil transit, which severely back fired with the advent of Osama.
And there was George Bush…..
As you can see its a sequence of one screwed up event after other with no end in sight. The best we can do is marginalize them in their area, but that requires National consensus…which is a big question mark.
@kami thanks for the indepth analysis, certainly very valuable information. Probably you misunderstood neena up there. She didn’t mean why army didn’t integrate FATA in 1947 she meant why haven’t they integrated it since 1947 which i guess the two of us have explained. The real issue is what will happen now? Will we be able to make a difference for the better.
SUMBUL in response here are some random thoughts;
1/ Late 90’s Talibaan link up with Osama.
2/ Right wing zealot generals / officials get more and influential in Pak Army, Hameed Gul the driving Force. Greater objective, persue Pan-Islamism particularly in central Asia with a nuclear Armed Pakistan State.
3/ Nawaz Sharif blunders aapoints Mush and then fumbles the power to him – set back number one for the zealots – still the game is on.
4/ 9/11 happens Mush takes a U-turn in the face of eminent US attack / clear and present danger. Army’s cleansing starts one by one.
5/ Hameed Gul’s political ally Jamaat is weak and recieves set back after set back, on the other side in Afghanistan Talibaan are beaten back and Osama manages to escape to our tribal heaven.
6/ Hameed Gul puts his weight behind PTI and literally takes it over ideologically, whereas, Nawaz Sharif takes flight.
7/ Meantime Mush (survives assasination attempts) sets about doing what was un-thinkable in Pakistan democratic / undemocratic history i.e. he appoints professionals on merit to re-build our institutions mainly the finacial ones. Then he does the un-precedented, he gives this nation independent media.
8/ Elections are held PP gets the most seats, is offered the govt sans Benazir, PP refuses BB cant take that risk so step in the Chaudhry brothers.
9/ Meantime the global war on terror is waging, Al-Qaeda and its allies show they Know how they can use media and its intellectual sympathisers infilterate Pak channels.
10/ The strategy now is to portray Mush as pet of Bush and discount everything else he does. Mush fumbles on the justice issue and Lal Masjid follows suite.
11/ the situation demands consensus in the Nation on how to counter extremism in the North, but that will not happen. PTI and Jamaat aside, which will obviously oppose such action by generating sympathies for the tribals, where the Man with the beard will continue to enjoy freedom. BB will continue to play to the western media portraying herself as champion of democracy fighting against so called dictator ship. The fact is that BB’s fight is not with Mush, its with the Chaudhry bros and they are heading for a showdown in Punjab.
12/ Meantime forces of the right continue to align behind PTI / Jamaat, they will try to use NS but will continue to rant against Mush and discrediting BB at the same time. Its a win win for them.
However, in any equation there are some unknown variables and those are the ones that ultimately determine the fate of the problem.