PAK PUZZLED
Editorial
Daily Excelsior
Jun 18, 1999
Title: PAK PUZZLED
Author: Editorial
Publication: Daily Excelsior
Date: Jun 18, 1999
Never before ever its creation in 1947, Pak Government, Army and its
teeming millions have been so puzzled as today. There is lack of
clarity, vision and conviction. Its vast mass media so well known for
falsehood, deceit an disinformation also appears to have gone haywire.
The greatest puzzle which Pakistan has not been able to understand or
digest is Clinton's advice to Nawaz Sharif during his 20 minute
telephonic talks wherein he has asked Pakistan to withdraw its forces
and mercenaries infiltrated in Kargil-Drass sector and respect LoC.
This has sealed diplomatic isolation of Pakistan because Uncle Sam
knows much more about who is who and what is where than even Nawaz
Sharif as regards Kargil. The puzzle becomes compounded because this
advice comes when Pakistan has made frantic efforts to deny Pak forces
presence on Indian side of LoC. This is despite the fact that India
returned dead bodies of Pak soldiers killed in the ongoing warfare in
that sector.
Pakistan has hopelessly tried to convince world community and its own
people that these are the Mujahideens who are fighting in Kargil for
the noble cause of librating Kashmir from India. It is quite another
thing when such of the so-called Mujahideens are trained by ISI, given
training and arms in Pakistan, full logistic support to withstand
weather vagaries, treacherous terrain and of course the Bofor guns and
rockets fired by Mirage with pin-point accuracy. Pakistan feels
puzzled asto why Clinton has refused to back up its protege and pliant
ally to whom successive military and civil rulers of Pakistan served
so dedicatedly (Pakistan has remained under military rule for 28 years
and the remaining period has seen symbolic democracy being controlled
by Pak army, including elections to National assembly and state
legislatures).
Puzzle Number two pertain to relative equidistance being maintained by
China as there is no open indication of support to it as regards
Kargil episode during Pak Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz's one day visit
nor during the two day visit of India's Foreign Minister Jaswant
Singh. In fact, all indicators and statements only move towards
betterment of Sino-Indian relations. The puzzle becomes compounded as
Pakistan is ally of China and recipient of Chinese nuclear and missile
technologies as also equipment in knocked down condition. The advice
from China is to settle the issue through bilateral talks.
Third puzzle, and it is for the people of Pakistan, is Pak denial of
sending any Pak army personnel to India's side of LoC. Incidentally
this stands refuted by Pak Army spokesman Brigadier Qureshi admits
direct involvement of Pak army as also full material support to those
occupying strategic posts in Kargil-Drass sector but likes everyone to
believe that they are on their side of LoC and not on Indian side. The
people of Pakistan are thus considered as dumb driven cattle by the
political rulers as also its army. In fact, they have also taken
people for a ride by creating repeatedly mass hysteria. This time
round, such hysteria refuses to build up as people have started
questioning bonafides of Nawaz Sharif and its Army top brass for
isolating Pakistan totally on Kargil infiltration. Everyone asks Pak
Government to withdraw and respect LoC. Pak people are more than
convinced that unnecessary burden has been put on them by the rulers
in creating warlike situation. If there is migration from IB and LoC
this side, its severity is much more on the Pak side where border area
people have either fled to safety or Pak Army has asked them to move
out. The people have never pardoned their rulers for the humiliation,
dislocation and loss of territory in the previous misadventures of Pak
rulers and its unshackled armed forces.
The fourth puzzle is the massive media flak that continues to
criticise Nawaz Sharif for bringing the nation to head-on war with
India over Kargil (not Kashmir). Media has been somewhat indifferent
to Pak political leadership but appreciative of the Army. Army image
is thus built up and gains credibility but it is at the cost erosion
to Sharif's Government. Many scribes and intelligence reports talk of
imminent take over of Pakistan by Army. Some media men have also
criticised Nawaz for handling of the Kargil situation which has
burdenend the already bad economy of Pakistan. Some allies of the
ruling Pak Muslim League as also PML leaders have also been critical
for mishandling of the situation which has brought Pakistan on the
brink of war. PPP, which is the main opposition party led by Ms
Benazir Bhutto, says that wrong priorities and policies of Pak rulers
have isolated Pakistan as never before when even its traditional
allies and appeasers have turned hostile.
In a nutshell, Pakistan finds itself yet more puzzled because their
adventurism has put the nation between the devil and the deep sea. If
Nawaz withdraws its troops as advised by Clinton from Kargil, Pak army
and even people would unfold their wrath on the powers that be. If
they don't, more Pak soldiers will be killed as they are already
encircled by advancing Indian forces. This is a proposition which is
more humiliating than the East Pakistan fiasco where Pak Army had to
surrender resulting in nearly one lakh prisoners of war languishing in
Indian camps. The 'puzzle' has all the ingredients of getting
compounded as sanity and wisdom eludes Pak ruling clan.
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