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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