Two closely related press reports must be commented on. First, a frightening news item I came across the other day. The scariest part of it runs as follows:

Some journalists and Khan’s family blame the intelligence services of the government, a claim the government denies. "There was no [government agency] involved," says Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, the military’s spokesman. "If they had been involved, they would have disposed of the body in such a way that it would never be found. It has to be someone who wants to malign the intelligence agencies or the government."
Killing scares media away from Waziristan By David Montero
The Christian Science Monitor, June 22, 2006


Contemplate for a moment: what does it say? What can be deduced from this enlightening piece of information?

I shudder to notice the obvious.

What else it is, if not an unambiguous confession that our despicable security agencies are very much in the business of kidnapping and murder of Pakistanis? And, it is vividly clear that there are standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place i.e., modes and methods, for disposing off bodies of those who are picked up and subsequently killed.

There is absolutely no moral justification or legal provision at all that in any sense allows kidnapping and/or torture of even so-called foreign “unlawful combatants”, let alone manslaughter of fellow citizens by any government agency, regardless of the circumstances, anywhere in the world. Not to be mixed up here with lawful incarceration of criminals sanctioned by judicial forums and/or ultimately the highly debatable capital punishment handed down by the courts despite all the judicial guarantees and safety valves.

The protracted stints of ultimate power have made them mentally retarded and professionally corrupt. Actually, by any standard, the criminal behaviour of the military brass poses much graver risks to the survival of the country as compared to the very little they contribute towards its security.

Another recent episode displaying the sheer idiocy of Pak military high command was when an army major on the orders of a major general (a vile Major General Nusrat of ISI, to be precise) literally manhandled an 80-year-old highly decorated war-veteran and his family for a trivial playground brawl of teenage lads.

Even street thugs don’t touch elderly, children and women while settling scores but alas, not our supra-patriot, omnipotent military officers. Not even this little propriety can be expected out of the officers of Pak Fauj. If the current lot of officers doesn’t spare their own former senior officers, where do poor civilians stand in this algorithm of malice?

More and more Pakistanis have started believing that Pak army is indeed a rouge force. And, no doubt, the predatory lot of military officers is the root cause of umpteen ills that our poor nation is suffering.

What a tragicomedy that many of our haughty generals behave more like sub-Saharan African warlords and South American drug barons than respectable gentlemen of a disciplined fighting force.

One cannot avoid marvelling over the curriculum of PMA, its standard of training, the values inculcated over there in the would-be officers, and thereafter the quality or lack thereof our staff colleges. But all this for what consequence when following is the litany of their achievements.

1. Rape of fellow sisters … recent example: Dr Shazia case, not to mention the “exaggerated“ rape of East Pakistani sisters. The tearing of clothes of Brig. Taj’s daughter-in-law by “Major Tipu” is more than enough to show the perverse mindset of our commissioned officers and the heinous crimes they are capable of committing.
2. Well-documented killings of fellow citizens … Balochistan, MRD movement, Tribal areas, military farms, Balochistan again, discounting butchering of East Pakistani “traitors”.
3. Churning out world’s richest star officers on conveyer belt through unfathomable institutionalized loot as well as individual corruption.

It is a sort of triple jeopardy.

First, the military is sucking the blood out of half-dead corpse of the nation for procuring good-for-nothing toys and maintaining their fabulous lifestyle. Wait, when did we last use our gunship helicopters and F-16s against external foe? Leave the wretched majority of Pakistanis aside, compare a 2-star officer of Pakistan with his counterpart anywhere in the world and you will not believe you eyes.

Second, for ensuring that no one would ever dare to question these indefensible disparities, they don’t let any stable political system evolve. Working civil institutions, right from the FPSC may it be under the command of a recently retired general to the superior judiciary to the apex elected legislative forums, are inversely proportional to military hegemony. Our generals can be anything but suicidal. How can they let it happen?

Third, after being nurtured by our sweat and blood they come back to bully us. Instead of being grateful for the enormous sacrifices this poor nation makes for their luxuries they are such a disgraceful bunch of thankless souls that the only use they have for their weaponry is to intimidate and terrorize their poor civilian brethren. What should we say: Pak Fauj ke NaPak generals or would it better to instead characterise the phenomenon NaPak Fauj ke NaPak generals.

Should we salute the infinite capacity of Pakistani to keep on taking the humiliation lying down or should we curse their timidity and their failure to stand up for their rights? A living nation would have risen up a long time ago to break these shackles off their ankles.

At last, a humble piece of advice to the top most layer of the military junta: watch out and be ready for the worst. It is getting more difficult by every passing day to get away with murders, abductions and “disappearances” in today’s world. Chile’s ex-dictator Pinochet is still struggling to evade the clutches of justice for the crimes Chilean security agencies committed under his auspices against Chileans, 40 years ago - his life-time immunity notwithstanding.

Hence, just a matter of time, Insh Allah, that all those responsible for these crimes against citizens of Pakistan too will be hounded and put to trial in The Hague if not at Attock fort.