Respected Sir,

It is agreed upon by many that Pakistan is passing through very difficult times. In the wake of the complex situation in the country, the role of uniformed services can not be neglected. Many of sons of soil are busy day and night to make sure that we stand respected among the nations of the world. In these endeavors to preserve our freedom and sovereignty, many have laid their lives. Among them, one of our Ex-Cadets from Cadet College Larkana (CCL), Maj. Mujahid Ali Mirani Shaheed is worthy of mention.

Maj. Mujahid Ali Mirani Shaheed joined CCL in 1994 as part of the third batch of College. Latter, after passing his Higher School Certificate Examination, joined Pakistan Army with 105 long Course. Having passed out from Pakistan Military Academy, he got commissioned and joined 07 AK as his unit. Allah Almighty had a great honor for him in his stock and he was destined to achieve the immortality.

Reportedly, it was the fateful night of 26-27 November, 2011, when a chopper of NATO tried to enter the premises of our motherland in Mahmand Agency near Silala check post. Maj. Mujahid Ali Mirani Shaheed was posted at Silala check post, who having seen this breach of territorial integrity of Pakistan, retaliated but there was no balance of power and around 25 soldiers including Maj. Mujahid Ali Mirani accepted martyrdom.

Maj. Mujahid Ali Mirani Shaheed was the one such brave son of soil who lost his life in the line of duty. He is an ideal for all those who love their country. Allah blessed him with martyrdom and he can be identified with the soldier who is referred in literature as true patriot.

Here, I will not consider it an exaggeration, if I say that he is the hero, we used to fantasize about after hearing motivational speeches and lectures back there at CCL. He is the first Shaheed of our alma mater who tried to prove his love for the country by presenting his life and fought till last drop of blood. He is the real pride of our country, province, area, his family and alma mater. No doubt, his life and death has potential to serve as a role model for the young blood of this nation generally and CCL specifically because he lived and learnt the ideals of scarifying his life at CCL.

Revered Sir, with this letter, I would like to request your attention and submit that it is the time when we ought to do something in order to pay tribute to this son of CCL. It will not be out of place if you name the Auditorium or a building or build a monument or at least name a road at CCL in the memory of Maj. Mujahid Ali Mirani Shaheed. This small gesture will go a long way in generating the spirit of sacrifice for the country among all those who are studying at CCL. Not doubt, Maj. Mujahid Ali Mirani Shaheed can serve as a real life example for those who are studying at CCL since he studied there and proved himself extra-ordinary by his great deed of laying his life for our beloved Country.

Sir, in last, I hope that you will ponder over my humble submission and wish that steps will be taken at CCL which will make the name of Maj. Mujahid Ali Mirani immortal among all those who are and will be studying at CCL.

I Thank you for your time.

Yours truly,

India and Pakistan are at daggers drawn since beginning, three wars, other limit strikes and counter strikes are something routine by now. Every then and now both countries conflict around and things get back to normal. In many a cases when election are nearby, on either side, politician tend to gain mileage by creating some puppet show and resulting irreparable losses. When we will keep this thing in our mind, we will conclude that this paper is more a cheap propaganda stunt by writer and those behind him for some political motive.

Apart from this, if we will look at the recommendations, we will easily gather that in majority of cases, the author has based his argument on Utopian elements instead of concrete facts and sounds over ambitious. For my readers,  I am publishing the content here:

Economic destabilisation of the Terror Central is imperative for rooting out terror.

I did not anticipate the huge response my inbox received for the article last week (December 2) slamming Pakistan. Many of those who wrote in have sought concrete steps to tackle the Terror Central. The terror attack on world citizens at Mumbai has created revulsion and outrage all over the world. It is imperative that India seize the opportunity provided to destabilise Pakistan.

A stable Pakistan is not in the interest of world peace, leave alone India. Army controls the country and owns its economy. A significant portion of its GDP is due to army-controlled entities (See Military Inc Inside Pakistan’s Military Economy by Ayesha Siddiqa; OUP; 2007). One can easily say that Pakistan Economy and its Army/ISI are synonymous.

Unless this elementary fact is internalised, we are not going anywhere. This implies we should stop talking of a stable Pakistan since a stable Pakistan means multiple attacks on many more cities of India by that rogue organisation ISI, which is the core of the Pakistan Army and the heart of Pakistan’s economy.

Let us not even assume that Zardari is in control. Poor man – he did not trust his own investigators to probe his wife’s assassination – he wanted Scotland Yard to do the job. Now he blabbers that if his investigators are satisfied, then he will initiate action against terrorists sitting inside Pakistan. Periodically, the Pakistan Army likes to present some useful idiots (as Lenin would have called them) as elected representatives and we swoon over such events.

India should take the following steps to destabilise the economy of Pakistan:

Identify the major export items of Pakistan (like Basmati rice, carpets etc) and provide zero export tax or even subsidise them for export from India. Hurt Pakistan on the export front.

Identify the major countries providing arms to Pakistan and arm twist them. Tell Brazil and Germany (currently planning to supply massive defense items to Pakistan) that it will impact their ability to invest in India. Tell Germany that retail license to Metro will be off and other existing projects will be in jeopardy.

Incidentally, after the arrival of Coke and Pepsi in China, the human rights violations of China are not talked about much by US government organs. Think it is a coincidence? Unless we use our markets to arm-twist arms exporters to Pakistan, we will not achieve our objectives.

Tell American companies that for every 5% increase in FDI limit for them, their government needs to reduce equipping Pakistan by $5 billion. That is real politics, not whining. Let us remember that funds are in desperate search of emerging markets and not the other way about. Let us also remember that international economics is politics by another name.

Create assets to print/distribute their currency widely inside their country. To some extent, Telgi types can be used to outsource this activity. Or just drop their notes in remote areas.

Pressurise IMF to add additional conditionality to the loans given to them or at least do not vote for their loans.

Create assets within Pakistan to destabilise Karachi Stock market – it is already in shambles.

Cricket and Bollywood are the opium of the Indian middle classes. Both have been adequately manipulated/ controlled by the D-company since the eighties. Chase the D-company money in cricket/ Bollywood and punish by burning D-assets in India instead of trying to have them auctioned by the IT department when nobody comes to bid for it.

Provide for capital punishment to those who fund terror and help in that. We have the division in the finance ministry to monitor money laundering, etc. It is important that terror financing is taken seriously and fully integrated into money laundering monitoring systems and this division is provided with much larger budget and human resources. And it should coordinate with RAW.

Encourage and allow scientists/ academicians/ elites of Pakistan to opt for Indian passport and widely publicise that fact since it will hurt their self-respect and dignity. There will be a long queue to get Indian passports — many will jump to get our passport — since they will not be stopped at international airports. It is rumoured that Adnan Sami wants one. Do not give passports to all — make it a prized possession. Let it hurt the army and ISI controlled country. This one step will destroy their identity and self-confidence.

Discourage companies from India from investing in Pakistan, particularly IT companies, till Pakistan stops exporting its own IT (international terrorism).

In all these, it is important that we do not bring in the domestic religious issues. The target is the terror central, namely Pakistan, and if there are elements helping them here then they also should be punished-irrespective of religious labels. If Pakistan is dismantled and the idea of Pakistan is gone, many of our domestic issues will also be sorted out.

Will the Indian elite go for the jugular or just light more candles and scream at the formless/ nameless political class before TV cameras? It is going to be a long haul and may be in a decade or so, we can find a solution to our existential crisis of being attacked by barbarians from the West. We need to combine strategy and patience and completely throw to the dustbin the ‘Gujral Doctrine’ by that mumbling Prime Minister about treating younger brothers with equanimity.

The doctrine essentially suggests that if we are slapped on both the cheeks we should feel bad that we do not have a third cheek to show. He, according to security experts, seems to have dismantled our human intelligent assets inside Pakistan, which has resulted in the gory death of thousands of Indian citizens in the last few years. Such is our strategic thinking in this complex world since our political class is not adequately briefed and the elite don’t think through issues. Better to be simple in our talks and vicious in our actions rather than the other way.

Hopefully, this November attack will create a new vibrant India capable of taking care of its own interests.

The writer is professor of finance and control, Indian Institute of Management – Bangalore, and can be reached at vaidya@iimb.ernet.in. Views are personal.

]]> http://drfarrukhmalik.com/blog/2008/12/10/twelve-steps-to-shock-and-awe-pakistan%e2%80%99s-economy/feed/ 0 http://drfarrukhmalik.com/blog/2008/09/20/suicide-attack-in-islamabad-pakistan/ http://drfarrukhmalik.com/blog/2008/09/20/suicide-attack-in-islamabad-pakistan/#comments Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:11:02 +0000 Dr Farrukh Malik http://drfarrukhmalik.com/blog/?p=500 It is reported that a suicide bomber hit Marriot Hotel in Islamabad Pakistan and at least 40 are dead and 70 reportedly injured. More deaths are suspected.

Islamabad is the capital city of Pakistan. It is…

It is not for the first that this has been done from across border by American and NATO forces such attacks are gaining the status of a routine in the region. In the light of the statement of British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, that such military incursions on Pakistani soil will do no good, in fact, it will result in a fatal blow to so called War on Terror. Not only this but it offers a clear picture of American motives in the region.

Baghar Cheena is an area at a distance of about half a Kilometers from Afghan Border.

The attack came after the visit of Admiral Michael Mullen today who happened to meet top government officials in Pakistan including Pakistani Prime Minister and assured them of no further attacks by American forces in the Area.

In the wake of today’s attack, defense analyst and commentator Dr. Shireen Mazari thinks that Pakistan should take a firm stand on the issue and must stop facilitation of supplies to American and NATO forces in Afghanistan sent through Pakistan to Afghanistan. Further, Pakistani Ambassador to Washington may be called for consultation.

It is being speculated that this attack is a message to Pakistani authorities that the promise by Admiral Mullen was for something else and attacks like this will continue in future too. Hence, the tension between two nations is high.

Being a Pakistani national, I wonder to how I should take it? Do I consider it an aggression by a foreign nation? Do I think that it should be dealt diplomatically or militarily? It is quite clear that our military capabilities are nothing compared to America but it does not mean that weaker nations have no human rights? I want to ask at this moment that where the human rights advocacy groups are when this is being done in the guise of so called war on terror? What else Pakistan should do when its 100, 000 soldiers are already deployed there who are very much professional in performance of their duties and doing whatever humanly possible. Our military casualties are more than that of American casualties in the region than why we are target of such aggression? Don’t we deserve a much better treatment? In my view, it is a high time that international community should take up this matter and do the justice to those who are suffering in the hands of American and NATO forces else Pakistan must consider reviving its foreign policy including its stand regarding War on Terror.

In my view, Mr. Zardari has the ability is wise enough to lead the nation provided he doesn’t revert to type. If he eschews all hints of corruption, he can work for the betterment of this nation and we may be able to progress. 

At the moment the nation is facing alot of challenges in the wake of political turmoil and deadlocks.

Crisis after crisis has broken the back of the entire system and it has left the fate of the entire nation in limbo.

In this condition the newly elected president must prioritize things in a proper order. In my view, Mr. Zardari should consider the issue of political instability as an issue of prime importance. If he is able to bring the political stability to country, only then, we will be able to progress towards stability in other arenas of national life including economy. Apart from this, other issue like Militancy in Balouchistan and unwanted Islamic insurgency and extemeism are long waiting in cue.

Here, it is worthy to mention that election of Mr. Zardari has offered new hopes to the People of his native Province of Sindh who were disappointed after the death of Benazir Bhutto but I wonder if their aspirations are going to get answered.

In last I would say, be it the issue of political instability or the aspiration of People of Sindh, Balouchistan crisis or surge in Islamic extremism, it is high time for Pakistan and people for waiting for a change that could bring the relief to already suffering nation. 

In that video, he was surrounded by armed men who were apparently Taliban militants. It is the first public statement by the envoy since he disappeared in the border area between the two countries, on his way to the Afghan capital Kabul.

In that video, he appeared helpless and requested the Ambassadors to Iran and China to help in his release. Apart from this he requested all who were watching to pray for his safety.

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Having read all this, I can’t stop thinking about this important industry where we can make some progress. Pakistan is known as an Islamic country and we can step ahead in this sector to gain some benefits. It is not about the religious prejudice of any kind, it is about thinking innovative to identify markets that we can explore and exploit to our advantage. Mr. Mohammad further adds, “Islam teaches us that life is important but when in an emergency – or darurat (need) – and faced with a choice of life or death, the issue of whether a medicine is halal or haram is not of prime importance. What is important is your life, halal products need to be consumed if it is available.”

Here, our policy markers must come forward and give a serious thought to this important industry. I think, if we are jumping into this arena, our country can gain a good deal.

It was in the dargah compound of Ajmer when our phones started buzzing with friends and relatives wanting to share grief on the loss of a woman who was both loved and hated but never ignored. This was the typical winter dusk and we were returning from a soulful traditional dua-i-roshnayee (pre-sunset prayer) where candles are lit in remembrance of the much revered Khawaja. Amidst frantic phone calls from grieving friends, the shock was cushioned in the mystical atmosphere as one reaffirmed that God’s will was above everything. But the aching sense of loss for Pakistan haunted us despite the calming effect of Ajmer.

It was this strong faith in God and in her mission that brought Benazir Bhutto back to Pakistan after an exile of nearly a decade. She returned despite the knowledge that she was on borrowed time; and there were heinous elements who wanted to physically eliminate her. Benazir was a lover of the mystics and had visited Ajmer thrice as we found out from the deeply-shocked residents of this small medieval town. Coming from Sindh, the land of the Sufis and poets, Bhutto was a devotee of Khawaja Ghareeb Nawaz. Like a true Bhutto she was not afraid of death as the believers consider it to be ordained by God in the first place. But the truth is that she is no more; and this is hard to reconcile with.

One cannot miss the symbolism of the location where Bhutto was killed. The place, Liaquat Bagh, is named after Pakistan’s first prime minister who was also shot here. The reasons for his death are still not known other than the simple imperative that in Pakistan, legitimate politicians need to be eliminated. This tragic place in Rawalpindi is also not far from the place where Benazir’s father was hanged in 1979; and whose legacy refuses to go away.

At least in Benazir’s case, the battle lines were clearer. A patently violent brand of political Islam masking itself as anti-imperial and aided by powerful elements within the Pakistani establishment is hell-bent on destroying Pakistan’s political and social fabric. Contrary to what many believe, this embedded dysfunction is above all a threat to Pakistan and its burgeoning population. The region and the world come next. In India, the comparisons between Rajiv and Benazir have been unavoidable as the two countries have suffered from the endemic violence, dynastic politics and a symbiotic relationship defined by cyclical political turbulence.

Today’s subcontinent has all but forgotten the tolerant and inclusive Islam that was practised by the Sufis and which in large measure shapes the belief system of a vast of majority of Muslims and non-Muslims alike. This is what the militancy and its official backers are now set out to achieve but they forget that centuries of tradition of peace and inclusion can be dented but cannot be reversed.

Bhutto’s mass appeal remained a formidable challenge to the Pakistani establishment that failed to undo the legacy of people-centred politics for three decades. The Bhutto brand of politics came about without the manipulations of the bureaucratic steel-frame that shaped Pakistani politics, often in tandem with foreign interests. Benazir’s return in October showed that her popular support was intact despite the corruption charges, trials — real and media-led – and continued impression of incompetence and opportunism in a culture of misogyny and violence against women. Her worst opponents could not deny her dazzling articulation and grasp of global politics. And, now like her father she also demonstrated an uncanny sense of history, of seizing the moment and dying for the cause of political process in the militarized Pakistan.

This fearlessness of death is a Sufi trait as death is just another phase in our journeys and struggles. The inclusive and multicultural legacy of the Sufis is endangered by the rise of militant Islam and politics of elimination. Benazir Bhutto had drawn on this legacy and in her death we are reminded of the urgency to revisit and build on that legacy.

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The tragic deliberate assassination of Benazir Bhutto on 27^th Dec 2007 marked in the history of Pakistan as the second event after the merciless killing of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto on 4rth April 1979 which shocked whole the nation and shacked the very roots of the state. It was just unbelievable and very much painful for a tender heart. No words to explain the state of shock, grief and emotions the nation suffered. The people belonging to all communities in the country as well as the entire world condemned killing of the great leader. Unfortunately it has been the history of Pakistan that the leaders have been killed in ruthless manner since independence. The formality of so-called investigation is done and the calamities become fairly the pages of the history books but this story should not end that way it must bring a big change in the fate of the country.

The point worth noting is to why the Bhutto family has been the target since beginning, the so-called judicial hanging of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, poisoning conspiracy of Shahnawaz Bhutto, murder of Murtaza Bhutto and now Benazir Bhutto. All these events seem to be continuation of a single agenda, to wipe out Bhutto family.

Elites of Pakistan do not like to be ruled by anyone else even having majority in the political ground; it is higher than their prestige to be governed by inferior people. The East Pakistan detached and became a sovereign state because their majority was denied.

The same tradition of the denial of majority was repeated once again when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was killed. He was one of the greatest leaders of the world and the real representative of the people of Pakistan. For instance a vast majority of people of Pakistan were socio-economically poor and anti-American. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s regime was poor-loving and wanted to introduce the policy of socialism and went openly against the US. The symbol of democracy was mercilessly hanged. Who killed him and why?

At present the elites are in the form of establishment. Due to the failed policies of the establishment Musharraf was weakened particularly the case of the chief justice and in anxiety state he went for the national reconciliation.

When Benazir Bhutto decided to come back to Pakistan, many rumors spread that all it was because of a deal and she was confirm as the prime minister with Musharraf as the president. On 18^th Oct when she came back from self-exile to homeland the hundreds of thousands of people gathered for welcome of Benazir Bhutto created very much unrest for the establishment and alarms of danger rang in their ears. After coming back to home her statements were firm, straightforward and even against president Musharraf, many times in election campaign rallies she clearly roared, “One more push for the falling wall”, since the issue of the chief justice Musharraf has been on decline. Many people thought that the combined setup of Benazir and Musharraf would not go a long way. Benazir Bhutto might have intention of collapsing the current setup completely to establish democracy in its real form for which she went among the people to motivate them to get a clear-cut majority. She knew that her life was at risk nevertheless she did not compromise with her mission and lost her life striving for democracy until her last breath.

Benazir Bhutto’s policies were clearly against Al-Qaeda and all other extremist groups even she did not like to sit together with the leaders of MMA, she could have become a big hurdle for the pursuits of Al-Qaeda if she had come to power. In Muslim world only Pakistan possesses nuclear weapons therefore has been a focus of the big powers, the US and Britain in particular. It is in their national interests that Al-Qaeda should not get access to the nuclear technology. They would support the regimes in Pakistan which are against Al-Qaeda and in accordance with them. Therefore Benazir Bhutto got continuous support from the west especially she gained more sympathies when she raised the issue of AQ khan. All this could be an eye-sore for Al-Qaeda. But the point should be noted that she was not in power at the moment so she was not an immediate or so much urgent problem for Al-Qaeda. One can hardly believe that Al-Qaeda is responsible for the assassination.

For whom she was the biggest hurdle? Question arises here. Benazir Bhutto was leading the biggest political party of Pakistan; she also had received a warm welcome at her arrival and her stance was very strong in the election campaign rallies. It was expected that she could have swept a prominent majority in forthcoming elections and as a result become able to topple the establishment.

In fact it is too earlier to say confirm who killed Benazir Bhutto but it is clear that these elements do not want the real democracy in Pakistan. Benazir Bhutto’s killing is the murder of sentiments of the people of Pakistan. The great leaders do not born daily. Like guardians who earn livelihood, run their houses and care about their families, the leaders are guardians of the nations. When parents die the offspring becomes orphan and when leaders die nations fall into anarchy then disorder and destruction is the ultimate fate.

Benazir Bhutto’s death is loss of democracy, loss of whole the nation and in particular the people of Sindh. A wave of hatred was evident among masses in Sindh after her death. These people ask why the leaders belonging to Sindh province are being killed. All the benefit goes to a particular class of people who are non-democratic and have resolved to remain in power at any cost. Benazir Bhutto’s death has created a vacuum in politics of the country which can not be filled by any means but the responsibilities and mission she has left on the shoulders of people of Pakistan must be accomplished.

All efforts should be put for a proper and sincere investigation for finding the objective of killing her and the killers who should be prosecuted according to the law as soon as possible.

Fair and free elections should be arranged and let the power be shifted without hesitance and jealousy to the parties which get majority in elections. Further a complete provincial autonomy can be solution of many problems of the country; all the provinces should be given their reasonable rights to avoid provincial dominancy of big province of Punjab and feeling of nothingness and despair among the people of small provinces.

This tragic event has brought Pakistan to a turning point. As the time passes by the reality becomes evident and the truth always wins. If Al-Qaeda has killed Benazir Bhutto then the matter is different but if the establishment is proved to be involved in removing her from the political field then it may become a challenge for the national integrity of Pakistan.

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