Absolutely amazing analysis by some. In the same post the Naval base comander at Mehran is called a yellow bellied coward (for not leading from the front) AND in the same breath - the Minhas base commander is told that he has no right to exist on the planet -- because he did lead from the front. So what would you have the base comander of the next attacked base do?? Arrest all the villagers around his base well in advance and burn the villages down?? Command from the control room and get struck down as a coward?? Go lead his men in defending his base and get called an idiot for nearly giving the enemy a great prize??
The Minhas base commander showed that he will happily give up his life to defend his base - and when he showed this every other man under his command would feel obliged / honour bound to do the same. How many soldiers will contemplate falling back if their commander is fighting in front of them? It was this level of bravery and devotion to duty from everyone - from the commander at the top to the 20 year old sentry at at the bottom which averted disaster for Pakistan and PAF on 17th Aug 2012.
this is emotional rant, please spare me that next time.
burn down village and all that. Why do we have to always talk in extremes to defend an indefensible argument?
the PN leadership is criticised because it didnt even exist at the control room. Let alone being part of the response team.
it was shamelessly more interested in looking after its pristine uniform and staff cars & protocol rather than pre-empting and responding to the attack. granted that calling it a coward and yellow bellied was uncalled for but that was due to the lack of a term. it was just absent from the scene. a commander doesnt have to be standing shoulder to shoulder to its frontline troops. his command just needs to be felt and known. Only a layman would restrict himself to a physical presence A clueless and incompetent commander's presence in the battlefield can be a disaster instead of a motivation. but lets stop discussing hypothetically.
let me share something with you which you might have overlooked. in a similar situation where special forces are called in due to the nature of the job at hand,, they tell the regular soldiers and civilians to stay the hell out.
and when they commence their operation they would even handcuff and contain the friendlys in case they dont comply . until the mission is accomplished and threats are neutralized anyone who is not the member of the commando team is treated as a potential threat. because in the chaos its hard to confirm the identities. All such people are led to a designated area for formal identification and debrief
Now even air commodore was previously trained in special operations then his age and his position doesnt allow him to go in the harms way the way he did and took a bullet and essentially became unavailable where he was needed and gave unnecessary diversion to the tactical command of the response team.
I will stop discussing this issue any further. The criticism of PN and PAF leadership is for different reasons the former exhibited its criminal incompetence & negligence & the later is plain foolish due to an individual act of heroism which was not required.
I will not take this discussion of Air commodores actions vs. PN inaction any further. What I say is only my point of view nothing more and nothing less.
Now as far as the willingness to lay his life is concerned, I have a very strong view against that. The nation has spent a lot of time, money and resources for that air commodore to reach his position and he has no right to give it up his life and services belong to the state now. No soldier would be willing to become a shaheed, instead his primary concern should be success of the mission and the battle and if in performing his duties his life comes in danger and he looses it then so be it but it shouldnt be the primary objective.
Pakistani concept of Shadah or martyrdom is absolutely screwed up to the core. If this sentence is too hard to swallow for anyone then pay attention to the prayer of the Holy Prophet Muhammad PBUH who asked for Allahs, Blessing and Help in achieving the victory against the bigger and superior Mekkan force in the battle of Badr. The primary objective was the victory fort he sake of the survival of the Muslim future. Means to an end (victory over Mekkans) were faith, discipline & superior skills and leadership both military through people like Amir Hamza ra and Ali ra & spiritual though no other than Muhammad PBUH. The martyrdom of 14 was an outcome to achieve the ends not the ends themselves. Our defenders have much to learn from this battle.
