pkpatriotic
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2008
- Messages
- 2,317
- Reaction score
- 0
In the national interest
The fall of Dhaka and then after, national politics
By Kamal Siddiqi
The writer is editor reporting, The News
It is 37 years since Pakistan broke up into two, but one can only wonder whether any lessons were learnt from that disaster. The only way we mark this day in our history is to ignore the event on an official level but TV channels have show us the footage of what happened in those days. We have people debating the merits and demerits of the breakup and the factors that led to it. The programmes and the discussions are a sad reminder of how our leaders pushed our country to the breakup, which till the last moment could have been averted.
As Pakistanis, we are brought up on a diet of how the Bengalis were traitors and how they joined hands with India to defeat the Pakistani armed forces. We are also told that, if anyone, the blame should go to Zulfikar Bhutto with his Udhar Tum Idhar Hum phrase. But all this just puts out of context the factors that led to the breakup. It was not as simple as we make it out to be.
First of all, our attitudes have not changed. We still refer to the event as the Fall of Dhaka, when in fact possibly that was how we wanted to see it. To heal wounds we will have to do more and understand to be more politically correct. We have to reach out. Kudos to Mian Nawaz Sharif who made a half-hearted apology when he was prime minister. But more has to be done. President Zardari can follow up.
First of all, let us set our minds straight. The Bengalis were not traitors and it was not Bhutto who can be blamed for the debacle. Let us start by understanding the factors that led to the breakup and possibly then make sure that we dont repeat the same mistakes. It is time to take stock of the situation. But it in a calm and mature manner.
We also need to go back into time and identify those who made things go wrong. Why have been shielding those who were responsible for the debacle. Civilian or military, without making a spectacle of the affair, it is time to hold a national debate in which we look into who was responsible and who acted how. Who stood, who ran. Who helped, who hindered. Who tried to save, who tried to ruin. This is in our own interest. We owe it to history.
We also need to own up to our responsibilities. We cannot let hundreds of thousands of Biharis live in sub-human conditions in parts of Bangladesh and we cannot let them be called stranded Pakistanis. We should look for a solution. It is in Pakistans national interest that we live up to our commitments.
These people still pay the Pakistani national anthem at a time when its no longer fashionable to do so in cinemas here at home. These people mark the national days with more fervour than is seen on any street in Pakistan. And they live with a dream that one day they will be able to come to Pakistan. If we deny them this, can we not make their lives a bit better? In this day and age when we spend billions on fanciful projects, why cant we do something for those who fought for Pakistan. It is another debate as to what they did was right or wrong.
Is there nothing that we can do for these people? The Bangladeshis are understandably unhappy with these refugees. But to give credit to the Bangladeshi government, the stranded Pakistanis are still therealbeit in cramped quarters. They have not been thrown out or done away with. They are tolerated and even given more rights. We need to take this further without being seen to be interfering in the internal affairs of Bangladesh.
As a nation, there are many things we need to sort out. India has been becoming increasingly menacing in its deeds, if not words. The technical incursion was anything but. At the same time, the response of our leadership was very mature. All praise to the manner in which we took this. It is not a time for warmongering.
The Indian government is under extreme pressure to teach Pakistan some sort of lesson. Merely banning the Jamaat-ud-Daawa and arresting its leaders is not good enough, say the Indians. While this may have some merit, the question is whether we know what is good for us. We should be looking at our own interests and seeing whether we should be supporting one group or another.
Credit also goes to Dr Manmohan Singh and his cabinet for trying to let this crisis pass. But the Indians want to take out Muridke. Where do we stand in all this? We need to have a proper debate on how to move forward. We are being pulled from many sides. On the one hand the is the War on Terror and the situation in the tribal areas. We are also victims of increasing terror. We have been unable to put a lid on these attacks.
There is the threat from India. This comes as India goes to the polls. We need to understand that the Indian government is under pressure and the ruling party is facing possible defeat in the polls, on the grounds that it is weak on terrorism. India has the solid backing of the West over its demands from Pakistan. Amongst the many worries that haunt both us and the Indians is, what would happen if there is yet another terror attack on Indian soil?
Then there is pressure from the US. We have had a string of visits from American leaders ranging from Condoleezza Rice to John Kerry. If people were upset at the prospect of us sending our ISI chief to India, why did we keep silent when the American Senator made comments about the role of the ISI? Is it because we look at who is making the comments and not what is being said?
Our foreign policy is in tatters. Even our best friends do not want to help us. Possibly it is time to look inwards and see where we are going wrong. And we need to give our friends and neighbours the confidence that we are a progressing nation and not a failed state which some paint us as.
We need to focus more on our economy. There are calls to jumpstart the system, instead of throttling it with higher interest rates. The good news is that with the drop in fuel prices, we are not seeing the kind of inflation that was witnessed earlier this year. We are expected to record a smaller deficit in terms of trade. But all this will go to waste if we do not seize the moment. We have to come up with an economic revival plan that makes the business community a stakeholder. The PPP government relies too much on bureaucrats. This needs to stop. Let us start thinking outside the box for our economy to move ahead.
Let us have more faith in ourselves. We are a nation of industrious people who have done well all over the world. We have resources and the will to do better. If anything what is pulling us back is bad governance and the lack of direction. We do not need another dictator or strongman to set us on the right path. While one hopes that our democratic dispensation is able to overcome its initial problems and look towards giving the nation hope and courage. We need to be proud and not apologetic. But first let us clean up the mess in our house.
The fall of Dhaka and then after, national politics
By Kamal Siddiqi
The writer is editor reporting, The News
It is 37 years since Pakistan broke up into two, but one can only wonder whether any lessons were learnt from that disaster. The only way we mark this day in our history is to ignore the event on an official level but TV channels have show us the footage of what happened in those days. We have people debating the merits and demerits of the breakup and the factors that led to it. The programmes and the discussions are a sad reminder of how our leaders pushed our country to the breakup, which till the last moment could have been averted.
As Pakistanis, we are brought up on a diet of how the Bengalis were traitors and how they joined hands with India to defeat the Pakistani armed forces. We are also told that, if anyone, the blame should go to Zulfikar Bhutto with his Udhar Tum Idhar Hum phrase. But all this just puts out of context the factors that led to the breakup. It was not as simple as we make it out to be.
First of all, our attitudes have not changed. We still refer to the event as the Fall of Dhaka, when in fact possibly that was how we wanted to see it. To heal wounds we will have to do more and understand to be more politically correct. We have to reach out. Kudos to Mian Nawaz Sharif who made a half-hearted apology when he was prime minister. But more has to be done. President Zardari can follow up.
First of all, let us set our minds straight. The Bengalis were not traitors and it was not Bhutto who can be blamed for the debacle. Let us start by understanding the factors that led to the breakup and possibly then make sure that we dont repeat the same mistakes. It is time to take stock of the situation. But it in a calm and mature manner.
We also need to go back into time and identify those who made things go wrong. Why have been shielding those who were responsible for the debacle. Civilian or military, without making a spectacle of the affair, it is time to hold a national debate in which we look into who was responsible and who acted how. Who stood, who ran. Who helped, who hindered. Who tried to save, who tried to ruin. This is in our own interest. We owe it to history.
We also need to own up to our responsibilities. We cannot let hundreds of thousands of Biharis live in sub-human conditions in parts of Bangladesh and we cannot let them be called stranded Pakistanis. We should look for a solution. It is in Pakistans national interest that we live up to our commitments.
These people still pay the Pakistani national anthem at a time when its no longer fashionable to do so in cinemas here at home. These people mark the national days with more fervour than is seen on any street in Pakistan. And they live with a dream that one day they will be able to come to Pakistan. If we deny them this, can we not make their lives a bit better? In this day and age when we spend billions on fanciful projects, why cant we do something for those who fought for Pakistan. It is another debate as to what they did was right or wrong.
Is there nothing that we can do for these people? The Bangladeshis are understandably unhappy with these refugees. But to give credit to the Bangladeshi government, the stranded Pakistanis are still therealbeit in cramped quarters. They have not been thrown out or done away with. They are tolerated and even given more rights. We need to take this further without being seen to be interfering in the internal affairs of Bangladesh.
As a nation, there are many things we need to sort out. India has been becoming increasingly menacing in its deeds, if not words. The technical incursion was anything but. At the same time, the response of our leadership was very mature. All praise to the manner in which we took this. It is not a time for warmongering.
The Indian government is under extreme pressure to teach Pakistan some sort of lesson. Merely banning the Jamaat-ud-Daawa and arresting its leaders is not good enough, say the Indians. While this may have some merit, the question is whether we know what is good for us. We should be looking at our own interests and seeing whether we should be supporting one group or another.
Credit also goes to Dr Manmohan Singh and his cabinet for trying to let this crisis pass. But the Indians want to take out Muridke. Where do we stand in all this? We need to have a proper debate on how to move forward. We are being pulled from many sides. On the one hand the is the War on Terror and the situation in the tribal areas. We are also victims of increasing terror. We have been unable to put a lid on these attacks.
There is the threat from India. This comes as India goes to the polls. We need to understand that the Indian government is under pressure and the ruling party is facing possible defeat in the polls, on the grounds that it is weak on terrorism. India has the solid backing of the West over its demands from Pakistan. Amongst the many worries that haunt both us and the Indians is, what would happen if there is yet another terror attack on Indian soil?
Then there is pressure from the US. We have had a string of visits from American leaders ranging from Condoleezza Rice to John Kerry. If people were upset at the prospect of us sending our ISI chief to India, why did we keep silent when the American Senator made comments about the role of the ISI? Is it because we look at who is making the comments and not what is being said?
Our foreign policy is in tatters. Even our best friends do not want to help us. Possibly it is time to look inwards and see where we are going wrong. And we need to give our friends and neighbours the confidence that we are a progressing nation and not a failed state which some paint us as.
We need to focus more on our economy. There are calls to jumpstart the system, instead of throttling it with higher interest rates. The good news is that with the drop in fuel prices, we are not seeing the kind of inflation that was witnessed earlier this year. We are expected to record a smaller deficit in terms of trade. But all this will go to waste if we do not seize the moment. We have to come up with an economic revival plan that makes the business community a stakeholder. The PPP government relies too much on bureaucrats. This needs to stop. Let us start thinking outside the box for our economy to move ahead.
Let us have more faith in ourselves. We are a nation of industrious people who have done well all over the world. We have resources and the will to do better. If anything what is pulling us back is bad governance and the lack of direction. We do not need another dictator or strongman to set us on the right path. While one hopes that our democratic dispensation is able to overcome its initial problems and look towards giving the nation hope and courage. We need to be proud and not apologetic. But first let us clean up the mess in our house.
