By
Sajjad Shaukat
The 14th August which is
celebrated every year as the Independence Day, has come at a time when Pakistan
is facing multiple threats of grave nature internally and externally, which are
not only worrying all the citizens, and are creating divisions among the
federal and provincial governments including political parties. As the
government led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif rejected the draft of the Terms
of Reference (TORs), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has started anti-corruption
campaign against the regime of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after the
massive leak of the secret documents from Panama-based law firm Mossack
Fonsecai, which also include the names of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, prime
minister’s three children–sons, Hassan and Hussain, and his daughter, Maryam—by
alleging that they made millions of dollars of investments in the offshore
companies and thus, were involved in tax evasion, fraud, and money laundering.
Pakistan Awami Tehreek
(PAT) has launched a countrywide campaign against the government in relation to
the Model Town tragedy of August 6, 2014. Earlier, PAT Chairman Tahirul Qadri
also criticized the ruling party’s leaders in relation to corruption. Pakistan
People’s Party (PPP) also decided to start a protest-campaign against the
ruling party in connection with the Panama files.
However, it was due to
the selfless practical unity among the Muslims under the leadership of
Quaid-i-Azam that Pakistan became a tangible reality. But that unity started
declining after passing through various crises, and the result was separation
of East Pakistan in 1971, as the India manipulated differences between East
Pakistan and the West Pakistan.
While, Pakistan’s armed
forces have broken the backbone of the foreign-backed terrorists by the
successful military operation Zarb-e-Azb, which has also been extended to other
parts of the country, including Balochistan. And Pakistan’s primary
intelligence agency, ISI has broken the network of these terrorist groups by
capturing several militants, while thwarting a number of terror attempts. Peace
has been restored in Karachi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Since the government of
the Balochistan province announced general pardon and protection to the Baloch
militants as part of reconciliation process, many insurgents and their leaders
have surrendered their arms and decided to work for the development of Pakistan
and the province, peace has been restored in the Balochistan.
But, in connivance with
the terrorist outfits like ISIS (Also known as Daesh, ISIL) and
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), including their affiliated factions, US-led
India and Israel are destabilizing Pakistan, as it is the only nuclear country
in the Islamic World. Besides, due to its ideal strategic location and mineral
resources, Balochistan has become focus of these foreign countries whose
intelligence agencies, namely American CIA, Indian RAW and Israeli Mossad are
in collaboration, and have again started destabilizing Balochistan. Now,
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is special target of theses foreign
agencies.
In this regard, a deadly
suicide bomber in Quetta-the provincial capital of Pakistan killed at least 74
people and wounded more than 100 on August 8, 2016 in an attack at the
government-run Civil Hospital. Earlier, on the same day, unknown armed men
killed Balochistan Bar President Bilal Anwar Kasi at Mannu Jan Road of Quetta.
The dead body of the prominent lawyer was transferred to the Civil Hospital.
The bomber struck at a crowd of mostly lawyers and journalists who were present
into the emergency department of the hospital after killing of the Bar
president. Similarly, externally-backed secret agencies have also begun
targeted killings in Karachi as part of the double game of America.
Nevertheless, Pakistan’s
security forces have been facing a different war, while enemy is also
different, which employs subversive activities of various kinds which also
include internal and external challenges. In these terms, Pakistan is in the
state of new war, being waged by the Armed Forces and intelligence agencies
against terrorists who are being supported by the anti-Pakistan elements.
At this juncture,
Pakistan is facing multi-faceted crises and challenges such as corruption,
soaring prices, energy-shortage, unemployment, crimes, lack of health
facilities, and dependence upon the US-led developed countries, IMF and World
Bank for financial aid.
Externally, from time to
time, Pak Army and Rangers have boldly been responding to India’s unprovoked
firing at the Line of Control in Kashmir including Working Boundary in Sialkot
and other sectors. While, the fundamentalist party BJP led by the Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi is implementing anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan agenda. In
this context, BJP leader Dr. Subramaniam Swamy, a staunch promoter of Hindutva
(Hindu nationalism) stated on July 12, 2014 that India needed only two years to
defeat Pakistan militarily, and the only solution of Kashmir was war, as “there
is no peaceful, democratic solution.
Unfortunately, it is
because of lack of practical unity among our politicians, leaders and media
that foreign opportunists have been manipulating the chaotic situation of
Pakistan in order to fulfill their secret agenda by weakening the country. In
the past few years, nefarious designs of RAW, Mossad and CIA can be gauged from
a number of anti-Pakistan developments such as their support to insurgency in
the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, separatism in Balochistan and targeted killings
especially in Karachi.
In case of Pakistan’s
war against terrorism, while emphasizing on national unity, Chief of Army Staff
Gen. Raheel Sharif has repeatedly stated, “We will continue to go after the
inhuman beasts, their facilitators till their final elimination.”
In the recent past, Gen.
Raheel Sharif said, “Terrorists have been cleared from their strongholds in
North Waziristan Agency and Khyber Agency, and fight now is moving into last
few pockets close to Afghan border.” He laid emphasis on “continuation of the
operations till elimination of the last expected and probable terrorists groups
and sanctuaries.”
Notably, present drastic
situation cannot be comprehended by the general masses and even the political
leaders who abruptly change their opinion. Therefore, they become unintentional
victim of the external plotters who succeed in creating a rift particularly
between the political groups, divided on ethnic and linguistic lines. These
foreign enemies also seek to create a division between the political leaders
and the armed forces of our country.
Nonetheless, today,
Pakistan stands at the crossroads of its destiny, facing internal and external
challenges and threats to the national security of the country.
At this critical moment,
the Independence Day demands practical national unity, instead of verbal
statements. This significant day emphasizes that our political leaders must
pledge that they will not manipulate their regional and provincial differences
at the cost of the national interests so as to grab political power. In this
respect, a blind dedication to one’s own race, tribe and creed should not be
allowed to create hatred in one group against the other. They must avoid
exploiting present thorny issues in order to increase their vote-bank at the
cost of the integration of the country. If any controversy arises, it can
better be settled in consonance with the constitution or mutual understanding
of the government and political parties. In this connection, in order to
castigate the conspiracy of the external enemies against the integrity of the
country, our political leaders, media and human rights groups must also stop
manipulating any crisis against Pak Army and country’s primary secret agency,
ISI whose image are deliberately being tarnished by the external plotters.
True and selfless unity
against the external enemies requires that our rulers and leaders of other
political parties and must create national cohesion among various segments of
society. Particularly, our electronic media should give a matching response to
malicious propaganda of the US-led some western countries including India and
Israel which are distorting the image of Pakistan, its army and ISI.
No doubt, at this
crucial time, Pakistan’s survival lies in selfless practical unity and strong
cohesion, as at present, even a layman can note that our country is in chaos
and it seems as if there is a “war of all against all” in the sense of
‘Hobbesian state of nature.”
On the occasion, we must
follow the essence of the Pakistan Resolution which explained the basic idea of
an independent state (Pakistan) in real terms by displaying practical unity
which is not possible unless the government, the opposition leaders, civil
societies and media owners including all other segments of society pledge to
sign a charter of integration which is very necessary to pull the country out
of the ongoing serious crises and threats.
We may conclude in wake
of our internal and external crises that the Independence Day emphasizes on
practical national Unity.
Email:
Sajjad_logic@yahoo.com
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