Archive for category THE FORGOTTEN WAR

The Forgotten War

Not only it is thought provoking but it hints at the core issue. Pakistanis at large are unaware that a war is going on and fierce battles are being fought in the country. Our Media is more concerned about newly born prince and his royal parents Prince WILLIAM and Catherine, the princess.

Some one has to tell the people of Pakistan that soldiers  are dying, everyday. How sad but our Nation doesn’t even know. Both electronic and print media has to be woken up by some one or the ISPR who are themselves in deep slumber.

I really appreciate the writer’s concern and the way he has analyzed the subject….
mh.

THE FORGOTTEN WAR
( Rizwan Qureshi )

It’s the eyes that you notice there the most. Wide, apparently bereft of emotion and sometimes all hope, and above all questioning. Questioning visitors whether the sacrifices that they made were worth it and whether they can ever lead a life that you and me take for granted. They do not talk much, each of them immersed in his personal thoughts and worries, yet a ready smile and a V sign is there for the visitor who dares to strike up a conversation; not easy when you realize  the youthful hopes and aspirations wasted and years of suffering foretold.

These young men are the relatively fortunate ones who survived, while many of their comrades did not, but they lost limbs – sometimes multiple – or received horrendous combat injuries which have left them unable to lead a normal life. 

And now they find themselves at the Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine ( AFIRM ), where its dedicated staff toil hard and with compassion to provide a modicum of healing and dignity to them.

Then there are the thousands of soldiers and officers who did not survive this war. Fortunate amongst them finding instant oblivion through an Improvised Explosive Device ( IED ) while others finding death in ambushes and raids, and the least fortunate taken captive and subsequently butchered in cold blood, the act caught on camera for all to see.

They are stark and desolate the marches of our Federally Administered Tribal Areas ( FATA ) wherein a vicious war is being fought with no quarter given or sought. On one side are the Pakistan Army, the Frontier Corps, the Frontier Constabulary, the Khassadars, diverse levees and sundry civil servants who are endeavoring to impose the writ of the state of Pakistan, while on the other side are newly minted tribal warlords, foreign fighters, foreign money, foreign interference and most distressing of all a foreign religious creed that espouses extreme violence against those who dare to disagree.

Perhaps, this was not our war a decade ago and why we entered the fray can be debated thread bare. But it is now very much our war. Almost a hundred and fifty thousands of our soldiers – regular and civil armed forces – are fighting this war and suffering casualties. These men are volunteers, who go into harms way because duty calls them.

And they leave behind old parents, young wives and small children. Their days spent in prayers and anxious viewing of TV news as they go about their daily lives. Occasionally, some receive the dreaded phone call or a visitor and the nightmare be. There are thousands of such tales of sacrifice and tragedy known to but a few.

This war started many years ago and one does not know how long it will last. Perhaps, another decade or even longer; the bane of a deadly mix of geography and history hard to fathom. But this war is undoubtedly being fought for the very soul of Pakistan. It is being fought for the future of our children, so that they can go forward as citizens of a confident and progressive Muslim nation, proud of itself and all that it holds dear. This war has to be won.

But there is something amiss. The state and people of Pakistan do not own this war. It appears as if they have deliberately consigned it to the farthest corner of their consciousness. Perhaps, it is the distance of the war zone from the heartland of Pakistan? Or the ideological grey zone so cleverly created by the enemy; there is still a significant minority of Pakistanis who do not believe it is a just war. The army could also be blamed for its repeated political interventions and follies of dictators, which has muddied the cause. Public fatigue in pursuit of a half decent living could also be the reason.

Explain this to the soldier, who every week physically clears the route for military convoys, removing dozens of IEDs in the process, and remembering the one that exploded last week killing two of his comrades. Or to the detachment manning a checkpoint in an intensely hot stony wasteland for weeks on end, in imminent danger of a suicide bombing, a rocket attack or an enemy raid. Or to the soldier in his freezing bunker peering into the darkness for the lurking enemy. Undoubtedly, all explanations are lame and fall flat; a challenge to the youthful leaders who command them and share their dangers and hardships. No wonder the officer to soldier casualty ratio in this war remains amongst the highest in the world.

They also ask why has the nation’s civilian leadership forsaken them? Musharraf never visited the troops in the battle zone; a shame since he was also the COAS. Those who followed him were too busy looting the country to bother, while they delegated policy making to the army high command. And they wonder, why did not the President or the Prime Minister ever attend the annual Martyrs Day ceremonies? The new Prime Minister on assumption of office would have dignified himself by paying his respects at the Martyrs Memorial in Rawalpindi. He would have also done well by visiting the AFIRM. But alas the soldiers under treatment there are of no political significance.

And what of the public. Historically, information media has been the engine for motivating the citizens of nations at war. Today, cable TV with a reported access to 64% of Pakistanis plays a pivotal role in this. Alas, our ratings driven mercenary channels have failed to realize the magnitude of the challenge faced by their army in particular and the Pakistani state In general. Coverage of the war is desultory at best and clearly lacks empathy with the soldiers on the front line. Unversed talk show hosts and diverse participants regularly make fools of themselves on prime time. Perhaps, the over staffed Directorate of Inter Services Public Relations and the army high command have also faltered in selling this war to the people.

The fact is that if this long and forgotten war is to be won, the people and our rulers will have to stand shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces. Pious statements bordering on foolishness made in the air conditioned luxury of  parliamentary halls will not do. Nor will ridiculous unanimous resolutions passed by a largely semi-literate parliament help. With the gulf between world views of the protagonists being as wide as it is, no negotiations will work unless,of course, the state holds the upper hand through strong and effective military action. Is Pakistan ready for this Herculean effort? The portents are at best murky.

As one leaves the AFIRM, a middle aged couple – obviously of moderate means – enters. They carry some fruit for the patients and have come to visit a young officer who lost both legs in an IED blast. Their son was also wounded in the blast; he died two days later.

THE PHOTO GALLERY OF OUR SHAHEED HEROS & THEIR FAMILIES & THEIR COMMANDERS

 

 

 

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