The arrest of a serving brigadier and the interrogation of four majors is reconfirmation for what most dispassionate analysts knew all along, though the apologists of the forces and the intelligence agencies either denied outright or brushed under the carpet. The decades old policy of patronising and pampering the militant outfits had finally come home to haunt our brass with infiltration at a scale that has already put a question mark on its ability to conduct itself as a professional force.
Prior to this latest, yet another post-OBL traumatic development, though things were kept under wraps as meticulously as possible, it was known that the jihadi culture struck a chord only with the lower ranks – as evidenced by the attempted assassination of Pervez Musharraf by some air force men and one despatch in the WikiLeaks quoting an air marshal that the PAF was finding it difficult to save F-16s from sabotage from within. And then there were many a report suggesting that the Mehran Air Base attack could not have been carried out without collusion from inside.
But the arrest of Ali Khan, a senior serving army Brigadier (who may have been a major general had he not spoken his piece in front of the President/COAS Musharraf in Quetta some years ago on what he thought of the latter’s post-9/11 volte face with regards to the US’ War on Terror) on May 6, and subsequent questioning of some junior officers, is further proof if any was needed that the tentacles of extremism have spread not just far and wide but also with pronounced upward mobility – a nightmare scenario indeed, both for the military and the government.
As depicted in graphic detail in the slain investigative journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad’s book, Inside Al Qaeda and the Taliban: Beyond Bin Laden and 9/11, published posthumously, what should be most perturbing is the extent to which radicalisation, even Al-Qaeda itself, has made inroads into our armed forces.
Here is a look at some out of the 10 ‘conclusions’ that noted analyst Khalid Ahmed has arrived at in his review of the book that probably killed Shahzad: 1) Jihadi organisations are subservient to Al-Qaeda at the same time as some are also extensions of the Pakistan Army; 2) ‘Retired’ army officers earlier handling proxy jihad defected to Al-Qaeda but continued to use contacts within the military on behalf of Al-Qaeda; 3) Mumbai was done by Al-Qaeda through former Pakistan Army officers with help from Lashkar-e-Tayba (LeT) without the knowledge of the ISI despite the fact that LeT was on ISI’s leash; 4) Army officers or freedom fighters trained by army for Kashmir jihad spearheaded Al-Qaeda’s war against Pakistan Army; 5) Islamic radicalisation of Pakistani society and media mixed with fear of being assassinated by Al-Qaeda agents – who include ex-army officers – have tilted the balance of power away from the state of Pakistan to Al-Qaeda; 6) Punjabi Taliban are under Haqqani Network which is supposed to be aligned with Pakistan Army; 7) Pakistan Army has ex-officers in Al-Qaeda as well as serving officers collaborating with these ex-officers.
This is hair-raising stuff, indeed – even if it is partially true.
If the horrors that we have lived through in the past 30 years, the worst of it happening in the last seven when the unending stream of terror was unleashed like never before with suicide bomber entering the equation with a vengeance, is proof positive that Saleem Shahzad was not way of the mark.
As we live through this nightmare, it is fair to question whether there would be an end to it? Does the arrest of Brig Ali for his alleged links with Hizb-ut-Tahrir, and, though belatedly, the way it has been made public, indicate change of mindset in our brass?
If past is any guide, nothing can be said for sure, for normally their wont has been to lie low, bide time and then remain steadfast on the path of tried and tested disaster.
But even if there is a genuine desire to reform and rid the army and the society from radicalisation, the task of purging the armed forces of Al-Qaeda sympathisers will be an arduous one. But it will have to be done urgently and transparently. Otherwise, the real danger lurking is the world at large becoming impatient with our antics, and turn us into a pariah. The time to act is now – or never.
The writer is Sports and Magazines Editor, Pakistan Today.
It is not such a big problem if few officers of such a large army have been caught doing something, which they should not have been doing. This cleanup will strengthen this institution, if it is done transparently, with no exceptions. Perhaps the fact that this is being done in the Pak Army, which was considered a holy cow, makes it sound as if something unique is happening. The US Navy has sacked 29 top commanders in the last 18 months alone. It would be a bigger problem, if these 5 officers in the Pak Army had not been apprehended. All we need to do now is to ensure them a fair trail and make sure that any network if it exists, should be eliminated. This should follow up with a cleanup of our civil bureaucracy and the political leadership. We need to imbibe the spirit of nationalism within our people, so that we can be proud to be Pakistanis. It is time the state stops exploitation of religion, ethnicity, sectarianism etc, to divide this nation and weaken us from within.
Interesting….let us compare those words to the words of Muhammed (SAAW) "Anyone who calls for, fights for, or dies for asabiya (tribalism, nationalism) is guaranteed the hell fire." Brother…know by Allah (SWT ), being Pakistani, or Arab, African, Hispanic, Asian, etc. is NOT what will help you into paradise. Brother…know by Allah (SWT)…it is the aqeedah which is There is NO GOD but ALLAH and Muhammed is HIS Messenger. Lastly, my brother…it is also to follow Allahs's swt orders and his most beloved Muhammed's saaw Sunnah….which is also to seek NUSRA (material support) from people of power to implement HIS deen on HIS earth.
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