Hunger Games

 AK Niazi is the Pakistani General whose photographs adorn maximum walls and books in India albeit in the unenviable position of signing the instrument of surrender and handing over his pistol signifying 93,000 prisoners of war.  His book, ‘The Betrayal of East Pakistan’ released in 1998, six years before his death at the ripe age of 83 alleges that Zulfikar Bhutto connived with Yahya Khan, Rao Farman Ali and Tikka Khan to abandon East Pakistan leaderless amidst the worst genocide perpetuated by Tikka Khan just to save their own authority and consolidate power in what remained of Pakistan. Significantly, Gary Bass in his book  'The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger and a Forgotten Genocide' describes the Pakistani army crackdown in East Pakistan one of the worst humanitarian crisis of the 20th century, killing hundreds of thousands of people and sending 10 million refugees fleeing to India. Niazi writes, “The final plan for the dismemberment of Pakistan was hatched between Yaha Khan and Bhutto at Larkana, Bhutto's home town…. All the efforts of Yahya's junta and Bhutto's coterie were directed towards losing the war… They neither desired a political settlement, nor did they want a cease-fire.” No wonder the book is banned in Pakistan.

But if this is the legacy in Pakistan of the politico-military connivance that in hunger of power does not mind playing games that divides their own country, where is the surprise of the Nawaz Sharif-Kayani nexus and more importantly Nawaz Sharif now baring fangs? His feigning he knew nothing about the Kargil intrusions was abjectly naïve, for if that was true he could have never make it to the top job in a country like Pakistan. Given the present state of radicalisation in Pakistan, he would not have made it to Prime Minister now without support of the radicals. That is the reason his constituency (Pakistani Punjab) officially doles out millions to terrorist organisations and radical mullahs like Hafiz Saeed with full state protection, hold massive ant-India rallies openly, attended by serving and veteran politicians, military and government officials. Then is the question of the nemesis of Pakistan – the ISI which is pure military, rather two sides of the same coin) and linked with some 15 odd terrorist organisations including Al Qaeda-Haqqanis, Taliban (both Afghan and Pakistan), Let, HuM, HuJi, JeM, HM, LeJ, D Company, IM, AHAB, HUJI BD, JMB, JMJB, Indian Maoists, IM, PFI etc. Not only are the two Talibans interlinked, Maulvi Fazlullah, Pakistan Taliban Leader admits, “Pakistani leaders approach us when their relations sour with the US.” If Fazlullah resides in Kunar (Afghanistan) as guest of Afghan Taliban, his escape from Pakistan was facilitated by the ISI. As for Afghan Taliban led by Mullah Omar, General John Allen, Commander, US & NATO Forces in Afghanistan had stated in August 2012, “Omar lives in Pakistan, as do many of his commanders. From that safe vantage point, they have sent hundreds of young impressionable and helpless youth to their death and detention in Afghanistan. For this, they must forfeit their honour and any claim to Islamic virtues.”

Zardari once tried to tame the ISI by saying they would be brought under the Ministry of Interior but ate his words within 24 hours. The military-ISI is factually uncontrollable having seeped into every nook and corner of governance. Tarek Fatah, famous Pakistani author and political analyst says Pakistani Generals are only interested in money and their zamindari. Their enormous land holdings individually run into thousands of acres. Recently, Peshawar High Chief Justice Dost Mohammed Khan said, “Nobody including the federal government and Parliament is prepared to bring in legislation to control the ISI.” Nawaz Sharif almost burnt his fingers with the ISI-military during his earlier stint. He is not about to attempt it a second time. Why he is being hailed as a “changed man” is because he has decided to not only join them but also throw his full weight behind them. That is the reason for leaving no stone unturned to internationalise the Kashmir issue, relentless provocations astride the LC and deliberate violation across the international boundary as well. Undoubtedly, the prospect of achieving strategic depth in Afghanistan after the US withdrawal has induced a heady feeling, throwing logic to the winds. Drawing upon the horrendous genocide in East Pakistan, this time plans are afoot to perpetuate genocide across borders in India and Afghanistan. That is why scores of Mujahid battalions are being mated with the Taliban, and LeT with army regulars, as leaders for operations in India and Afghanistan.

Unfortunately, no one in Sharif’s establishment has the gumption to correct the script given to him by the ISI. That is why he parroted his grouse to Obama against drone attacks knowing these are with approval (read connivance) of Pakistan. A report dated 24 October 2013 in ‘USA Today’ states that Pakistan secretly supported CIA drone programme while publicly denouncing it. The report reveals there has been a secret agreement in place since the administrations of George Bush and Pervez Musharraf whereby Pakistani authorities have approved many of the drone strikes. Husain Haqqani, former Pakistani ambassador to Washington says, “Pakistani intelligence made a practice of protesting against the drones publicly while privately negotiating over whom the drones would target.” More significant was an earlier report of the secret US-Pakistan understanding that US drones would not target the LeT and their establishments.

In upping the terror front against India and Afghanistan, Pakistan feels it would get respite at home. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The backlash may be unimaginable and Baluchistan could well be inflamed more than ever. Both the Talibans want an Islamic Caliphate and rule of Sharia in Afghanistan as well as Pakistan. So, when Pakistan releases her hordes of radical marauders on Afghanistan, the backlash could come to Pakistan via Baluchistan across the porous Afghanistan-Pakistan border. China’s ability to suppress Shia unrest in Gilgit-Baltistan is also suspect especially in the face of the demographic Sunni assault and systematic Shia killings engineered by the ISI through terrorist groups including the TTP. Periodic reports of Shia soldiers from captured Pakistani patrols being singled out and shot in cold blood are no coincidence. But then, perhaps the politico-military coterie does not mind a second bifurcation, or shall we say trifurcation of Pakistan as long as they remain in control of what remains and what can continue to be called Pakistan.    

The impact of a radical takeover of the state of Pakistan needs to be considered by Pakistan’s political leadership. The unease in Saudi Arabia over the direction of the US-Iran dialogue and the situational developments in Syria, as also Obama’s mild query about the progress in Pakistan are a pointer in this direction. Which way the US-Pakistan relationship swings after US withdrawal from Afghanistan is anyone’s guess but Chinese will surely extract that many pounds of flesh for every penny they sink into Pakistan, freebies not being part of the Chinese vocabulary. As for India, let us stop fooling ourselves in reflecting whether Nawaz Sharif is in control of his military or behind them. His body language alone is enough to tell you he has been honeymooning them ever since. We should be prepared for the full force of their ugliness.  The rats may even be digging furiously under the border to inject their rabble laced Mujahid units, akin to the 104 tunnels dug by the North Koreans right across the demilitarised zone.

Prakash Katoch is veteran Lt Gen of Indian Army.

Views expressed are personal