Pakistan and its history of duplicity!
On 14th August 1947, Pakistan was carved out of the western and eastern landmass of India. West Pakistan included the areas of Sindh, Baloch, Western Panjab and the North West Frontier Province (Khyber Pakhtunkwha) bordering Afghanistan. On the east it received the areas of East Bengal (Noakhali, Jessore, Chittagong, Tangail and Dacca among others). The bane of Pakistan’s existence at the very outset was the Indian landmass of eastern Punjab to Bengal (a distance of over 3000 miles) which divided Pakistan, right down the middle. Secondly, the language barrier between the provinces of East and West Pakistan was far great to be missed which led to the 1971 ‘Bengali uprising’ following which, resulted in the “71 Bangladesh liberation” war with India. Pakistan felt deceived with this arrangement, which in return made a dash towards the independent (at that time) princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. The move of sending in armed ‘intruders’ into Jammu and Kashmir to take it by force and annex it with the state of Pakistan was under the operational command of Maj Gen Akbar Khan of the newly raised Pakistan army, with Mohammad Ali Jinnah being privy to the operational plans.
Jinnah’s “grand plan” to take Kashmir by force was executed blatantly, and in violation of all rules of war - using mostly “tribal’s” with elements of Pakistan army regulars. Hence, at the very outset of its existence- Pakistan army and Pakistan itself as a state mastered the ‘art of deception’ in classic art of ‘making the other believe- it will do what it says and in reality do a complete opposite. Diversion and deception became “state policy”. Within three months of its existence and still operationally under developed, as an army - Pakistan army’s execution of Operation Gibraltar was swift (1947-48 Kashmir war, as the operation was named). Only a few top generals were kept in the loop barring the British officers in command of GHQ, Rawalpindi. Operation Gibraltar was the brain child of Maj Gen Akbar Khan, who later, was found guilty as a co-conspirator in the Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case, 1951 (to overthrow the government of Liaqat Ali Khan) and Court Martialled. The plan was simple and at the outset, worked brilliantly in favour of Pakistan. Instead of using ‘regular troops’ to be sent in to Kashmir, armed tribal’s from NWFP were sent in by road – taking one village at a time- with Srinagar being the ‘ultimate objective’. With news of the invasion reaching, Maharaja Hari Singh, the Hindu ruler of J&K- decided to act and sought help from New Delhi.
In his book- ‘Slender Was The thread’ –Lt Gen LP Sen, (commanded 161 (i) brigade group in Uri during Kashmir war) goes in detail to explain the circumstances which led to the Indian Army being airlifted into Srinagar on 27th October, 1947. The very first unit to reach Kashmir valley was the 1st Sikh (4th Mech) under Lt Col Dewan Ranjit Rai- who fell to bullets while defending Srinagar in days to come. In the scheme of things during the war- the diabolical deception of Pakistan was exposed very early in the life of Pakistan’s existence, thus, “diversion, deception, subversion and deceit being made “(unofficial) official policy of Pakistan” in due course of time. With passage of time and changing course of contemporary world scenario – deception of Pakistan got deep rooted within its psyche of governance and daily life.
In 1958, at a nascent age and time of the country’s life, Pakistan, faced its first among many ‘military coup’, orchestrated by its first Pakistani army chief – Gen. Mohammad Ayub Khan! Ayub belonged to a generation of ‘anglicised Sandhurst trained Pakistani officers’ – fought alongside the British Indian Army in World War II, opting for Pakistan at the time of independence. His ‘coup’ to power in 1958 polarised Pakistan Army to great position of power within Pakistan society and government, which was q pre-cursor to many such ‘military rule’, over the course of its history. The Pakistan army had tasted blood and it was ‘here to stay, fight and hunt for its survival!’
Following Ayub’s rise to power, Pakistan became a sidekick to the NATO alliance in the cold war and a ‘mistress of the United States of America.’ With a fledging military behind him and a ‘super power’ beside, Ayub – visualised grandiose dreams of taking over Kashmir by military force with multiple diversion tactics aimed at India. In November 1964, a fierce skirmish took place in the Tithwal sector of J&K between Indian and Pakistani forces. It was a sign for things to come.
Early summer of 1965, Pakistan Army began to edge towards and encroach upon Indian posts in the Rann of Kutch. India responded by sending in a brigade level formation, following which led to clashes and even more fighting. The situation was getting out of hand which made Pakistan send in an entire infantry division along with two armoured regiments in close support. The situation came to boiling point when on April 24th 1965, Pakistan armoured and mechanised infantry attacked a post at Point 84 and the Border Security Force post (company strong) at Biar Bet, the next day, overrunning both the posts, with ease. The deception and diversion of Pakistan was still not clear, of the things to come in September!
On 3rd September 1965, Pakistan attacked India across the Beas River in the Chamb-Jaurian sector, the offensive plan of the Pakistan army was clear, to cut India from Kashmir. At the same time – airborne assault troops were airdropped ‘behind Indian lines’ across the international border in – Jammu and Kashmir along with large mix of ‘irregular and regular’ troops. With Indian infantry taking severe beating in Chamb-Jaurian and armoured also under heavy fire, thus, to put equal pressure on the Pakis, India launched counter-offensive on September 6th, across the International border in Punjab. It was led by heavy armour and infantry, objective being, the Lahore and Sialkot sectors. Within days, India made heavy in roads into Pakistan, inflicting massive armour casualty, with substantial losses to the Paki 6th armoured div formations. At the same time – the airborne assault by Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir went horribly wrong, with most being rounded up and caught by local population-police and the army which made the Paki planners to shelve rest of the plan of further ‘airborne strikes’!
By default, India did manage to incur damage to the morale and prestige of the Pakistan army, at the cost of a ‘mocked up’ cease-fire by world powers that be, leaving the outcome of the war in limbo.
With, Ayub Khan taking a beating down of sorts for the follies and fallacies of his general’s – Ayub gave way to Gen Yahya Khan – his successor and the military rule of Pakistan continued...
Pakistan army had been in power for almost 11 years now, since Field Marshal Ayub Khan’s takeover in 1958 and by 1969 – the public were disillusioned- demoralised- and discarded at home-hearth and abroad! With almost 3000 miles of Indian landmass right in the middle- dividing the East and West Pakistan – governing the two wings was proving to be a Herculean task – along with added internal troubles of ethnic violence and communal infighting, the Bengali speaking East Pakistani civilian political activism was gaining momentum against the Punjabi/Urdu speaking west. In the dying months of 1970, the Awami League party of East Pakistan won all the seats to the National Assembly from the east, which led to Sheikh Mujib ur Rehman, its leader qualifying to form a civilian government under President Gen. Yahya Khan, by virtue of having more seats than Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party! The balance of power tilting towards the Bengalis was unacceptable to, Punjabi/Urdu speaking majority of West Pakistan in general and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the leader of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, in particular. (West Pakistanis considered themselves martially superior to the Bengalis) Bhutto refused to hand over the reign of govt to Sheikh Mujib and “dissolved the National Assembly”, in perpetuity, imposed martial law and arrested Sheikh Mujib.
The action of the sitting Bhutto government, in turn made East Pakistan to revolt, which in turn, led Sheikh Mujib to call for a separate nation, independent of West Pakistan. The demand for separation by Awami League and the imposition of “martial law” saw a brutal army crackdown on innocent civilians of East Pakistan which was ‘one of the worst genocide and ethnic cleansing in a country, by its army on its own people!’ The actions of Yahya and his army in East Pakistan and the influx of refugees into India – made the Indian army to move into East Pakistan in 1971, following which led to the creation of Bangladesh and the ignominious defeat of Pakistan army resulting in capture of almost 93,000+ troops as PoW, within 13 days of war being declared!
The defeat of 1971 and the effects thereof, left Pakistan shattered, battered and brutally gang raped- the years following of which saw Pakistan return to civilian rule after a decade and half of army rule. With Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto assuming the supreme control of the half-baked state of Pakistan (west only) the path to normalcy was far from the horizon-and the deception of its army was looming round the corner. In 1976, Bhutto chose a relatively junior army commander over his seniors to be Chief of Army Staff- Gen Zia ul Haq, an armoured corps officer with equal amount of staff, command and instructional experience was not, quite a right choice by Bhutto, as he was to learn later, at the peril of his life. Zia had his share of controversy preceding him into GHQ. Apart from being 4 ranks junior to the senior most Lt Gen at the time of assuming command, Zia was almost court martialled from service as a Brig, when, in direct insubordination of international law and orders from Islamabad- Zia, himself assumed command of a Jordanian armoured division during the 1969 war with Israel- (at that time, serving a diplomatic tenure at Pakistan Embassy, in Amman). The Jordanian experience did hold him in good stead when he went out of his way to please the American’s during the Afghan war.
Zia, quite like his predecessors, civil and military went out of his way to be an ally with and serve as the ‘mistress’ of Washington in South Asia! The ‘double standards of Pakistan’ continued through the Zia years and it actually turned its focus to make it “(unofficial) official policy of Pakistan” during this time.
The Zia years are mostly known for the way Pakistan actually came of age as the ‘personal keep’ of the United States of America. Diplomatically, militarily and for all practical purpose of statecraft- Pakistan became ‘United States of America’s favourite whore’ and literally so, as time to come would prove. Zia opened Pakistani military bases to the US DoD, CIA, NSC and the DIA. USAID poured into Pakistan by ‘dime a dozen’. The biggest ‘coup de grace’ Zia did for the United States was opening of ‘training camps’ for Afghan mujahedeen’s fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan. Oil dollar was pouring in from Saudi Arabia via United States and Pakistan’s fate of doom changed the matrix of power for the Pakistani people. But behind all the shiny glitz and glamour which was visible to the world at large – was dissent among the army brass against United States in general and Zia in particular for ‘opening up bases and putting Pakistan’s sovereignty at stake and scuttling career prospects of so many generals, among many! Further, the mistrust among the senior commanders and the Chief of Joint Staff of the Pakistan Army also ex ISI chief and Zia’s ‘close confidant’ number two- Gen Akhtar, vitiated the atmosphere for all and sundry!
The battle lines were drawn and executed when in an ‘unsolved conspiracy’, Gen Zia ul Haq along with some of his top general’s (Gen Akhtar included) and the United States Ambassador to Pakistan – Arnold Raphael, was assassinated in a “C-130 Hercules crash” on August 17th 1988, while Zia was returning to Rawalpindi from a visit to HQ XXXI Corps, in Bahawalpur.
The duplicity, deception and double standard of the Pakistan military was there for all to see – not at the very moment – but exposed over time and time line of events, thereafter!
In a short period of time after Zia’s death and the Soviet retreat from Kabul – Pakistan bared its fangs, on its favourite whipping ‘buddy’- ‘India’. Even though it is widely believed that during “Zia years”, Pakistan actively and in secret – helped the “Khalistan separatist movement” in the Punjab in early 80’s, it never was substantially proved beyond reasonable doubt and with the movement itself being denounced and fought back by the people of Punjab, the Pakistan angle didn’t hold substantial ground! With the Soviet’s out of the way, Pakistan could concentrate on things to come. With American support waning (as is the case, when one is done with a mistress) and a huge army of ‘mujahedeen’s (non-state actors’) in the training camps- armed with US supplied weapons in excess (the one’s supplied by US as well as stolen by Pakistan, such as the Ojhri Camp ammo depot fire suggests) Pakistan’s ‘double game’ found a new taker and this time it was India! To begin with ‘tanzeems’(militant organisations) were set up within the existing training camps and in these camps were so trained ‘brainwashed’ young men from Kashmir to take to arms – for the so-called liberation of Kashmir (Azadi). Thus, giving rise to the continuing proxy-war by Pakistan in Kashmir. Followed by, terrorist attacks on harmless, unarmed civilians throughout rest of India. The long term- policy of deception and double standard of the Pakistan state was and is continuing to be used as a “weapon of state”. In the words of Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, COAS Pakistan Army, “The jihadists are strategic weapons of Pakistan.”
With the rise of cross border terrorism and militancy in the “Valle of Kashmir”, Pakistan’s ‘art of deception’ found a new ‘avatar’. In the summer of 1999, hordes of mercenaries, militants and regular troops of Paki army under direct command of ‘Paki army officers’ took over Indian posts in the winter of 1998-99 along the Line of Control in the Kargil region. Pakistan’s duplicitous act was exposed- in the summer of 1999 when Indian troops were fired upon while moving towards the Indian posts, vacated in the winter months, due to the inhospitable terrain and geography of the region. In the beginning, the intruders were assumed to be militants/terrorists- which Indian army was used to, in engaging elsewhere in Kashmir- it was only the sheer fire power rained down on Indian troops, blowing of ammo dumps in Kargil and missing army patrols- did the picture get clearer of the duplicity and level of involvement of the Pakistan army regulars and the state thereof. Since, independence – with each time India dealing with Pakistan on the battle field – the sheer number and the strategic brilliance of the generals of India and the determination of the Indian soldier has catapulted India to victory over the duplicity of Pakistan, time and again!
Since the end of Kargil war and Pakistan returning to military rule under Gen Pervez Musharraf (1999-2008) – the region has gone through some changes of far- reaching consequences. India and Pakistan, both have acquired nuclear weapons of substantial capability and use. Both the country “almost went to war” in 2002/03 post ‘terror attack on the Indian Parliament’ which emanated from the hallowed portals of GHQ, Pindi! Following which, Pakistani and Indian forces were amassed at the border, with no substantial incident of even a single bullet fired, barring the unceremonious removal of Lt Gen Kapil Vij, (India’s 2 [strike] Corps Commander) from command under American pressure, for ordering troops “too close to border”!
At the same time, Pakistan’s fortunes saw an upswing, after fall from grace following “1998 nuclear test to 1999 Pervez’s coup d’ état” and Pakistan returned to be ‘United State’s favourite mistress’ in the region due to the level of help and resource Pakistan extended to American led forces in avenging the 9/11 ‘terror’ attacks on US soil, which again has been proven to have been masterminded (substantially) by Pakistani state and ‘non-state actors’ from within Pakistan, against the “Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and within its own territorial borders”.
Pakistan bounced back, rather, in the words of Raja Mohan, (an America-phile and strategic affairs expert) “America muddled through”.
The “sagging mistress’s” economy got “botoxed” for a while – only to get “sucked out” in the recent months- post Osama Bin Laden’s dramatic killing by US Special Forces, in Abbotabad (May 2011) –smack in the middle of the Pakistan establishment’s source of (military) power, Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul as well as Frontier Force Regimental Centre, Abbotabad (prestigious infantry regiment)!
The Osama incident can be deemed as plain ‘unfortunate’ for ‘double gaming’ Pakistan.
The killing of Osama bin Laden and the ‘revenge killings’ in Pakistan by hardliners/extremists, has opened a Pandora’s box of poisonous worms for the Pakistani people, its gentry, radical clergy, over suspicious politicians, vicious intelligence agencies and a distrustful scotch drinking (haraam in Islam) army filled with double agents of USA! The outcome of the ‘Osama fiasco’ has the put Pakistan in a cauldron of turmoil. If reports emanating from international and Pakistani press be true – Pakistan’s “descent into chaos” is on the verge of completion. Today, Pakistan stands on the edge of its very existence it came to be so known! – Deemed as a ‘failed state’, a ‘nation which can’t be trusted’, economically on the verge of bankruptcy, (if aid it is supposed to receive doesn’t come through), of its own making and volition which is at its worst and a shaky civilian government with the support of a furious, civilian-phobic military in the wings! Coupled with all the above, Pakistan’s arrogance is not doing it any good for the future of its own existence!
Pakistan has seen four Chief’s of Army Staff ruling the country with complete authority for almost half its life till date and it continues to this day. General Headquarters, Rawalpindi (GHQ, Pindi) continues to be the power centre to the civilian rulers. The psyche of duplicity of Pakistan in general and its army, in particular, can be gauged from the fact of the promise of its existence- is based on, duplicitous propaganda and delusions of power coupled with deception, the founding fathers of Pakistan had to endure from imperial Britain!
The pain and reminders of suffering of partition and the ‘ignominious defeat of 1971’ keep the wheels of fortune for Pakistan army running and how? The military of Pakistan studies and teaches the one and only thing- to hate, bash and destroy India! But not for long! With changing world opinion and a ‘furious ally’ on its way to desert and destroy its ‘double agent’ “mistress”, Pakistan’s days are numbered and Pakistanis and its army are to be blamed for their “unofficial’ official policy of deception” and the impending doom they’ll be bringing upon themselves”!
The wheels of Pakistan’s “despicable and ‘double- edged’ master arm of ‘duplicity’, since, 1948 has rested with the Inter Service Intelligence directorate”! – Today, the ISI is a ‘super state’ within the Islamic Republic of Pakistan! Successive army chiefs of Pakistan, who themselves have become powerful, with each and every ‘army-chief ruler’ have kept, ‘their own man’ as DG-ISI and it’s this instrument of state policy- which has been instrument in framing policy, thereof! Without doubt, the age old adage – “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” – could not have been any truer for Pakistan army and the Inter Service Intelligence!
The day isn’t far from near, when the world at large – and the powers that be, i.e. United States of America among others- launch an all out ‘war’ against Pakistan’s duplicity and the ISI- because the duality of its very existence will be out there for all to see- it’s not an analysts assumption, but the true fact of life for all and sundry- because we can’t trust Pakistan and its sat-raps (state and state sponsored non-state actors).
Duplicity in war is diversion- and duplicity in life is ‘fraud’! The rules of war have been written and re-written since time immemorial and it’s changing with the course of time. War itself will continue to be fought and used as an instrument of state policy! With world powers that be – closing in on Pakistan and realising its surreptitious duplicity of its state policy, days for Pakistan’s very existence stands threatened from outside and within!
Where ever there is man- there is conflict and with conflict escalating- there will be war!
