by Mian Hameed 14 May 2022
When I wrote to Gen. Kayani, about my project—a documentary on Pakistan Army, my endeavor was assigned to the portfolio of a Brigadier at the ISPR. I parted ways when I found the lack of the Brigadier’s “’willingness to permit creative destruction’ towards ‘decisive…development’,” of the Pakistan army.
When Gen. Raheel’s mother passed away, he wrote back and thanked me for my condolences. When I wrote to Gen. Bajwa, I am told a Colonel faced a Court Martial hearing.
A soldier responding to, encourages my belief that I desire adopting his glory. The late Gen. Colin Powell wrote to me. His reply told me that I have not lost him. This is a man of a first-class – Meaning – Honor, and left an aura to be aware of your “record.” I marvel Gen. Powell’s mother for raising him.
Indeed, I do not know any of these men, but drawing on the traditions, I grew up knowing not to criticize the men and women of the armies as a rule. Soldering is a noble profession. These men and women stand in high honor.
Any book on Pakistan will be incomplete if it ends without a mention of the Pakistan Army. Therefore, in my upcoming book on Pakistan, I also have included a chapter on the Pakistan Army. In which, a misfortune of the Pakistani media is addressed by learning from the higher professional standards found in the U.S. mainstream media – They submit to the utmost respect of the men and women in uniform.
To carry such spirits, to hold these men and women in high honor; from the same chapter I share quotations, “Blessed is the Pakistani nation which draws its sense of strength and security from the standing army […] To keep the spirits of my American values alive, I may ask those born to errors, ‘Dov’è L’Amore’ (Where’s [the] Love, in Italian) – ‘Amor de soldado’ (love of soldier, in Latin).”
Here, “those born to errors,” are the usual journalists in Pakistan that criticize her standing army. Today, a reverse has happened. Those traitor journalists, as they are called in Pakistan, have quit criticizing the army brass in the regime change conspiracy. Whereas, I have taken to pen my strong objection, I thought I would never commit to.
The crime is such of the hour, if I permit the sound of my silence, it will raise the sting of my death. I must preserve my sentiments into print. My honor and my existence among the service of these men—the men and women in uniform of the United States, makes Bajwa’s alleged crimes unfathomable to live with.
At the core of the regime change conspiracy in Pakistan, a man once most admired – Now has brought disgrace to Pakistan for the reasons only he knows. His cardinal sin is enormous – More than the likely lone act of treason. For historic value, I have preserved the fatal acts in my articles, the Great Fix, the Demise of the GHQ and advising the Biden Administration to refrain from calling on Shabaz Sharif.
In the saga of Bajwa, Pakistanis are emotionally involved. He has brought an enormous amount of disgrace by allowing the convicted thugs into the government and is focal to the renewed flavor in the United States that has placed Pakistanis in the thick of this humiliation.
Bajwa, has stooped to the lowest form of indignity. He is a gutless commander “hiding behind his army’s kilt.” Contemplating, firing upon his people or should he surrender to the peoples’ wishes is his confusion.
Bajwa’s, alleged acts have made it a challenge to maintain civility and intellectual depth in my writings. Not simply because he has belittled Khan by his treacherous insubordination—by crossing the line of the reigning PM Khan’s position on Ukraine and Russia in his speech at Islamabad Security Council dialog to make him valuable to the Americans; not because the current government is mismanaging the foreign reserves because of Bajwa’s actions.
But because, as the army chief, Bajwa, has committed an error of a magnitude-fault. He went against the character of his nation, there by insulting, humiliating and enslaving some 222 million Pakistanis to another nation’s foreign policy. This is his wicked fault greater than an act of high treason.
In the saga of the Bajwa’s fault unfolding, these men must not be of honor. Not loyal to the profession and the country, for they are not resigning. I document some names for historic significance, are: A. Aziz—Lahore Corps Commander; Asim Munir; Nadeem Z. Manj; Shaheen—Mangla Corps Commander; S. M. Adnan; Waseem Ashraf—Multan Corps Commander; Sehr Shamshad—Ralwalpindi Corps Commander; Azhar Abbas—CGS; Noman Raja; and M. Aamer—Gujranwala Corps Commander.
They are not worthy of the rank if they opted not to uphold their oath, to keep the country jealously safe from the internal and the external enemies. No duty-bound soldier or a citizen of value would agree to a parliament’s cabinet with “sixty-six percent” members charged with crimes and out on bail, and yet a few mimics the enemy combatant.
Imagine the possible consequences of this fault in these men. Afghanistan, India, Iran, Israel, the U.K., and the United States, to name a few, all merging onto Pakistan to collect the nuclear assets of Pakistan. A situation the United States I do not think can control.
The point in this article is two-fold. First, why the Pakistan Army top brass subjects her country to ransacking it again and again. The verdict is, the Pakistan Army leaps to protect its own and when no one is held accountable, each subsequent COAS commits the next blunder or a treasonous act with a greater velocity.
Second, why the cadre of general’s professional caliber has hit rock bottom? Certainly, there are many reasons to learn from. Here is one account that hits home. When Gen. Yahya was presiding over the promotion review of Brig. M. Hamid-ud Din, a few on the promotion board remarked, “Do you want to create another Gen. Hayaud Din” HJ MBE MC – Both are from the Mian family. Later around 1976, the Commanding Officer Col Qayum, to Maj Majeed Abdul Mian, told the Major that the army does not like promoting men from the Mian family.
Providence did not allow both the former two men to reach their potential to have impacted the men and women in uniform. I am certain, these two soldiers would have ordered a Court Martial of Bajwa, and the cadre. Brig. M. Hamid-ud Din in his book Looking Back has recommended a Court Martial for the planners of the Kargil venture.
The blessings in Bajwa’s debacle are, he has fully exposed his entire team at home and abroad. In Bajwa’s follies, Pakistanis have united knowing they will rise like a phoenix.
Let the rising phoenix of a poor country Pakistan, not turn the generals into an obelisk. Reclaiming all the glitter and gold; comfort and privileges they have lavished upon these men from their meager means.