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‘DEFEAT IS NOT AN OPTION’
Barrister Amjad Malik writes on the
briefing of Gen Raheel Sharif at London
On 30th
September 2015, I witnessed the best PR exercise , short but sweet speech of
the General Raheel Sharif, the Chief of Army Staff at Pakistan House (London).
It was triggered by the invitation of Syed Ibne Abbas a humble and obedient
High Commissioner of Pakistan in London. Chief did not mince words and clearly
said, ‘defeat is not an option in Zarab e Azab’ for Pakistan which was widely
acknowledged and appreciated. He eloquently spoke and detailed the successes
and the sacrifices his men are making day in day out and glorified ‘those few
good men’ of his battalion with compassion, pride and honour especially
remembered those martyrs of his nation. Though he did not emphasise much of
Peshawar school attack which triggered ‘the national action plan’ but his claim
to reduce terrorist incidents from 250 a month to 10 a month in itself is a
remarkable achievement. He challenged to end terrorist sleeper cells,
perpetrators of terrorist crimes, financiers, facilitators and masterminds from
nook and corner of Pakistan. He reminded the august gathering consisting of
mixed breed emanating from lawyers, journalists , bankers , MP’s and lords
especially archbishop of Canterbury and chief said that ‘we will not forget and
let the blood of our fine men go waste’. He indicated that stable Afghanistan
is in the interest of region, ‘we gave peace a chance but failed’ and now peace
will come after wining ‘Zarab e Azab’.
His reassurance
to India that lets move forward with ‘dignity and honour’ and pursue terrorists
than fighting with each other was a clear line Pakistan is taking that it’s a
‘do and die’ stage when army has held the bull of terrorism from its horns and
intl community must contributes to make it a success story for the world peace.
Pakistan does not wish to deviate its attention on the eastern border. Indian
attempts to create a diversion are in the knowledge but swift warning , ‘its
not conductive to international drive against terrorism’ is a real analysis of
the General, only if the international community is interested to listen to
him. He lured India that Pakistan is not in the mood and that ‘pak china
corridor’ will benefit them too, so India must benefit from this sincere .
He praised the
cooperation of the UK and Pakistan which is at its peak under current regime
and praised the role of NGO’s in rehabilitation of wounded soldiers, ID’s and
repatriation of displaced citizens to
FATA region. He politely silenced the critics of Karachi operation that, ‘if
you are feeling the heat, worry not as this indiscriminate operation is only
intended against the masterminds, the facilitators, the financers and the
perpetrators of terrorists and their sleeper cells in Pakistan’. Wording is
clear that chief is not in the mood of being blackmailed and is in the favour
of indiscriminate operation to continue to curb sleeper cells in Karachi and
other regions.
Prime Minister was mentioned in the
speech when he mentioned the failure of
peace process is to be a little economical with the reality as I think
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has sacrificed and bet everything in order to see
through successfully ‘National action plan’, and ‘Pak china corridor’ and
energy crisis to end darkness from Pakistan. Third time Prime Minister would
love to leave a legacy to be proud of only if he is allowed to function
properly, but sometimes departmental courtesies requires to do otherwise. I
think it begs the very question that Prime Minister must spare sometime to
address UK and international community as not a single address to dice pora in
two years and two addresses of COAS in one year gives an impression otherwise.
He must also consider seriously to have a full time foreign minister and to me,
his PR team must gear up a little. But then criticism is only offered at public
officials accountable to its people than soldiers in the line of duty as is the
norm in our society.
In any event, Chief of Army staff’s
speech was best PR exercise in years if cost and effect analysis is carried
out, and I enjoyed every bit of it and chief’s team so as the high commissioner
deserve an applause for so much in so little. Even General Musharraf used to
spend lavishly to come and address the community but Gen Raheel Sharif did a
very fine job before a very representative gathering on the day when PM was
speaking at United Nation’s General Assembly with the same wordings. The
message was loud and clear to all at sundry that civil and military are on one
page post 16/12 Peshwar attack and speak with one voice when it comes to ending
‘terrorism’ from the country. Being a democrat I am perturbed, as western
papers are writing ‘cock and bull stories’ but only if wishes were horses
because as much as I know democracy is saved by the soldier and the blood of
those two shaheed’s who laid their lives for the nation, otherwise we have left
no excuse to derail. It was a rare honour to meet the heir of Major Aziz Bhatti
and Major Shabbir Sharif shaheed’s legacy. Salute !
Barrister Amjad Malik is a chair of
Association of Pakistani Lawyers UK and has done LLM on national security Law
Thursday, 01 October 2015
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