Pakistan: Skeletons In The Cupboard Of History – OpEd

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The checkered History of Pakistan is marked by several erroneous decisions and culpabilities. Some of the substantial blunders that had changed the fate and nemesis of Pakistan needs to be march pasted. In order to be assiduous and put an end to all the blunders, we need to critically analyze those perpetrated in the past. After the inception of Pakistan the first ever blunder was the decision of civil- Military Elite’s to make a strategic alliance with USA. This was the primordial idiocy and absurdity. The leadership of that time decided not to be part of any bloc or remain non-aligned. They contemplated USA as our saviors, who would extricate us from chaos and in the wake of Military and Economic assistance the integrity of the country was sold.

We become reliable on foreign aid, imperialist powers and our colonial masters. From defense pacts to CENTO, and from SEATO , to Baghdad pact, this country if funded by US witnessed an Economic growth and development and if not our economy is in danger to be sunk in Arabian sea essentially as the fate of Two Nation theory was seized. As a consequence of this blunder, Military became a supreme force and they imposed coups and the implications of these Military coups were more catastrophic. 

The dismantling of constituent Assembly in 1954 by the then Governor General Ghulam Muhammad was yet another Skelton in the cupboard of History. Moulvi tameez ud din who was the speaker of Sindh Assembly provoked this act of Ghulam Muhammad in Sindh High court. The court decided that a Governor General can not disband a constituent Assembly and ordered the restoration of constituent Assembly. In 1955, the federal court which we now call the supreme court issued a judgement by the name of “ Law of Necessity”, which concluded that the decision of Governor General to dismantle the constituent Assembly is equitable, unerring and valid. That Law of Necessity till this day has proved as a dangling sword for the democratic system of Pakistan, as it justified the coups of all Military dictators. Justice Munir concedes his fault in his book “ From Jinnah to Zia”. 

As it is said that one thing leads to the other. The nefarious intentions of Military might and the unscrupulous politicians to grab the upper Echelon of power and to not transfer the powers to the majority party (Awami league of sheikh Mujib) marked a watershed event in the melancholic history of Pakistan. Our direct neighbor (India) kept a vigilant eye on the sitch and state of affairs. She swiftly moved to disintegrate the already disbanded and splintered parts of one homeland. India supported sheikh Mujib in every way possible. India adopted the policy of “ the enemy of my enemy is my friend” in the charged political atmosphere. What added fuel to the fire was the Military operation “search light” carried out by Pakistani Army in East Pakistan. The situation deteriorated and an embryonic state Bangladesh came into being. 

The fragile, callous and incompetent policies of Musharraf regime to fathom out the 9/11 crisis was a colossal and gargantuan clanger that lead Afghanistan into an endless war, and we as the counter parts of USA remain a proxy in the so called “ War on Terror”.

Instead of resolving the problem of USA Musharraf regime preferred to stuck Bush administration in a Quagmire. Mula Omer the then Amir of Afghanistan had provided safe sanctuary to American declared terrorist Osama Bin Laden. America asked Pakistan’s assistance to held talks with Mula Omer in handling Osama Bin Laden to them. America was never against the regime of Mula Omer rather it was busy in negotiations to do trade via Afghanistan and bring the oil reserves from Central Asia. The American oil company UNOCAL negotiated for almost three years with afghan government on this issue.

The protégé’ Mula Omer whom Pakistan had  given recognition from UAE and Saudi Arabia would have easily persuaded to hand over Osama Bin Laden but the then ISI chief stimulated a matter of rejection while negotiating with Mula Omer. The repercussions of the so called War on terror and strategic partnership are endured till this day. The country lost 80 thousand civilians, Para Military forces, a major set back to Economy and the infrastructure of country turned into ruins. 

These and many other fiascos contributed to the Economic decline, a hindrance to the democratic culture, and impediment to the prosperity of country. Moreover these blunders proved to be calamitous and cataclysmic. 

*Hidayat Ullah is at student of History in Quaid e Azam University Islamabad

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