From: “Ahmad Faruqui” <afaruqui@hotmail.com>

To: <sms@pathfinder.com.pk>

Subject: General Musharraf’s speech

Date: Thursday, September 20, 2001 10:22 PM

Dear Sehgal Sahab,

One thing that puzzles is what Gen. Musharraf hopes to gain by re-engaging with the US under such asymmetrical circumstances.  It is obvious what the US stands to gain from Pakistan’s cooperation.  It is also obvious that Pakistan has a lot more to lose by going down this path than it could possibly hope to gain.  If things escalate, as I am afraid they might, and a massive US response occurs that causes widespread death and destruction throughout Afghanistan, there will be a backlash from the radical elements of the religious parties within Pakistan.

If the US response expands to include other “rogue states” such as Iraq and Libya, the backlash will be even more severe.  Even Musharraf has acknowledged that 15% of the population does not agree with his current  policy.  I would hazard a guess that the number may be as high as 30-35%, i.e., around 40 to 50 million people.

There is no shortage of ethnic, sectarian and class divisions within Pakistani society.  Musharraf’s policies are likely to further polarize the nation, and may even cause fractures to surface within the Pakistani army.  Under these circumstances, the nation could well drift toward civil war, bringing with it the inevitable introduction of martial law.

Musharraf has rightly said the choices facing Pakistan are as serious than the events of 1971, and if Pakistan makes the wrong choices, it could self-destruct.  But is a military government well suited to making the very  difficult choices facing that country?  Have the pros and cons been adequately discussed in various public forums by the people?  Has a consensus been developed?  No, all he has done is taken the people into confidence on decisions that he has already made.

He has no mandate from anyone except the corps commanders to make such weighty decisions.  No wonder he asked the nation to give him the same trust that they gave him while he was in Agra.  Will they?  So much more is at stake this time.

Ahmad

September 19, 2001

Letter to the Editor

WTC BOMBING: AN UNPARALLEL HUMAN TRAGEDY

The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre (WTC) in New York and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. has no parallel in recent history. The catastrophe in which thousands of innocent lives have been lost is indeed very tragic. Every sane segment of the civilized world has condemned this dastardly inhuman act in the strongest terms. Those who have not yet joined the ranks of the sane and civilized world must come to the fore immediately. They too must condemn this highly inhuman and tragic act in unequivocal terms. 

This tragedy, if I may say so, has struck not only the Americans but also the entire world community. Only the Americans have not lost their near and dear ones, many from other countries of the world, including Pakistan, have lost their precious ones too in this despicable incident.    

It goes without saying that those responsible must be given exemplary punishment. What, however, must be borne in mind by the United States of America and its Allies that while punishing the culprits directly responsible for committing this heinous crime, safety of the innocent are fully ensured. Any failing, on their part, on this particular count would leave no difference between them and the terrorists who the entire world is condemning today for taking the lives of so many innocent souls.       

This is the time for the Americans to act prudently. This certainly is not the time to go for a wild sweep against all Muslims. It would be highly imprudent to measure every Muslim with the same yardstick. If, unfortunately, America and its Allies act on the directives of their emotions more than on good sense then there is every likelihood that their actions may engulf the entire world into a catastrophe beyond the stretch of human imagination.

I know the heart of those who have suffered from this unparallel human tragedy continues to bleed incessantly. I also know that their hearts are full of vengeance against those responsible for grabbing their near and dear ones away from them for all times to come. But may I, with a heavy heart, urge upon them to bear the losses they have suffered with patience. I know it is easier said than done. But I sincerely feel that the salvation of the entire world today rests on this vital consideration.

M. Fazal Elahi

 #139, St. 72, G-9/3 Islamabad

Tel: 2852834

From: <CanComm@aol.com>

To: <sms@pathfinder.com.pk[SMS]>

Subject: Pakistan

Date: Wednesday, September 26, 2001 8:00 AM

Geo Cook to Ikram Sehgal.

My thanks for your e-mail providing more info about your father, and for the beautiful ‘Remembering My Mother’ attachment - it was touching, brought tears to my eyes, and I said a prayer for her soul, most surely in Paradise!

I am a spry and active 86-year-old, with a keen and enquiring mind!!

Looking at your web-site, I see many place names in your country that bring back memories !

Abbottabad and Chittagong [I was at both places with ‘A’ Special Wireless Group during the war with Japan — I also got up to Tezpur in North Assam, and luckily avoided a nasty encounter with a tiger which tried to enter my Bashar Hut]!

Rawalpindi, I was there on a wireless upgrading course in ’39. I recall riding tat ponies in Topi Park!

Peshawar — I was there early in ’36, saw tribal troubles on Afridi’s Kajuri Plain [Francis Ingall was also there at the same time & place] — I was also at Landi Kotal on the Afghan Border! 

Malakand — I was on the Chitral Relief column in ’36. We went down the Trunk Road out of Peshawar, passed Nowshera, Risalpur [the home of Francis Ingall’s 1st Cavalry], thence to Dargai and to Malakand [where Winston Churchill once served, long before my time] — thence along the Swat Valley as far as Dir!!

Lahore — with it’s beautiful Shalimar Gardens!

Then Razmak [in North Waziristan] and Wana [in South Waziristan] with the sniping from Waziris and Mahsuds who, if they weren’t sniping at us, then they were sniping at one another!!

Ah!! Youthful Memories of Places now so far away and so long ago!

When the British left, they made one admirable decision, and two bad ones [just my own opinions, of course]!

The good decision was to agree to the creation of Pakistan as a free, independent, and sovereign Muslim Nation!

The first bad decision was to allow a state with a Muslim populace but with a Hindu ruler to go to India — absolute madness!

The second bad decision was the creation of East Pakistan  — but please let me explain my point of view! What should have been created in Bangladesh was a second free, independent, and sovereign Muslim Nation, not ‘East Pakistan’, but maybe ‘Islamastan’ or perhaps ‘Jinnahstan’.

If that had have been done at that time, I am fully convinced, that two Muslim Nations would now bracket India — one on the East, and one on the West!

Just the idle silly thoughts of an old man!

I’ll keep in touch with you later in the year if I may, and of course, ‘God Willing’ [Inshalla]

Best regards to you & yours.

All the best!