July '99     Vol 3      No 7     Reg No.SS-346

Publisher & Managing Editor:
Ikram-ul-Majeed Sehgal

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Air Marshal (Retd)
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Arif Nizami
Ms Maleeha Lodhi
Ms Nasim Zehra
Hameed Haroon
Humayun Gauhar
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Panel of Contributing Editors
Air Marshal (Retd) Ayaz A. Khan
Vice Adm (Retd) IF Quadir
Dr Shireen Mazari
Farhan Bokhari

Panel of Columnists
Col (Retd) EAS Bokhari
Col (Retd) Abdul Qayyum
Dr. Matiur Rahman
Ms Amina Jilani
Capt (Retd) A.A. Jilani

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Dear Readers,

The PM's US visit to meet President Clinton was the high-water mark of the present crisis. For the sake of peace it was vital that immediate steps be taken to defuse the volatile situation in Kargil, a full scale war was days, if not imminent in hours. Instead of a sell-out as claimed by some die-hard hawks, the US-Pakistan accord was a brilliant exercise in 'damage control'. No sane person desires war but if war is the only option, sane people have no choice. Before eliminating our options, the PM had to take a chance to find a way for Pakistan to obtain some tangible benefit from the price paid for in blood by our Kashmiri Mujahideen. By drawing the US President into a commitment to find a solution to Kashmir, the PM has succeeded in turning potential embarrassment into relative success. Moreover it takes a brave man to step away from a fight when he knows the consequences may be adverse to his political future. We have to put in full-time 'damage control' to contain the Indian propaganda and diplomatic blitz that has severely mauled us. The Indians have paid a heavy price in soldiers in trying to dislodge a few hundred dedicated and brave Mujahideen, we cannot afford to let that sacrifice go in vain. I wrote a self-explanatory article for THE NATION entitled 'UNITED WE STAND', which I am taking the liberty of re-producing in the DJ.

Nobody can deny that in sum Kargil has been a major setback of disastrous proportions. The tragedy is that not only we were in the right but what was won on the snowy heights with the blood of our youth has again been lost on the slippery slopes of the negotiating table. For the sake of national unity and the morale of the Armed Forces this is no time to indulge in finger-pointing and recriminations but to close ranks lest divided we fall.

Let us first count the losses viz (1) we have never been so politically and diplomatically isolated in the full 52 years of our existence, even when counting 1971 (2) in accepting the 'Mujahideen were across the Line of Control (LoC)' when in fact they were in no-man's land, we were stupid enough to tacitly accept 'intrusion' (3) by insisting that we were not aiding the Mujahideen when every child knows that we do (as we must) we shot our credibility into oblivion (4) we exposed our 'China Card' needlessly and lost psychologically on that count when they remained mostly neutral (5) militarily we have unnecessarily jeopardised the morale of the Armed Forces when in fact they performed 'above and beyond the call of duty' and (6) we have lost the media battle across the globe in a manner that could be devastating in the future.

Now count our gains, viz (1) whether anyone likes it or not, Kashmir has been internationalised by being taken to be a nuclear flashpoint by the world (2) the action of a small force in tying down a much larger entity has exposed the vulnerability and weaknesses of the Indian Armed Forces in Kashmir and (3) we have discovered that when push comes to shove the necessary war-gaming and/or preparation for war was lacking.

There are real dangers here. By accepting US viewpoint about respecting the LoC, Mian Nawaz Sharif has tacitly accepted what Pakistanis feel he should not have, withdrawal from Kargil without a quid pro quo on Kashmir or those areas controlled by India in violation of the Simla Accord. Mature heads seemed to have decided to quit while we are still ahead and not get embroiled in a debilitating, annihilating war in which we could (at some cost) do a Gibraltar-2 in Kashmir and thus win the war but could have lost out on many other issues that could threaten our existence as a nation. Given a window of opportunity by our historical blunder in accepting 'intrusion' across the LoC, the Indians have proceeded to camouflage their own range of blunders and weaknesses, not the least was the demoralisation in the Indian Army. To counter loss of morale, they have mounted a tremendous war-hype for domestic consumption culminating in the 'production' of the great assault on 'Tiger Hills', a non-existent feature that could have featured as 'Pork Chop Hill' in any Hollywood movie. Yet for all practical purposes the Kashmir movement has had a rude setback and the Indians have managed to cover the inhuman atrocities on and of 'ethnic cleansing' of the Kashmiri people. They have unleashed a barrage of propaganda against our Armed Forces, including full page Ads in the US print media accusing the Pakistan Army of being a 'rouge army'. Not the least BJP is well on the way of getting a massive landslide in the next general elections unless something dramatic happens between now and October to upset their onward electoral march.

At such a sorry impasse, we not only have to take stock of the situation but effect total 'damage control'. This has to be done on a number of fronts in the political, military, diplomatic, media and economic fields.

In the political field, there has to be a mass contact programme where the ruling party members have to establish person-to-person rapport in their own constituencies to give a correct perspective of the facts. Where is the massive political blitz? The PM has yet to address the nation what to talk of taking the Opposition into confidence. This is not a PML battle alone, this a battle for Pakistan and nobody should think he or she has a corner on patriotism. Whatever views one holds of Ms Benazir one cannot accuse her of being unfaithful to the nation, it is time for PML to indulge in constructive engagement to involve her in the 'damage control' process.

On the military front, we must eulogise our heroes and we certainly have plenty of them. Whether the General Staff was turning a tactical situation to strategic advantage or in the field situation whether the Kashmiri Mujahideen were bolstered by a handful of our boys or were backed up by our troops, it has been a battle of nerves for GHQ while on the ground the 'Kargil Force' has taken a major pounding from the air and artillery and withstood it. Outnumbered 20 to 1 or even 30 to 1, they have taken a terrible toll of the Indians. While the Indians could well have taken some ridges, they have had no major success except on paper and rhetoric against the major Mujahideen positions despite overwhelming superiority in men and material. Even the Indians reluctantly acknowledge this while covering up their heavy casualties and high rate of desertion. The Indians can make a 'Hollywood' production out of non-existent victories, they cannot hide facts from the men on the ground and truth will out, sooner rather than later. We must publicise the heroes among our rank and file, for the sake of morale if nothing else.

Our diplomatic corps has failed us at a crucial period of time, part of it is not their fault. We have a lot of stuffed shirts immersed in their own importance and a theoretically bankrupt concept of what we should have instead of a live, potent diplomatic effort. We have to send dedicated people in different slots important to presenting our point of view and countering India's. A major effort must be made to effect solid 'damage control' over the ruins of our diplomatic policy. From diplomatic isolation we might come back to diplomatic contention. The best place to start is with the foreign diplomats in Islamabad, why are they not given an in-depth briefing by the Army followed by visits to the battle areas? This liaison with the Army would also dispel the misgivings in western capitals that those who wear our uniform are ogres. Army personnel have a simple naivety about them that would disarm the most hard-bitten professional diplomat.

This holds true also of the electronic and print media. We must get media persons for unencumbered contacts with those in uniform, particularly in the field. One does not have to coach these people, the simplicity and patriotism of the Pakistani soldier in the face of adversity will impress any hard-boiled cynic. Why have a visceral dislike for people like Maleeha Lodhi, Najam Sethi and Hussain Haqqani, why keep them under wraps? If they do not rise to the occasion for the sake of the nation, they are smaller beings than what I take them to be.

Our economy is not prepared for war whereas war may yet come within the next 45-90 days. The most shameful thing was the tax protest by the business community this week. The only way we can gear for war is if people pay their dues. Our problem is revenue generation and we must appeal to those who can pay is to pay their tax dues. At the same time they have to be draconian measures against, viz (1) those who still do not pay and (2) those who take bribes in allowing people to evade the tax net. We will be dead in the water unless we manage to generate additional revenues. Can one imagine a war effort in the present economic situation? As it is our well-intentioned Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has had to take some unpalatable steps to generate more tax, unfortunately by burdening the salaried class. It is time the informal un-taxed sector came into the national mainstream. This has to be a very public effort.

All of us have to pull together for the sake of this nation which we love. This is not the time for recriminations but a time to close ranks and stand as one against an implacable foe having a distinct advantage over us. No sane person wants a war but let us be assured that if a war is forced on us we will not be found wanting, at least in unity.