By – Kashif Sarmad
The word traitor might have comprehensive meaning in Oxford
dictionary which describes the potentials, qualities and actions of traitors
but in Pakistan it has only one meaning, if you are against Army you are
against the country. This describes a lot, for example; if you speak counter to
Army you are traitor; if you criticize army, you are traitor; if you expose any
unconstitutional and illegal move of army, you are traitor. In a nut shell, your
any action against this institution is considered as treason.
This is what happened with me when I as a journalist was the
part of International center for journalists (ICFJ) sponsored by US department
of state. In different workshops and seminars arranged by ICFJ, I admit the
flaws and negativities of Pakistan Army due to Martial laws which brought the
country to disintegration and dragged the nation into worst scenario of Afghan
Jihad. I also disapprove the trend of Army’s involvement into the politics and
in democratic regimes. I strongly demonstrated the need to implement the
constitution in its true sprit as well as all democratic institutions to work
within their constitutional frames.
My stance lead me to be the villain of Pakistan and some of
my colleagues (who were blindly pro Army or in a relations to Army officers or
were sent by spy agency in that conference to submit report to their
god-fathers) pronounce me anti-state and to be precise a traitor. They started
questioning my credentials and claiming that I am not journalist at all. I
think they were not only pointing fingers on my credibility as a journalist but
also on the credibility of most professional people in the ICFJ who interviewed
us and selected us as a journalists for this program.
They (my colleagues / spies) were also claiming that I was
doing it for the Asylum in the USA. I would like to increase their information
which is already below the mark of worst, that my point of view in conferences
had nothing to do with the Asylum in the USA and my point of views in those
conferences would never help me getting asylum; it was my political opinion and
it will remain my political opinion. The second thing is, the highly professional
individuals are dealing with the departmental affairs with merit which deals
with the immigration in USA.
I would like to add here that, I respect professional
officers in Pakistan Army and I also gave tribute to those soldiers and their
families who lost their beloved ones during saving people’s lives and fighting
terrorism. The only problem I got is Martial laws, Army’s involvement in
democratic regimes, some of Army personals links with the terrorist
organizations and political activism of Inter Service Intelligence (ISI).
As ill luck would have it, In the Pakistani society, the
people who criticize deep rooted but bogus political, social and religious
systems have always been victim of serious blames. The one blame on Governor
Punjab Salman Taseer lead him to grave-yard by his own security guard
/policeman when some religious groups blamed him for doing blasphemy by passing
comments on Hudood (Islamic) law introduced
by dictator Zia Ul Haq.
So if you want to teach anyone a lesson of lifetime, tag
him/her with any organization or institution which people of that region hate. In
Pakistan tag your disliked person with Indian intelligence agency, with
Al-Qaeda, With CIA of USA, Mosaad, KGB or Terrorists; that person will be
executed by anyone without your direct involvement. This is called, “third
degree murder made easy”.
In Pakistan, Last year the renowned Pakistani journalist
Hamid Mir was shot in Karachi but thank-God survived.
Mr. Hamid Mir’s brother, Amir Mir (Pakistani Journalist) has blamed
I.S.I for being responsible for that attack; he further stated that, Hamid Mir
mentioned to his family, colleagues and journalist organizations regarding the
threats he had from Pakistan Army’s intelligence wing called Inter-Service
Intelligence (I.S.I). Since then, unending dispute between Army and Geo News TV
has started and nationwide protests by Pro-ISI groups (possibly funded by ISI)
started against Geo News TV.
So as mentioned in spy agency’s recipe; Geo TV was manifested
as traitor / foreign funded / state enemy. For the first time, in the history
of not only Pakistan but almost the whole world, people in Pakistan were
arranging public gatherings along-with banners which had ISI chiefs picture and
supporting slogans. I finally saw the biggest ever political party of Pakistan
(I.S.I) since 1947 on streets for the first time. According to pro - Army and
ISI personalities, these supporters were ordinary but obviously, Patriotic
Pakistanis who have volunteered themselves for the protest against Geo TV and
to show the solidarity with Pakistan Army specifically I.S.I to boost the
morale of their Army.
I know that it is an old story but we should learn from it to
move to better direction and the sole cum better direction is the democratic
path. The sole way to move to betterment is the honesty and discipline. All government
and non-government institutions should work within their constitutional and
legal limits. I know it is easier said than done in this matter because we
didn’t able to stop undemocratic regimes to come in power with the help of
unconstitutional moves but now we would have to stop it by all means.
I am not against liking any political party, religious party,
law enforcement agency or even Army but besides liking we shouldn’t close our
critical eyes on their unconstitutional acts because those acts will decide the
future of our nation and generations to come. As a nation our greatness ought
to be our merit, constitutional practice and justice.
I have started this write-up from the word traitor. The best
meaning I found are in the words of George III, “A traitor is everyone who does
not agree with me”.
