By : [email protected]
On: 18 January 2001
It is said if you want to visit a country read general news of that country, if you want to do business with country read statements of leaders of that country and if you want to invest in a country read “letters to editor” columns of newspapers of that country. Importance of “letters to Editor” column can be recognised that even red curtained countries had also allowed these columns in their countries. Letters to editor are in fact perils of wisdom which top level bureaucrats or leaders cannot even think of.
My top favourite is letters to editor columns of different newspapers. My job is such that I read daily more than 10 newspapers and some I search on internet but only letters to editors. The best letter during 2000 appeared was in Daily DAWN Karachi on the background of Karachi Electric Supply Corporation and army monitoring joint team sometime August 2000 raiding DAWN House. Authorities explained their view point that it was a usual routine checking visit in which army personnel merely assisted and escorted. Actual inspection was done my KESC personnel.. DAWN had its own view. A very wise and judicious reader raised a very nice point to ponder and that was whether checking was by army or KESC personnel the point is why army was being used in every civilian work wherein “civil bureaucracy” uses its own dirty techniques and habits and frustration or bad name in eyes of a common lay man goes towards army personnel. People coming after leave from Pakistan do tell on road army was checking, on airport army was checking, for tax survey army came our homes etc. Now latest we hear army checking cinemas in Karachi.
I am from that breed who has unshakable belief on my armed forces and upper judiciary. Despite Hamoodur Rehman report I still believe our armed forces personnel 99%are honest. If 1% is dishonest then we should not forget these people are amongst from our own corrupt society, sons or brothers of our own. In which country of world there are 100% total honest people in any profession?
I have nor ever had ever any relative in army. Yet I respect from inside my heart army people. If they come in civil I believe they come perforce. I know how much financial and that of “confidence” damage during 1998 to mid 1999 was given to the country and army perforce had to come. I do remember seeing how in 1965 army personnel were respected . I remember how army trucks were used to be garlanded in the then Laloo Khaith (Liaquatabad Karachi). Despite 1971 deliberate under a deep planning continued army bashing people still respected army. During 1973-74 Urdu Sindhi language bill disturbances I saw when army came people did not react but remained on sites. During 1976 disturbances one fine morning I saw photograph in all Karachi press a young women standing like a “brave” an army jeep in front of her and she asking the young major “fire on me”. Then in same Karachi I saw people throwing stones on army and heard and read about kidnapping of army people. On Drigh Road railway station a car driver slabbing an armed officer was a specimen.
Army people are not super humans. The only thing is all over the word there is a sort of “fear” of army personnel that is why as a last resort army is called. If this “fear” vanishes then army is just like other “ordinary people with weapons”. Under a deep planning fear of army is being puled out from hearts of masses and a sort of frustration increased. An MQM leader’s statement some years back should had been a point of ponder “whether we gained something or not, at least we have pulled out army’s fear from our young”.
Frequent use of army personnel is and should had been and must be a high priority point to ponder and true honest judicious people having no political affliation rightly have concern over it as for them our armed forces are the last hope for defence of country and not politicians or bureaucrats.
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