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The 14th August which is celebrating every year as the Independence Day, has
come at a time when Pakistan is facing multiple threats of serious nature, which
are not only worrying all the citizens, and creating divisions among the federal
institutions, but also putting the very integration of the state at stake. No doubt, it was due to the strong unity among the Muslims under the
leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that Pakistan became a tangible
reality. But that unity started declining after passing through various
crises.
However, it is because of lack of unity among our politicians, leaders,
security forces and media that foreign opportunists have been manipulating the
chaotic situation of Pakistan in order to fulfill their secret agenda by
destabilising the country. In the past few years, nefarious designs of American
CIA, Indian RAW and Israeli Mossad can be gauged from various anti-Pakistan
developments such as their support to subversive activities and sectarian
violence all over the country and separatism in Balochistan coupled with
cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan side.
Particularly, US double game with Pakistan, pressuring the latter to do more
against the militants by ignoring the internal backlash, intermittent drone
strikes, accusation of cross border terrorism, perennial propaganda against Pak
Army, country’s intelligence agency, ISI etc. clearly show future aims of the
US-led India and Israel which want to ‘denuclearise’ Pakistan. These elements are supporting violent acts in our country on daily basis.
While, the US seems determined to shift Afghan war to Pakistan after the
withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan. In this respect, these foreign
entities have already started a covert war which especially include Karachi,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan where their secret agencies are assisting the
militants and their agents with money and weapons.
Notably, present drastic situation cannot be comprehended by the general
masses and even the political leaders who abruptly change their opinion without
logic. Therefore, they become unintentional victim of the external plotters
succeed in creating a rift particularly between the political groups, divided on
ethnic and linguistic lines. These foreign enemies also seek to create a
division between the political leaders and the armed forces of our country.
It is regrettable that on the one hand, our multiple crises show that
Pakistan is rapidly advancing towards a ‘failed state’ owing to the sinister
designs of the external forces, while on the other, our media, particularly most
of the TV channels conduct controversial debate between politicians and
commentators, contesting internal politics. While speaking in the tone of
anti-Pakistan elements, they have ignored the sacrifices of Pakistan’s security
forces and ISI regarding the security of the country and against terrorism.
Following the external media, and blame game, our own internal entities have
been maligning these security agencies.
At this critical hour, while deteriorating situation demands selfless unity,
both our media anchors and some politicians manipulate every terror-incident or
negative development against Pakistan. Accusation and counteraccusations have
become their routine practice. In this context, they opine as to what the people
want, but conceal as to what people actually need? Especially, it appears that a
majority of Pakistan’s media anchors is on the payroll of external enemies.
Internally, Pakistan’s economic crisis has intensified, bringing about
other-related problems like load shedding, unemployment, soaring prices of
products and dependence upon the US-led developed world. Today Pakistan stands at the crossroads of its destiny, facing internal and
external threats to the national security of the country. Besides, our security
forces and intelligence agencies are coping with suicide attacks, bomb blasts,
sectarian violence and target-killings including sporadic battles with the
militants in the tribal areas.
Nevertheless, the14th August demands true national unity. In the recent past,
Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani who remained firm on his
stand on non-interference in politics, recently said, “Any effort to create
divisions between important institutions of the country is not in national
interest…the people of Pakistan whose support the army has always considered
vital for its operations against terrorists.”
This significant day reminds that our political leaders must pledge that they
will not exploit their regional and provincial differences at the cost of the
national interests so as to grab political power. In this context, a blind
dedication to one’s own race, tribe and creed should not be allowed to create
hatred in one group against the other.
They must avoid manipulating present thorny issues in order to increase their
vote-bank. If any controversy has arisen between the judiciary and executive
bodies, it can better be settled in consonance with the constitution. For this
aim, in order to castigate the conspiracy of the external enemies against the
country, our political leaders must also stop exploiting any crisis against the
security forces and ISI whose image are deliberately being tarnished by the
external conspirators.
Besides, Pakistan’s media, especially TV channels must create national
cohesion among various segments of society. In this purpose, the owners of these
channels must detect and terminate the services of some anchors who are working
on the payroll of foreign enemies. As electronic media attract more viewers, so
Pakistan’s TV commentators should give a matching response to malicious
propaganda of the US-led some western countries including India and Israel which
are leaving no stone unturned in distorting the image of Pakistan, its army and
ISI.
No doubt, Pakistan’s survival lies in strong cohesion which is also essential
for our political leaders themselves as at present, even a layman can note that
our country is in chaos and it seems as if there is a “war of all against all”
in the sense of ‘Hobbesian state of nature.’
Nonetheless, the 14th August reminds true unity which demands sacrifices of
individual and collective selfish interests from the all the citizens,
political, religious leaders and media for the national integration of Pakistan.
There must be real national unity among the public, politicians and the security
forces so as to cope with the anti-Pakistan conspiracy.
By Sajjad Shaukat
He writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Pakistan Cyber Force
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