December 16, is the most unfortunate, tragic and darkest day in the history of Pakistan. On this day in 1971 we lost half of Pakistan which and in 2014 on the same day horrific, a barbaric, and shocking incident took place in Peshawar in the form of the cowardly terrorist attack on Army Public School.
We as a nation are solely and entirely responsible for these two tragic episodes in the blood strained history of Pakistan. In 1971 in front of the world media the gallant Pakistan armed forces under the command of Gen. A A K Niazi surrendered before the Indian armed forces under the command of Gen. Arrora with his 90,000 troops, in the racecourse ground of Dhaka, the then capital of East Pakistan.
The Bengali had hardly 5% representation in the armed forces, 30% in bureaucracy almost nil percentage in the social sector, not a single cricketer was there in the cricket team of Pakistan as Bengali were considered to be too small in size (Height) and too weak to play cricket. Today the same Bengalis are demonstrating wonders in all fields including cricket. Even their currency Takka is far stronger than Pak Rupee. They have controlled the growth of population along with eliminating many diseases including deadly polio for which we are still fighting.
After the unfortunate fall of Dhaka we didn’t learn a lesson, an elected prime minister the most charismatic of the third world was subjected to a “judicial murder” by the fanatic Zia Ul Haq, who after words introduced the culture of Jihad, trained the uneducated and illiterate people in the use of most sophisticated arms and ammunition in the name of religion, started a war which was not ours, turned the whole country in a war field, the big power after achieving its goals left Pakistan at the mercy of militants armed with all types of most modern and sophisticated weapons scattered all over the country spreading hatred on the religious, ethnic and linguistic grounds. Finally we had to face the tragic day of December 16, 1014. Who will console the grieving parents of young students of APS, Peshawar? Will they ever be able to erase the sweet and innocent memories of their guiltless children? Operation Zarb-e-Azb is the right step in the right direction, and this operation must continue till the last terrorist is wiped out from the face of earth, so that we don’t see another day like December 16, 2014.
AAMIR AQIL,
Lahore, December 14.