Soldier v Soldier

Recently in a WhatApp voice message a subordinate soldier asks his senior officer in the rank of a General for a strategy paper, which may have foretold what has happened to “us” (Pakistan Army.) He aims to share findings with his colleagues; those called and cried relentlessly to understand how this wrong happened

America flourishes because of justice system ensuring the integrity of the United States.

This is in Reference to the May 10-11, 2023, self-created maelstrom, planned and staged. Thereupon, the army opened fire on Khan’s peaceful protestors. Unconfirmed reports say seventy are dead. Mostly from Khyber and many with fatal wounds to head was for a purpose.

Things were done by Asim Munir. Where staged mob and Khan protestors were allowed access conveniently into the GHQ premise and the Lahore Corps commander House. Cantt was unprotected. The second tier Quick Reaction Froce (RRF) did not respond either.

I call on Asim Munir to resign immediately.

This writeup has the answer to the unknow soldier’s query; information previously on hand among some. The solder’s message is concerning. He mentions his General’s name in mid conversation, I found out of place, makes the social media message a wee bit suspect. Nonetheless, the message ask has a pondering thought.

Firstly, the soldier and the general he is addressing, both are a disgrace to my father’s army. The reason, both have let it happened. To that matter the collective of the entire army. My father’s book has guidance how he would have performed in this situation without asking for a strategy paper.

No parenting is obvious in the case of Pakistan’s generals. All should have reacted when Bajwa committed treachery. None did. A few After May 10, 2023 have barely showed signs of have soul.

No disrespect, but you and your general are not fit for the army because your father’s name is not M. Hamid-Ud Din to have parented you with honor. You do not know where this man is buried. You do not know what he would have shared with you if you had met him.  I am certain there are other men like him that have not crossed your path.

There is hope in this soldier calling his general. That is, a subordinate is able to call his superior to find what went wrong. The soldier has requested a strategy paper or a document that would have foretold what has unfolded. None is coming. Such paper I think does not exist.

Your misfortune is that your general is a small man. There are reasons for it. Your General’s providence failed him to have either my father as his father. Or had the opportunity to have served under him. In which case from your superiors grooming you, you would not have requested a strategy paper. There would have been no need for it.

Obviously, my metaphoric scolding in my assessment and my explanation is not helpful. We all have our shortcomings. Your misfortune is your exuberant youth. It did not allow you to serve under men like my father. Hence, you are restricted in saving your country from Bajwa’s residual.

Since you have asked for a strategy paper, I share with you feedback of a three-star general. I am hopeful it would provide guidance you desire passing on to your soldiers. This feedback was in reference to Mr. Haider Mehdi, a Captain, now turned a YouTuber. Mehdi circulated a letter among the veterans with questions on reforming the army.

The reply I received from a three-star general I believe is appropriate to your question. The general found Mehdi’s questions to be redundant. Here is the full reply.

“I think the question is redundant. Everyone knows what’s wrong. Everyone also knows nothing can be done about it, when everyone is ready to sell his soul without qualms.”

“The question is how to depoliticize the Army and reintroduce meritocracy. Only a genuine strong leader can put the army back in the bottle.” He added, “Our tragedy is we are all ultimate in knowledge. Ince in a position of authority, we forget to practice what we used to preach. And because of our ultimate knowledge, we don’t need to be advised.”

“In the footsteps of his guru [Nawaz Sharif] NS. What a disgrace. Imagine what kind of three stars BAJWA must’ve promoted while leaving.”

Reforms in the army, within polity or within the people? The answer is in the root cause. Developing Civitas. All will fall in place even without reforms.

Treachery was and is being committed by the senior high command.

There is no question, Bajwa and Asim Munir are a party to treachery. Essentially, you have asked your commanding general to hand you a paper that would have foretold you of a treachery that you can share as an answer with those that have called you and have relentlessly cried.

If you had asked me long before May 2023 for a strategy paper, I would have recommended to build your army with an arbitrary number sixty-percent, belonging to Charsaddah, Mardan and Sawabi districts. There is a reason for selecting this demographic. You would have revolted against me. As many would revolt as they read. All assessments are respected.

The essential question becomes, what the army command will do in the wake of treachery at hand? Minus many of the general’s names mentioned here, I allege are suspects to curing the situation.

We have answer in my father’s book Looking Back. Assuming you do not have a copy, the book clearly guide soldiers they cannot have loyalty to a person or a lobby. He did not.

Brig. M. Hamid-Ud Din has another guidance in his book. A soldier must be true to this country and profession. Now, what have you surmised? What you have to do?

The late Brig. Mian Hamid-Ud Din has another example of a soldier. He mentions Gen. Hayaud Din, PA 18. My father writes, Gen. Hayaud Din, was loyal to his country at times to his expense. These soldiers did not have loyalty to a person or a lobby, but to country is the strong message.

I am confident, you have guidance—to share with your soldiers that called you. The message is self-examination.

Since I have shared a picture of my father, here are a few facts to keep in mind, how he lived his life in the army. I share from his book. My father was well aware that he had made his professional mark. He could not be professionally contested.

From that virtue and his training made him catered for friendship with only those professionally capable soldiers. Around 2014, I called upon Gen. P. D. Khan, my father’s colleague. I asked me why my father thought poorly of Gen. A. K. Niazi? In fact poorly is not an accurate description. My father had intellectually ‘molested’ Gen. A. K. Niazi. Gen P. D. replied. “Your father though to him nada.” Gen. P.D. said to the effect, “He [my father] should not have run his life with those standards.” Yes, Gen. Niazi was my father’s boss.

I very often share a story with my friends to convey to them, having a top breed soldier means in service to their country, they must harm their personal interest! My father’s BM came to my father’s office three times and attempted to get his answer and to convey the same to Gen. A. K. Niazi’s ADC. The MB, later Lt. Gen. Zaidi, Corps Commander Mungla secured my father’s reply.

Gen. Zaidi told Gen. Niazi’s ADC, Commander sahib has said, “A tincy vincy general like Niazi cannot vet my captain to major promotion paper. Now it is up to you how you convey Commander sahib’s reply to General Sahib.” The officers took exam without Gen. A. K. Niazi vetting exam.

These sub-standard Generals could not touch my father. They knew it because of his high professional caliber. My father had made up his mind he did want to be a part of “this club.” The infested generals during his promotion reminded Gen. Yahya, “Do want another Gen. Hayaud Din?”

Similarly, my brother had no professional regard for his commanding general. After my brother had submitted his resignation, eventually after a year or two, he was called in by his commanding general to offer him the rank of Brigadier and restoring his seniority. Like father like son, my brother replied to his General something to the effect, “Why do you desire retaining me when I have professionally no respect for you.” The general approved his resignation.

My lens is unique and has historic value. My father has brough us pride. When I meet old time generals, they often greet me, “Oh! You are a son of a celebrity.” The proudest day of life was  placing my father into his grave. I knew the Nation lost a solder never to be born again. It is a mind thing and has very little to do with reality.

A son of a soldier means a lot to these solders. I have a letter from Gen. Colin Powell. Whereas, Asim Munir has let go of the old tradition and did not offer a reply to his senior generals.  

I was well aware of the fact that Pakistan army’s moral and professional standards were diminishing. I was embarrassed. I had an occasion to talk to COAS Gen. Kayani’s ADCs. Their manners were a disgrace compared to the ADC of Military the attaché in the British Embassy.

Embarrassed from what my father’s army had become. I wrote Bajwa of his interest to incorporate my father’s book into PMA’s curriculum to build character. Bajwa did not favor traits that of my father’s.

You have raised concerned over KPK. That is, stopping army’s entry into the province. Respectfully, you have misunderstood Pashtun. They would not do any of the sort provided a process of reconciliation in their culture is followed. There is an established custom and a procedure to communicate with Pashtuns.

Either hand-over to the Pashtuns the corps commander of Peshawar to run him through the laws of the land (Jirga), or as a goodwill, to start with, have your general resign from the army with a statement, “Asim Munir was wrong in murdering your children.” Have your Generals and those commanders in Peshawar and elsewhere take responsible for the killings and distribute their tax payers property among the kinship of the dead (Shaheed.) This act will be an act of accountability and of Gharat. There is no word in English to translate Gharat.

Solutions are there. Army can be forgiven and rewarded for gestures highly valued in that culture.

Kindly do remember. Pakistan army is not fit to bear the name of Pakistan Army. The serving generals are no match to those Pakistan has placed in their graves to fade away. Pakistan’s hope today is not the army or its majority retired soldiers. It is the people quickly rising to save Pakistan.

The logic is quite clear. If the People from Punjab do not come out in droves, IK won’t survive. Very soon, Pakistan (which is Punjab) and its inhabitants will be hauled around in a feudalist fashion. Pashtuns cannot be suppressed. They will stop the entry of Pakistan army into KPK. Aid will pour into GHQ in the name of fighting terrorism. Punjab and the world will watch Pashtuns like a trained Roman soldier, even when diminished to a lone soldier; the world will witness them fight till the end as the terrorists.

Others will join in the self-created maelstrom.

The army’s vehicles once showered with rose petals; today rely on a few citizens leaping forward with gestures to angry Pakistanis, to ensure their safe passage. I call on Asim Munir to resign.

This is your strategy paper that I am certain your general is not capable to give it you.

To those defenders of the people that have refused orders to fire on people. Their deeds are commendable; too little too late in the glory of a soldier. Surely they now hold a toy gun.  

After the treachery (judiciary Justices included), the tragedy is, the spineless President Arif Alvi is nonexistent. The country not benefited from Alvi’s commitment to his duty. To assess Munir’s incompetency and mismanagement is due to he is beholden to the affairs of the ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Munir has attempted to jail one of the world’s most popular personality IK, and his subsequent mismanagement seen by the free world; Alvi’s inaction tells us his incoherence to see Asim Munir has lost international trust in his competency to manage affairs and his credibility as a patriot of Pakistan.

Bio: Mian Hameed is the author of his latest book: MANIPULATION OF THE MIND: Our Children and Our Policy at Peril. One of the aspects discussed in the book is to raise the K-12 scholastic level to impact policy.  He blogs at mianhameed.com on policy concerns in the South Asia and the United States.