Asghar Khan case verdict: An interesting peek into minds of then military bosses
Former army chief Mirza Aslam Beg. — File Photo
ISLAMABAD, Nov 8: The Supreme Court’s detailed verdict in the Asghar Khan case also gave an interesting peek into the minds of then top military bosses indicating why they thought the government of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was a security threat.
Former Sindh chief of Military Intelligence (MI) Brig (retd) Hamid Saeed, who had submitted a statement to the apex court, claimed that in the early 1990 Benazir Bhutto had publicly criticised the army for crossing the red line by enriching uranium to a level which was not acceptable to big powers.
His statement has been mentioned in the detailed judgment.
Then president Ghulam lshaq Khan dissolved the PPP government in August 16, 1990, under Article 58 (2b) of the Constitution.
The assertions made by Brig Saeed are now considered by a large segment of society as generally not true and made up only to malign the former prime minister.
Brig (retd) Saeed was commanding an artillery brigade in D.I. Khan in 1990 when both India and Pakistan deployed their forces in the border areas following an indigenous uprising in the Indian-held Kashmir. But he had been sent to the MI in Karachi because of the security situation in Sindh.
In his statement, Brig Saeed claimed that Ms Bhutto had given an interview to BBC in which she mentioned her support to Indian government in its efforts to crush the Khalistan movement. Some time later she criticised the army for conducting the annual exercise in Sindh without her consent.
Later the ISPR had to clarify through a press release that under the law the army chief was not obliged to seek permission for conducting training exercises in any part of the country. The same year, the statement claimed, the government had given attractive jobs to AI-Zulfiqar (AZO) activists in Railways, PIA, Customs, KPT and immigration, excise, taxation and other departments, thus endangering the national security.
The AZO activists had been given training by India in sabotage, arson and bomb blasts, mass killings and other acts of terrorism, the statement said, adding the authentic record of these terrorists was available with all intelligence agencies. These matters were reported to the high-ups through normal command channels.
A general perception then prevailing among the common man, the statement said, was that the ruling party had got the mandate but lacked the vision to run the country.
In 1990, Brig Saeed said, the MQM had quit the ruling coalition and PPP workers resorted to taking revenge from MQM for their political betrayal through the use of force. The MQM reacted even more violently through their armed political workers. PPP, MQM, PPI, JI and JSM activists were relentlessly killing each other.
The daily death toll was 100-110. PSF, APMSO, IJT and JSQM had held activists of their rivals hostage and committed horrendous and inhuman atrocities on them like drilling holes in knee joints and burning their delicate parts with electric soldering machines.
Brig Saeed said he had held meetings with late MQM leaders Tariq Azeem, Dr lmran Farooq and Saleem Shahzad, Prof Ghafoor of JI, Dr Hameeda Khuhro and Mumtaz Bhotto of JSF, Abdul Waheed Aresar of JSQM and Mukhtar Awan of PPI and gave them a strong message that if they did not stop killing, arson and looting, the army would be forced to step in to restore peace.
Initially, the belligerent forces denied their involvement in the unlawful activities, but when irrefutable evidence of their crimes was produced, they took the warning more seriously. Within one week killings reduced drastically from 100-110 a day to 20-30, the statement said.
An exchange of prisoners of the belligerent sides was arranged and it took place at Karachi Corps HQ. All this was achieved through negotiations, the statement said, adding that not a single bullet was fired and nobody was kept in illegal confinement and no torture was committed to extract information. At that time internal security had assumed greater importance.
Soon after, the provincial government launched a police operation against Urdu-speaking people in Pukka Qila, Hyderabad, on a day when the then prime minister and the army chief and Karachi Corps commander were abroad and army units were out for annual exercise.
Police killed dozens of men, women and children in the operation. The matter was reported to higher echelons. President Ishaq had ordered the army to intervene and stop the carnage. The station commander Hyderabad gathered about 300 soldiers from the personnel left behind for guard duties and reached the area and the police force was withdrawn.
After her return to Pakistan, premier Benazir Bhutto had issued a press statement saying that “the army had supplied POF-made weapons to Mohajirs” and that police had besieged Pukka Qila to recover these weapons.
When police were about to reach the cache in Pukka Qila, the army stepped in and took away the weapons in military vehicles.
Everybody was shocked by this statement.
After this mayhem, the MRC (Mohajir Rabita Committee) gave a press statement that they (Mohajirs) were being forced to look towards India for the protection of their rights. India readily responded to this call by stating that Mohajirs were India’s ex-citizens and India was obliged to ensure their safety and protection against state terrorism and genocide, the statement said, according to Brig Saeed.
Pakmil is a pack of lies. Why it is controlling Anti Narcotics Force in Pakistan? I request The Dawn to probe.
The generals in Brazil, Argentina and Chile had the same opinion of themselves, they ruined those countries, just like these so called self appointed guardians in Pakistan. It is only when rule of law works that the countries progress. When these people are tried and punished will the country ever go forward.
After the generals were sentenced to prison in South America, these countries actually are not the engines of growth in South America, they went from poverty to countries that are striving to be developed
in late 1980′s and before she became Prime Minister, Mohtrema Benazir Bhuto came to New York and spoke on the Pakistani channel and in a school in Queens, where she openly spoke against one Province and threatened of another break up of Pakistan, if Zia ul Haq was not removed from Power. I am not a fan for Zia ul Haq, but a threat to break sind was unpatriotic. After she was removed from power second time by her own President, she gave an interview to Bill Beautel of ABC news in New York and said that she was yong and she had time, she would see if Pakistan had time. Her Patriotism was in serious doubt.
Well, I support our forces but not the criminal personnel of arm forces obviously.
Please do not be blindfolded by anyone, each and everyone shall be accountable including judiciary and their family members. Otherwise, nothing is done right.
May Allah bless our beloved country.
no comments……………
Let me say this…. I trust Pakistan Army through every thick and thin.
I know that it was important to do certain things in a non standard way… Pak Army had their own reasons. Whatever they do, they are certainly better than our politicians and they have our support.
mudassar,uk
Why would you trust an institution that has a habit of breaking laws and the constitution ? Do you normally trust criminals ?
Or So they make you believe. The military is the downfall of Pakistan. They are supporting the near-destruction on the country for their own ends.
Please wake up. Pakistan is in this mess because of Army’s direct or indirect interventions in goverment.
No one who matters are sincere to serve the nation and all looted this country . No system or road map is in place to move towards prosperity & well being of the common masses. What we have done in over 65 years for the social welfare for the people of Pakistan like health, education , basic civic ammeneties , mass transportation, law & order , clean living environment including parking spaces, good town planning & etc. In short we dont have any good road map to take us into the right direction. What about billions of $ in foreign accounts overseas of the 2% elite and corrupt rulers and more surprising is that there is no one to bell the cat and here too many cats.
For those who were 15-18 years or more at that time, if they just recall news of era mentioned in the above news report, the facts given above will be good enough to justify the interventions. As far as my little interaction with armed forces persons is concerned the grave nature of offences commited by rulers are still not publicised. Our common people who just make their opinion by news reports are even not coversent with the word National Security. Sometimes just a sentence by a country head gives such a moral superiority to enemy country that can’t be undone in decades.
My request to media persons and TV anchors is to first understand the word National Security themselves and then teach the nation so that instead of false images of our leaders the people could see the real ones. If Pakistan is there all prosperity can be achieved later and if we lose it no prosperity will matter. Dawn… thanks
Looking at the miserable state of affairs in Pakistan today, I would say neither politicians nor army understand what national security is.
If the statement given by Brig (retd) Hamid Saeed is true then all the accused should be proud of what they did.
If not true, what should be the action by awam?
Brig Saeed is self appointed savior, these people need to be brought to justice
Ghar ke chowkidar(Pak Army)ko Ghar ka Malik banaoge to yeh sab hoga…Gud that Pak supreme court is showing everybody their right place in Pakistan. Sabko aukaat mein rehna chahiye
Bhai jan, Let me tell you that Army would love to remain a chowkidar, but when the chowkidar sees ghar ki malikan sneaking people in the house when ghar ka malik is away tou chowkidar ko kuch game chalani parti hai..as long as our leaders and media are not coherently Loyal to the country tab tak Army is our only line of defence..this is a reality ive come to accept after having seen everything going on in Pakistan..
cant agree more