Too Dangerous. Stop It

Ever since 1.5 billions were given by a ’friendly’ country and the high profile kings and monarchs of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain started visiting Pakistan the rumourmills in the country have gone head over heels in churning out all kinds of tell tale stories, gossips and speculations – some too dangerous to be realized by them in their sheer naivety and ignorance of the gravity of the matter. And that is the comments and views of some of the whiz kids about sending of our troops to Syria and Bahrain to fight the insurgents there.  Firstly the govt. has categorically denied that no such request was made by the Saudis or the Bahrain King and secondly if even they were Pakistan has no intentions of sending any troops to these countries. That should have put the matter to rest but the ‘wisemen’ of our media keep haranguing that there is never a free lunch in this world and as such MNS who has also a personal equation with the Sheikhs might sent ! the troops to Syria and Bahrain.  Now what is still more dangerous than sending the troops over there is the views expressed by our so called idiot box  ‘intellectuals’ that the insurgencies in Syria and Bahrain are sectarian based and in both countries Pakistani troops will have to fight against the Shiites – in Bahrain to help the Sunni King against the majority Shiite populace being aided by Iran and in Syria to assist the Sunni rebels against the Alavi (a Shia sub sect) dictator Bashar al Asad.  For God sake stop such nonsense. Do not put this thought of Pakistan army fighting for the Sunnies or the Shias.  By the grace of Allah Almighty never even for a second such a thought has ever crossed the mind of any Pakistani soldier.  .  There are no Shias or Sunnies in our army. Not only that there are no Ahmedies, Christians, Parsis, Hindus and of late even the martial blooded Sikhs in our army.  They are all one and the s! ame, not in the religious sense but as the patriotic defenders! of Pakistan. Troops whenever deployed never fight and kill anyone on the basis of their sect or beliefs. They are there to restore the writ of the govt. Had it been not so, the Muslim troops would not have killed some time back Yemini  Muslim terrorists right inside the Harm Sharif Kaaba and the Indian Sikh Lieutenant General Kuldip Singh Brar would never have desecrated Durbar Sahib (Golden Temple) Amritsar by taking his tanks inside to kill Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala there.  Please please stop it here and no more about the Pakistan army (armed forces) killing and fighting any particular sect or people. The day such a thought ever comes to the mind of any soldier that would be the end of that army and as a consequence God forbid of that country.

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)