Daily Times

Every jungle has a snake and every realm a traitor. In history, great empires were brought to their knees not much by external forces but by the betrayal of their own much trusted. Defence gets weaker if it is stricken from the inside. Pakistan has been in war for nearly two decades, and together with keeping its borders fortified, it is challenging and engaging the internal miscreants who have been targeting peace and stability of the country. And in this pursuit, Pakistan’s army has sacrificed many of its soldiers and officers. That is the ultimate price we have paid for our freedom and peace.

Despite relentless efforts of the enemies of Pakistan to destabilise and create anarchy, Pakistan has proven to be a resilient state. With the unbending resolve of the Pakistan armed forces, their state-of-the-war-art artillery, and bravery on the battlefield, backed by the support of Pakistani citizens, have pushed the wave of terrorism out of its threshold, and have given peace a chance after many years of struggle.

This resilience and these accomplishments have thwarted the enemy; now the attention is shifted to incapacitate the kernel of power of the nation-the undeterred armed forces and the strong bond they have with the citizens of Pakistan. The recent news, making the headlines, of army personnel being convicted for espionage came as a shock. Planting a mole or exploiting a weak link has always been a manoeuvre for intelligence gathering. In February 2019, the ISPR, in a press conference, revealed the on-going investigation against two senior officers on account of espionage. Aftera thorough investigation, in May, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa endorsed the punishment given to two army officers and one civilian.

We are if Pakistan is. There can never be any compromise on national security, and every citizen of Pakistan is a sentinel of its sovereignty

The endorsement of the conviction gives the message, loud and clear, that there is zero tolerance on national security. It is also an exhibit of full-mode accountability in the armed services, which not only proceeded with the accountability process with a thorough trial but also delivered a swift and appropriate verdict. It has not only cemented that action speaks louder than words but also brought the perspective in black and white that any sort of lenience will not be rendered to those who try to harm national security.

As per the press release by ISPR, Lieutenant General Javed Iqbal (Retd) is awarded 14 years’ rigorous imprisonment, whereas death sentence was given to Brigadier Raja Rizwan (Retd) and Dr Wasim Akram (a civilian employed at a ‘sensitive organisation’), in separate cases, on account of sharing sensitive information to foreign intelligence agencies, thus defying their oath.

Espionage and trading national secrets is a major crime, and it is treachery to the nation. Social media and instant connectivity has made information more vulnerable and sharing channels more efficient. This incident has proved the vigilance of the intelligence agencies of Pakistan, which not only constantly keep tabs on the internal and external enemies but also regularly screen for moles within the institution.

The trial and the verdict are looked at with admiration from all quarters, but it also brings forth a big question whether this exemplary action will be reciprocated, across the board, for all institutions unanimously. It is no secret that Pakistan armed forces have been stringent in dealing with corruption of all sorts, and defying of oath is a grave offence punishable by death penalty in some cases. But there have been instances of national security in the past where the apt response and due penalty were flouted, and the matter was not taken up austerely as it should have been. But is Pakistan ready to deal with national security issues with the same lens?

The Definition of national security issues and how they are dealt with in civilians is a little obscure. Time and again, we have witnessed someone chanting anti-state slogans only to score political points. What should be done? If these apparently harmless or shallow words are not taken notice of, they poison many others, creating confusion.

Despite relentless efforts of the enemies of Pakistan to destabilise and create anarchy, Pakistan has proven to be a resilient state

A recent example of the PTM in this regard is significantly vital. Starting as a political movement to address the issues of the Pashtuns to becoming aggressive and attacking military check-post for release of a captured terrorist facilitator, and allegedly receiving finances from international intelligence agencies makes it vital to form policies and an implementation roadmap to look at national security as a priority. Moles are not only planted in the army, but they are in every field where they can influence and infest the environment and weaken the strength of Pakistan.

Government office-bearers and politicians are obligated to safeguard the national interest, as they too have taken an oath, and are bound to the oath, in and out of office. But time and again, we have witnessed high level officials defying their oaths and speaking against the national interest at a public or an international forum.

A clash of interests provokes anti-state elements to influence the masses by creating confusion. Naïve and less informed amongst the masses believe conspiracy theories, and would, ultimately, indulge in hate speech against the writ of the state. Freedom of speech is a basic right but this freedom comes with great responsibility. Be it a political issue or a criminal case, everyone is answerable to a court of law and the public, but it has become a norm to malign the forces of Pakistan to cover up for their own crimes and distract the general public from the real issues.

We are if Pakistan is. There can never be any compromise on national security, and every citizen of Pakistan is a sentinel of its sovereignty. The Pakistan army has nipped the snake amongst their ranks and set an example. The ball is now in the court of the civilian establishment to have the snakes in their ranks to face a just trial.

The author is a freelance writer. She can be reached at @sadianq29@gmail.com