Daily Times

The stark reality is that some generals have harmed Pakistan more than anyone else did. Today, while we remember the Black Day of July 5, 1977 with regret and disgust, on this day, we should make a promise to ourselves that: We will not accept and respect generals who will violate the constitution, who disrespect the parliament, the will of the people and have no regard for the rule of law in Pakistan.

The people of Pakistan have given their verdict against General Ayub Khan, General Yahya Khan, Ziaul Haq and General Pervez Musharraf but we still wait for the Supreme Court of Pakistan to try the above generals for treason. We will not be there but such a day will come for sure. General Aslam Baig, General Asif Nawaz and General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani oversaw uncertainty and instability in Pakistan. They were the backseat drivers accused of undermining democratic governments. Conspiracies against the peoples’ will were hitched under their noses.

In fact, Pakistan didn’t break in one day. Hatred and division didn’t engulf Pakistan overnight. Explosives were placed in the foundations of Pakistan when a part of the divided Bengal was accepted as East Pakistan, a geographically distant land with very different culture and history. The imposition of Urdu as national language in 1948 was the first blow to the unity in Pakistan. The 1949 Qarardad-e-Maqasid (Objective Resolution) sowed seeds of religious and sectarian divisions in Pakistan. Nawabzada Liaqat Ali Khan and his team were responsible for that. General Ayub Khan fanned the breakup process of Pakistan and General Yahya supervised it.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto rebuilt a new Pakistan by gathering pieces of the broken country. Indeed he reestablished Pakistan’s defence system and helped a defeated military to become strong. General Zia came and ruined Pakistan – this time – politically, ideologically, economically and socially. On the Black Day of July 5, 1977 the slow and painful destruction of Pakistan began. On April 4, 1979, Pakistan was deprived of political stability and was divided again in the death cell of Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. Pakistan’s direct interference in Afghanistan from 1980 onward completed the vicious cycle of death, destruction and hatred. Now we are just going round and round into the vicious circle of violence and divisions.

The incumbent army chief, General Raheel Sharif, has reputation of being a professional and straight talking solider. We hope that he will be able to undo his some predecessors’ blunders. He will take notice of recently emerged corruption charges against two former army chiefs and will support an independent and transparent inquiry into the allegations. He will ensure that the ghost of General Ziaul Haq leaves the Pakistan Army. General Sharif can leave behind a system that discourages sectarianism and the emotional use of religion. Strong and professional armies don’t rely on emotional slogans. If General Sharif could completely clear his organisation of the Zia era mindset, Pakistan will not see any more black days. And General Raheel Sharif will become the first true military hero of Pakistan.