War is too important a matter to be left to the military. Not just that. Even a ceasefire or a withdrawal should also not be left to generals. The reason? Military minds work all their life on strategy and tactics but often cannot come up with pragmatic solutions. Let us consider two cases.
Siachen Glacier
When it was discovered in April 1984 that a local Indian commander, in a vainglorious adventure, had occupied a part of Siachen Glacier, the knee jerk reaction of General Zia was to rush forces there. However, he did say, “Even grass does not grow there,” recognizing that it was not worthwhile to fight for it. However, not being a politician, he could not resist public noise.
The great tragedy the other day, in which 140 soldiers were buried alive, should be an occasion to reflect on the situation that, for 28 long years, no military or civilian ruler or army chief reconsidered.
What can be done now? Insisting on an agreement with India does not make much sense. The issue is that the Indians crossed where the Line of Control was supposed to be after 1971 war. What if they did? It was a minor side issue of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. If we had the patience to tolerate seven lakh armed personnel in Occupied J&K till the final settlement of the dispute, why can’t we ignore the presence of just about 5000 Indian soldiers (seven battalions) on Siachen Glacier?
Suppose Parliament today asks for the withdrawal of all of our forces from Siachen. What will happen? There will be some chest beating in the name of honor and sovereignty, while there will be jingoistic noise across the border. If Indians alone are left on the glacier, they will not gain any practical benefit, while weather and logistical problems will continue to make life hell for them. If they cross over and reach the ground in Azad Kashmir, they will find our soldiers ready to face them. Meanwhile, the media, opposition and the people in India will ask the army what the hell is it doing there. So, Indians too will withdraw soon after us. No need for any agreement, no demand for reciprocal action, no need for exchange of maps. End of the Siachen issue.
Deployment of army on Afghan border
While agreeing to most of American demands made sense (because they related to Afghanistan, not to us), sending our own troops to the border was an unwise step. Since we were not committed to the NATO action, we had no responsibility regarding the operations in Afghanistan.
We have the example of Ireland. During the years of British action against Irish Republican Army in Northern Ireland, the Irish government did not help in any way, even though the IRA got a lot of help from the Irish people, being of the same faith. If the people in FATA help the Taliban in Afghanistan because they too are Pathans, who are we to stop them? After all, we have not declared war against the Taliban over there.
What should we do now? Parliament should ask for withdrawal of all forces on the Afghanistan border, subject to the following conditions:
a) Afghanistan must recognize Durand Line as the international boundary. When Afghanistan always accepted the Durand Line during the British rule, it had no justification for not accepting it when Pakistan emerged as the successor state.
b) The number of our soldiers on the border will be the same as that Afghanistan army and NATO forces on the other side. Is it only our duty to stop the entry of Taliban, when we are not at war against Afghan regime or Taliban?
c) The number of our check posts will be the same as those on the other side. Our responsibility for monitoring movement is not more than that of the other side.
Since the demand for withdrawal of forces will come from Parliament, Americans will not be able to reject it. If the Americans have to obey the resolutions of the Congress, how can it be different here?
Now come to Pakistani Taliban. They are financed by the US and trained by Indians to cause trouble. How should we deal with them? With the help of the people in FATA.
The Local Government Ordinance was ready years ago. The Governor, Khyber province, may promulgate it in FATA and announce elections in 90 days. The people’s representatives, from Agency Nazim to local Councilors, will easily identify strangers and outsiders in their areas. If they are not able to eject them, they can ask for military help.
The introduction of the Local Government system will also help in reconstruction and rehabilitation in the region. If political parties are allowed to operate in FATA, what is wrong with allowing the people to elect their own representatives to solve their problems?
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