Martyrdom and command

The writer is former executive editor of The News and a senior journalist with Geo TV.
Facebook posts often make for ordinary reading, but this one is a gem – vivid, immediate and straight as a barrel. It deals with two subjects – martyrdom and command – that have rarely been raised for rational understanding. They are either considered restricted or are assumed as closed for debate.
And not to miss another significant point, the post has come from someone who knows whatever there is to know about leading men, and designing plans that potentially involved deployment of resources and mustering institutional prowess at a mass scale. These are not the musings of an idle mind. These are observations born of experience, expertise, and, what’s more, a passion for excellence.
First, the text: “ ‘…. Or suppose I had been hit by that mortar that burst with an awful shriek so near to me, and turned into a Catherine wheel of body-parts and (even worse) body-ingredients? Once again, I was moved above all not by the thought that my death would ‘count’, but that it would not count in the least.’ – Unknown
“I have seen the wanton destruction strewn all about us, have been witness to the flowing blood of our brave sons, have been there, done that and for too long, not to say what I must. It appears to me that we have begun to glorify Shahadat far more as a protective manoeuvre for the living rather than as recognition of our martyrs; and in our eagerness have now presented our young men a narrative, that Shahadat must be pursued at all costs. This will cause unnecessary deaths as our youngsters set out to die rather live for their beliefs.
“My salutation to the brave mothers and the strong fathers who survive the Shahadat of their sons and daughters and I am sure that this nation will not let this sacrifice go in vein, but I also condole with you for your loss; for a loss it is no matter what one may say. My greatest respect and admiration to our Shaheeds, their valour and their courage as they walked into the ‘valley of death’, but I would rather have them here by my side today where they are immensely missed, as we stumble down the path of conflict, confusion, and chaos.
But it is only fair that I say, I have also seen this sanctimonious dramatising of matters before as I am seeing them today. In order to show that things went as planned, that there was no omission and that the overall concept has proven successful, we tend to trip over one another congratulating each other and patting backs, as if we had intended for our young to die.
“This is not correct; the many who sacrificed their lives have done so for a great cause and the effect will be felt all over, but was it also because of incompetence and indifference; could we have done it in a better way, securing our objectives as well as the lives of our young? After all, in my mind, a military success is related to co-relation of losses and the damage done to the enemy, not the damage done to oneself.
“So I would like to urgently beseech everyone, to get a hold of themselves, not let emotions runaway with reality, lest our courageous young men are sacrificed at the altar of those fanciful commanders whose enthusiasm exceeds their stupidity and who are willing to shed blood even to the last drop of their very own on account of their lack of capacity. They will never be open to any criticism, as if criticising them would somehow take something away from our Shaheeds. Believe me I have seen this type and it’s the most dangerous kind of all who must be put to pasture.
“Forgive me if I have trespassed or hurt any feelings but let’s learn to call a spade a spade if we want to win this thing. But for those who are listening and can hear me, in the name of all that is honest and honourable, in our love for our Shaheeds and their glory, I beg with the utmost sincerity in my heart, please hold some investigation and establish where we went wrong or could have done better. Accountability saves lives. I myself have always said that there should be no enquiry in the field and what happens is an outcome of a judgment call but when I said that it was to protect action borne of initiative not inaction borne of indifference.”
This has come from Lieutenant-General (r) Tariq Khan, former inspector general of the Frontier Corps, KP and former corps commander Mangla. An officer of high calibre, trenchant wit and supreme decisiveness who turned the FC around from a morbid, runaway force to a supreme fighting machine and cleansed large swaths of Fata lost to terrorists. During my reporting assignments in the area, I met him several times. We didn’t always agree. Crucial issues like the chase for Fazlullah – of Swat fame – or the end-plan for Faqir Muhammad of Bajaur or on the nature and direction of national politics and the ways to ‘fix’ the country and many others showed us on opposite ends of the spectrum.
But even when he would propound ideas that sounded out-of-the-box to civilian sensibilities, his understanding of the subjects in review was deeply impressive. He always seemed to know what he was saying. Most important, he could walk the talk in the battlefield.
Now, the context.
The immediate context of Gen Tariq’s plea is the Badaber attack and the media frenzy spurred by fuzzy official accounts of what transpired in those fateful hours when terror struck and the battle began. Because the rush to praise is so great and the intent to probe so weak, circumstances surrounding the event and the encounter remain totally confusing. This is sad and saddening. It is frustrating for those who know better.
The bravery of the martyrs deserves clarity. Their ultimate heroics demand that their actions be described within the framework of how command was flowing at that time and who was leading the charge.
The unit that mowed down the attackers without suffering injuries needs to be properly honoured for their bravery. The presence of Captain Asfandyar Bokhari, that luminous youthful face of this soil’s best, at the scene of the event has to be explained. We need assessments of how our weapons fared when terror was unleashed and the situation of our other Shaheeds, (Shan Ali, Saqib Javaid, Tariq Abbass) acknowledgement of whose sacrifice, unfortunately, remains only in passing. This will only happen when part of the narrative moves from the emotive side of the event towards the factual side of the operation.
But this will not happen. Over the years the cost of terror – be that our law-enforcement agencies or the people – seems to have become an automatic justification for not debating as to whether this cost could have been reduced if we had more dispassionately analysed our own actions in the previous instances. This was done in the Army Public School massacre. The same happened in Parade Lane, Mehran Base, the GHQ attack and a range of other high hits that terrorists were able to make causing preventable casualties, shahadats included.
The fear that by asking questions and probing the actions of those in whose custody and command rests precious lives of brave, fearless men, has given birth to the quick-fire bravado brigade whose task is claim total laurels and produce tales of unparalleled success in all circumstances. Inevitably, the names of the martyrs or the scale of the tragedy is used as armour to protect loopholes that allowed the event to take place in the first place.
Martyrdom and Command responsibilities are two totally different things. Lives laid in the service of the country are too precious to be pressed into service every time lacklustre careers of favourites are threatened or need polishing. Martyrs are the chosen ones. They have paid their dues. They have indebted us forever. Let them rest in peace. Keep them out of the campaigns of self-promotion and egregious pomposity. Let the living account for their deeds on the merit of their performance.
Email: syedtalathussain@gmail.com
Twitter: @TalatHussain12