Truth about 1971 war

Islamabad It has been widely propagated that the Pakistan army killed over three million people in military action, and that they all were innocent civilians. Independent researchers have critiqued this baseless propaganda of India and Awami League. Unless the record is set straight, younger generations would continue to give credence to the myths and shibboleths of the 1971 Indo-Pak war and history would remain distorted.

The views were expressed by Group Captain (r) Sultan M Hali, (Sitara-e-Imtiaz) in his lecture ‘Tormented truth 1971 & Beyond’ delivered at Kafe Kaam during an event titled ‘Intezaar k 49 Saal.’

“On occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the 1971 Pak-India war in 2021, Bangladesh would be celebrating its Golden Jubilee and will be raking up old wounds with its non-stop rebuke of the Pakistan Army with allegations of genocide. It is proposed that we should let bygones be bygones and move ahead, allowing the wounds to heal,” he concluded.

He said that the fall of the Berlin Wall, the unification of Europe brings in the hope that Bangladesh and Pakistan will reunite; not under one flag but in closer ties of cooperation, bonds of trade ties, in a visa free regimen like the EU.

“After all, the Bengalis were at one time at the forefront of the Pakistan Movement and we owe it to future generations to put the past behind and work for a brighter future perhaps as envisaged by Bangladesh,” he said adding that perhaps the Bangladesh and Pakistan can together infuse new life into SAARC.

This event started with “fateh khawani” for the martyr of 1971 and 2014. The event was attended by an exclusive group of prominent academics, development experts, media practitioners, influencers and analyst, war veterans and other professionals from diverse disciplines.

The event was chaired by former Ambassador Salahuddin Choudhry, a career diplomat known for his cultural diplomacy for peace. He is one of those very few prominent Bengalis who opted for the West Pakistan after the fall of Dhaka in 1971.

Dr. Rakhshinda, a gender expert, media practitioner and activist moderated the session. She was of the opinion that the time has arrived to reflect on the unending showcasing of the multilayered deception faced by the generations of forgotten, abandoned and betrayed Pakistani Biharis who sided with Pakistani army in 1971.