When I advocate reform in Pakistan’s power structure or express hope that democracy will soon hold sway in Pakistan, my critics often label me an ‘American agent.’ Many young Pakistanis also opine that questioning ISI’s role is tantamount to compromising the country’s sovereignty.
Taking a look back at Pakistan’s history, however, exposes the hypocrisy of such assertions. It was, in fact, during Gen.Zia ul Haq’s rule that the US was allowed to construct five ‘intelligence and recon basses’ in Pakistan. It was under Gen. Musharaf’s rule that Pakistan compromised the security of it’s nuclear assets, allowed drone attacks, handed over Pakistani civilians to the CIA and allowed Blackwater to launch covert operations.
By now we all know about Seymour Hersh article in New Yorker. I have been wary of Mr. Hersch’s unnamed sources and questioned timing of his stories.
But Jeremy Scahill who writes for The Nation Magazine is a straight shooter. In his latest article in The Nation journalist Jeremy Scahill has revealed that Blackwater is secretly operating in Pakistan under a covert program that includes planning the assassination and kidnapping of Taliban and Al Qaeda suspects. Blackwater is also said to be involved in a previously undisclosed U.S. military drone campaign that has killed scores of people inside Pakistan. Blackwater operatives have been working under a covert program run by the Joint Special Operations Command, the military’s top covert operations force. The previously undisclosed JSOC operations would mark the first known confirmation of U.S. military activity inside Pakistan.
This was possible because in 2006 Gen. Pervez Musharaf struck a deal with the Bush administration that allows U.S. Special Operations forces from the Joint Special Operations Command to enter Pakistan with the understanding that they were, “following the target.”
Indeed, if you read Pakistan’s short history you will find that our Army has always served America’s interest and its foreign policy has been congruent with US policy in the region. Although our nation’s key decision to stand in America’s camp pre-dates the Ayub regime, it was during our first martial law that Pakistan’s anti-imperialist forces were completely crushed.
America was the clear winner when, on April 17th 1953, Pakistan’s third Governor General Malik Ghulam Mohammad dismissed Prime Minister Khawaja Nazimuddin who had then enjoyed the confidence of the parliament. Mohammad Ali Bogra was appointed to form a government the same day. Looking through declassified documents at the US National Archives you will understand that the main benefactors of the change were always two elements, Pakistan’s army and the US.
Please see blow the US ambassador’s telegram from the embassy in Karachi sent on April 18th, 1953.
Two more significant telegrams sent from the US embassy in Karachi clearly indicate that: America was fearful of Pakistan’s left inclined politicians and Ayub Khan was being encouraged to take control ie. “a coup by a military dictatorship”.
I will be adding to more documents here to deconstruct the notion that Pakistan’s army is anti-imperialist. Secondly, I will also continue to question the assertions of many that Pakistan’s Army is truly religious. It only promoted and protected Islamist elements to serve U.S. interests. Ironically Pakistan’s army also promoted westernized voices in early parts of it history, also at the behest of it’s American masters. A religious bigot like Zia ul Haq was built-up when America wanted to exploit religious sentiments. And, Gen. Musharaf was nurtured as a ‘westernized’ voice when that was the need of the day. This willingness to be anything the U.S. wants is often observed by Pakistan watchers who say: if America wants a transvestite, the Pakistan army will hurry up and promote a hijra through it’s rank.
Ibrahim Sajid Malick is a Pakistani-American writer, technologist, and social entrepreneur. He has been writing on Pakistani society and politics since 1986. He has held several media, communications, and technology positions for organizations large and small. Mr. Malick graduated from New School for Social Research with a master’s degree in anthropology. He holds several technology and management certifications. He works for a leading technology firm and blogs at www.ibrahimsajidmalick.com
Truesay. Pakistan army is interested in ruling over the country and exploiting its resources. When Americans support democracy in Pakistan, they are actually pressuring the army to be more loyal. So we see the opposition to Kerry-Lugar bill. However, if the negotiatios with Taliban in Afghanistan succeed, Pakistan army could be allowed to regain the same status of relationship it has enjoyed in the past. What would that mean for democracy in Pakistan or Pakistan’s relations with India? Guess!
I am sure Pakistan army had been pro-America in past. Pakistan as a nation was pro-America before. But times have changed. I don’t think you analysis is right. You just want to malign pakistan army.
This is also true for PPP. If USA wants a transvestite, PPP will make a HIJRA as its chairperson and label it Bhutto and make it the candidate for Presidency/Prime Ministership.
how ur blog come in facebook?sponsored or what?
all you people who are maligning the pakistan army are unpatriotic psychophants who should all be lined up along side nawaz and zardari and shot several times over, couch potatoes such as you people dont realize that it is thanks to the pakistan army that you are not taking permission from a hindu prior to entering a mosque, and sajid malick and his family have been on the payroll of RAW since generations, this man has no credibility, he is one of those pakistanis who actually sold his mother for Ruppees, she was probably not good enough to get dollars. hope he and his family meet the same fate as mujib and his family did.
It is sadly no news that all the military dictators in this country have always been brought into power on the bidding of the US & yet US remains the self proclaimed “leader of the free world”. The thing is it doesnt really matter whether its Zardari or Mushy behind the facade its always the US and those who dont obey meet an end like Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif or A.Q.Khan.
@Shah I agree with you 1000%. America calls itself pro democracy and is always supporting military dictators. It is US responsibility to put their army boys in line.
Hmmmm, yes his blog is sponsored and I bet someone else is paying him for his psyops campaigns.
There are Mir Jaffer & Mir Sadiq in our times too.
All is true according to the Ibrahim Malik’s opinion
i am completely agree with him.
regards
@Jaffy
How do we know that you are not a paid agent of ISI? There are so many of you people on all the blogs shooting down all voices of dissent. I am suspicious of you.
Dictators only come into power when the rulers become zaleel haramis and hijras. Firstly it was the sharabi kababi harami iskander mirza who was by Ayub Khan, then it was Bhutto who took panga with Zia and then got the hook up his neck, and then It was harami nawaz sharif who by angering musharaf by stopping his plane got the danda in his arse at that time ( ab beshak uchal uchal ke jo bhi marzi bol le , tab to becharay ki tatti bhi jaam thi ). If the leaders will be genuine and true, then the Army or any other power will never ever dare to attack our motherland,
Come on! guys! our religion teaches us to first investigate and then accept or propagate something. If writer is fifth columnist you should have some proof of this. I hardly oppose guys like him who are blind and say that Pakistan was meant to be secular but in this blog what he is saying is true so appreciate this.No doubt that all big losses occurred to this country by army. Ayub Khan gave five rivers to india and a part of pakistani land adjacent with iran, yahya khan by military operation lost half of the country,zia-ul-haq lost siachen and bastard musharraf mortgaged whole land to america.And to that guy, Mr. read your history it was not because of army but politicians this country came into existence. Long live Pakistan.Pakistan Zinda baad.
guys please visit and comment on my blog americanwarcrimesfter911.blogspot.com
@Bilal Ahmed
You are right brother! army has put our cuntry through hell. They have always failed us. Ayub, Yahya, Zia and Musharaff have all sold us or lost our territory. As a nation we need to put these army bastards on the line and make them apologize what they have done to us. I am not afraid of army anymore.
I don’t mean to be rude,but you live in the shelter of protection provided by the Pakistani Millitary. How many sons have you given up?or How many Bullets have you taken? Every time Indians accelerate forces we all gather under the banner of “Pak Army Zindabad”, who did the rescue operations in 2005 earthquake. Its a shame that people like you want to defame the military just out of some misplaced sense of self righteousness. On top of that your evidence from 1953!!!
@ Hassan Khan
Pakistan army is bunch of cowards who beat up their own people. Whenever confronted with they piss in their pants. 1965, 1971, Siachin- should I keep reminding?
[...] Extracts from Ibrahim Sajid Malick’s article originally published at: http://ibrahimsajidmalick.com/is-pakistan-army-anti-america-not-really/433/ [...]
I dont know the writer of this article .. just did a quick search on google, and got the following link, but i dont know whether the info on that link is correct or not: http://www.chowk.com/writers/1358
But i’ll consider the info on this link as truth, until any correct info is provided.
So .. this person is living in New York, probably from decades. If the header of this Blog-Site contains his picture, then we can also come to conclusion that how West has influenced on his getup .. and West has definitely left the same effects on his mentality and thoughts.
I have read his articles earlier as well. And the central ideas of those were the same i.e. anti Pak-Army. And each time i came to these articles through facebook. So clearly he is using facebook to make people read his anti Pak-Army writings. Bravo, Good use of facebook ! His mission is thus basically to spread hatred against the only properly working institution of Pakistan.
The proof that his analysis is biased and one sided is that he ignores the stupidities of politicians (most of them are basically feudal lords and industrialists). I also like democracy, but i like the democracy that brings the true representatives of people in the parliament.
To me Pakistan Army is not doing any strange things. It is doing the same, what Pentagon and CIA is doing in USA, Mossad in Israel, RAW in India, etc. It is the most essential point to understand that, it is not the elected governments who run countries. These are actually the armies and intelligence agencies who run the countries (throughout the history of the world). And its now a global norm, nothing strange in it. The reason why world is maligning Pak-Army, is that it is the only hurdle for the world powers to complete their filthy tasks in Pakistan. So, they are doing whatever they can do to malign Pak-Army. And they are using media-power extensively for this purpose.
.. and i can write loads of content in support of my point.
So its better for Pakistan that these anti-Pakistan-minded people are exposing their thoughts on blogs. It will finally lead the pro-Pakistanis to come-up with better plans.
[...] Extracts from Ibrahim Sajid Malick’s article originally published at: http://ibrahimsajidmalick.com/is-pakistan-army-anti-america-not-really/433/ [...]
friends..! i dont know weather this article is true for not .. such a confidential document with bad english..? (sorry if i have disturbed anyone)
Rehan you are sick. Do you realize how much your sickeningly illogical comments on a person without addressing his argument harms your own position?
I am disgusted with people like you making personal and illogical attacks on anyone with a perspective different to your own.
Pakistan’s army is very pro-America
I agree with the article, but i will go a step further, i would want to see the pakistani army and especially the ISI dismantled. they are good for nothing and are only there to make money for themselves, destablise the country, empowering the establishment, stopping pak from progressing and maintaining the status quo. pakistan’s biggest tragedy is no doubt pakistan army’s dominent role in its running. pak army always play the nationalist and patriotism card to fool stupid pakistani who think pak army is their to serve them. grow up stupid countrymen. pak army and ISI has done us much more damage than its done good. lets also distinguish between soldiers (who only carry out orders and are unknowingly serving as pawns) and the strategists and decision makers (who are the real culprits)
boss u know nothing ,plz improve ur knowledge.are u indian paid???????
how much u are paid by RAW u bastered.if u need money contact me on my nomba.03339173489.ill pay u more than ur bloody aoqaat.basterd.
@Buraq Khan, you stupid …..you want Pak-Army & ISI dismanteled ? are you MAD ??? you’re demanding the same thing as India does.
You’ve been paid by ANTI-Pakistan forces to spread hatred against Pakistan & Pak-Army & ISI.
Its people like you who have brought this country to hell, by selecting CRIMINALS like Zardari & Nawaz Sharif & still worshiping these assholes.
Whoever try to do something patriotic & become honest with this country, you sick people start opposing them & try to kick him out……sometimes in the name of JAMHOOORIYAT, & sometimes for AZAD ADLIYA !
Mark my words (maybe you’ve intelligent enough & understood it already) that this fucked up ADLIYA & JAMHOORIYAT are nothing but BULLSHIT, another way to play with this nation’s emotions. They won’t ever give you anything, they’re just CHOOTIYA BANANEY KI MACHINE !!!
i agree salman.We have enough traitor.And u never know person u are refering might be a patriot Indian and vomiting dirt against Pakistan.
Pakistan Zindabad – PakArmy Paindabad
This guy is a paid traitor. All of his articles are psyops / anti army which is the only entity in Pakistan that anti Pakistan elements really fear. They know they can easily buy out politicians and sell out traitor journalists like him.
@Navaid Ehsan: I Agree with you 101%…. we really need to cut these So called Politicians to their sizes
@Salman: You don’t need to be angry… Belive me… things are not very good in the Army as well…. It was the same army who Surrendered to India in 1971…
No. Pakistans Army is not anti America.
Rehan, have you met an Indian (or American) muslim who has to take permission from a Hindu to enter a mosque? I have not even heard of it.
Have you met a Pakistani Christian/Hindu/Qadiani/Ismaili/Shia muslim whose freedom of religious observance has been curtailed? I have met many.
The uniformed Pakistanis have earned their bread and dominated their country by terrifying their compatriots of the bogeyman India. Despite its tall claims the Army of Pakistan is reknowned for its ineptness – may it be the 65 war, the 71 tragedy, Kargil or any other misadventure. To secure its existence it maintains its part in the Mullah, America and Army alliance and calls all secular, progressive forces antiislamic or unpatriotic.
Pakistan is making hesitant progress towards democracy and civilian rule and in time the armed forces will become subservient to the will of the people but in the meantime the mullahs, the military and America together hold sway. The Army is not anti-America, both depend on each other.
Very good article Malick Sahab. May Allah (SWT) protects you and give you courage to walk the path that other Pakistani leaders have taken in the past. I am reminded of Jalib sahab’s poem. Translation below:
Bread, clothes and medicine
A little house to live in
Free education, as may right be seen
A Muslim, I, too, have always been
What does Pakistan mean
There is no God, but God, The Rab-al-alameen
For American alms do not bray
Do not, the people, laugh away
With the democratic struggle do not play
Hold on to freedom, do not cave in
What does Pakistan mean
There is no God, but God, The Rab-al-alameen
Confiscate the fields from the landowners
Take away the mills from the robbers
Redeem the country from its dark hours
Off with the lordly vermin
What does Pakistan mean
There is no God, but God, The Rab-al-alameen
Sind, Baluchistan and Frontier
These three are to Panjab most dear
And Bengal lends them splendour
Anguished should not be their mien
What does Pakistan mean
There is no God, but God, The Rab-al-alameen
This, then, is the basic thing
For the people, let freedom’s bell ring
From the rope, let the plunderer swing
Truly they speak, who the truth have seen
What does Pakistan mean
There is no God, but Allah…
very interesting article. can’t wait to read more…
@Farrukh: For as much anger I felt while reading this otherwise mentally challenged article, I must admit that I DID breathe a sigh of relief when I read yours, Mr. Farrukh. It’s almost a pity that people like Mr. Malick (also written as Malik) have the liberty of calling themselves Pakistanis. But ‘the rotten must be amongst the good’, I suppose. Sad… but true!
Ibrahim is right. Pakistani army has always been an extension of America. They have always told that we are in danger of attack from India and that we should look upto to Washington. You can’t deny that ISI goons get training by CIA masters.
Gen. zia told us when fighting against USSR we are the next so we should go and fight in Afghanistan now the media and Army and Govt has put in your mind that we have to fight against the Taliban or we are the next, see what happens next until now its obvious we have lost Pushtoon of Pakistan. May Allah tell us the righteous path.
@ To all who get flared up if somethin is spoken against Pak army :
We have to face the truth . Just look st us . Dya think the mighty (?)US of A can opearte so freely in Paksitan killing pakistanis vide drone with precise accuration ? Of course they have been facilitated by Pak Army .
i am not in favor of blmaing the whole army , but indeed the high ups ( the generals ) are sold out to dollars , dya know almost all general’s offsprings are studying(?) in the USA ???how come …have you seen the lavinsha lifestyle of the GEnerals…if no …first check and please then open your so called stupid and ignorant mouth for blabbering . Wake up .
The ISI plays the role of a force for the destabilization of Central Asia, India and the Middle East. It acts as a Central Asian base of operations for the CIA and British Intelligence to carry out Anglo-American imperial aims.
As India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, after China, its northern neighbor which also borders Central Asian countries, its place in the New World Order is yet to be set in stone. Do western, and particularly Anglo-American elites allow India to grow as China, all the while attempting to co-opt their banking system to the western banking elite, thus, making them controllable? Or, will India be destabilized and dismantled, as is the plan with the Middle East and Central Asia, in order to redraw borders to suit geopolitical imperial ambitions, creating a network of manageable territories feeding the Metropoles of the New World Order, specifically New York and London ?
Plato listed love of state as the first requirement in a leader. That sentiment is hard to find when the gifted in a society are plagued by self-seeking. Predominant role of religious establishment in molding public opinion also militates against the growth of democratic culture.
Sadly, Pakistan never really outgrew its Hindu hatred and India fixation to grow as an independent, sovereign and progressive nation state. It is a pity that such fora are not used to debate issues dispassionately. Prejudice and ignorance are two sides of the same coin. Was it Voltaire who said, ‘I may not agree with what you say but I shall defend till death your right to do so’.
It is urgent that purity of Islam reasserts itself over the prevalent communal aspect. Religion must promote emancipation and not bondage.
i m agree with imran ahmad, here in india all muslims and hindu and sikhs lives in very good relations,i have my friend mr chand mohamad,i gone to his home on idd nad enjoy the seviyan,here we lives togeather and celebrates all festivals togeather.we loves all and respect all religions.no body stop them to go a mosque even we congrates them and accompany them.sorry as im not part of the quotes of nations,but palticians or media plays a dity role.
Taking a look back at Pakistan’s history, however, exposes the hypocrisy of such assertions.
It was, in fact, during Gen.Zia ul Haq’s rule that the US was allowed to construct five ‘intelligence and recon basses’ in Pakistan.
It was under Gen. Musharaf’s rule that Pakistan compromised the security of it’s nuclear assets, allowed drone attacks, handed over Pakistani civilians to the CIA and allowed Blackwater to launch covert operations.
Three Pricincts … Dr A Q Khan[ Nuclear/ Non first class official ] Jehangir Keramet [weapon depots ,terrorism] Farouk Leghari [constitution, smuggling and banking] .. Defense Commerce Law respectively..
There’s no much another trigger to correct the internal malpractice and pressure….Every steeple minaret of crime and terror treasopn and weakness can be controlled
pakistan army is a blood sucker
Sorry to say but mr. malick I’ve read some of your other posts as well and NONE of them is neutral. I must say you are being paid for writing ‘anti-army’ posts.
Next comes, your articles are being advertised, who and why the hell would one pay for spreading you words?
Yes America actually wanted a transvestite n she got a hijra in the form of a Blog writer claiming to be Pakistani.
Pakistan started almost in the same footing as India. However fundamentally it became an Islamic state with emphasis on religion and not on development, economic progress and multi-culturalism. This led to power becoming concentrated in the hands of the centre and it became easy for the armed forces to step in and stunt the growth of the democratic institutions.
All that the armed forces had to do was take over the central government and that has happened many times and Gen Zia , Gen Musharraf etc. have all been the cowboys from the army who did not understand the concept of a NATION and believed in CONTROLLING and not on PRODUCTIVITY.
They controlled thru appeasing the religious leaders and destroyed a nation. The Americans have merely played in their own interest, as has been their habit. Accusing the US is merely a pretext for not owning up Pakistan’s sovereignty.
TRUST IN ALLAH, BUT TETHER YOUR CAMEL.
@yousuf: I agree with you. Pakistan army has been Pakistan’s enemy number 1. They are corrupt, arrogant and act like mafia. They only country they have ever defeated is Pakistan. They only people they can rule are Pakistanis. It is like you buy gun for your chowkidar and than he becomes your master. This is what is happening here.
Pakistans Army is not Anti America and it should not be. Pakistan and its institutions should be defined for what they are, not what they are not.
The State of Pakistan appears to have lost its purpose, we are forever thinking at tangents. We should set our goals to create a just society that responds to the needs of its people. We should attempt to eradicate poverty (provide employment, control the population explosion, conserve resources, combat crime and corruption provide effective policing and courts) care for the weak and the infirm (children’s education and health, women’s and minorities rights, hospitals, shelters). To achieve that we need a prosperous nation of taxpayers, we need flourishing trade.
Without these aspirations do we deserve to survive? Does it matter whether we are sovereign in our own land or whether America, India, China or a corrupt cabal pull our strings?
I think its all true that miltary Gen can not be Gadaar of the country. And these top politicians are brainwashed people. It all depends on the highest authority of the country and that relates to some defenders of the country. Its true that Obama is puppet having football in his hand for playing any time with other super power backed up by atomic agencies of US not CIA. They are playing with the mind of US president.
Zerdari is puppet and so on and so forth. But zerdari is has no power to launch any strike like obama master minds have given the so called authority to US president. Its all BRAIN GAME. If you reach in Obama’s mind you can listen some voices from agencies all over the world.
There are three voices in a mind. One that you listen when you talk.
Second voice when you understand something.
Third voice is voice of eye.
EYE CAN NOT SPEAK A LIE.
When you see something, your brain creates a voice. This is the upper most part of brain and that voice can be CATCHED any time by any agency in the world using WAVES. So if your top most intelligence agency is not strong then you can be hacked by any other agency any time.
So an agent does not know whats going on in his mind but he is doing a duty for a Winner agency. THIS IS TRUTH.
There is a war going on in the minds of popular people.
More on this some other time.
Thanks.
Here we go again with demented ultra patriotism. Sir, the true “Gadaar” is the person who does not pay his country the income tax due from him. The one who uses contacts, force and safarish to bypass the rights of his fellow citizens, the fellow who uses up resources by wasting them on wedding celebrations, the one who produces numerous children, the one who tries to make life difficult for other citizens who do not belong to his family/tribe/caste/province/sect/religion etcetera.
This in my opinion is the fault of our own that has led our nation to this predicament, the foreclosure however should be in a manner that the balance is set, when the balance is set, then Nations who wish to despoil the other, will compromise and will assist in briging justice to the nation which is full of tryants and despots who need to be dealt in a most severe manner.
@IMAM: what the hell do you mean? agar english nahi aati too urdu may likh day mairay bhai
Ibrahim Sajid Malick is a genious – i mean it. he has so many people arguing over his opinion. lovely