Installation of Fence on Pak-Afghan Border

              

Commander Peshawar Corps Lt Gen Nazir Ahmad Butt briefs Chief of the General Staff of British Army; General Nicholas Patrick Carter over Pak-Afghan Border Fence

  War or operation in the inhabited areas is one of the difficult tasks for the military. Such war is the test of professionalism and capability of the military. Enemies or the terrorists hiding in the inhabited areas use innocents as human shields. If the operation continues, innocent locals trapped inside may get causalities and it is probable that these locals may join terrorists in order to take revenge on the causalities. Airforce might prove a lethal weapon against the hidden enemies but the problem is that it may not only destroy properties and take lives of own citizens. This is the real test of an army that how it minimizes the loss of own citizens; lessen the loss of innocent locals, the more successful the operation against terrorists. One may take the example of operation against ISIS in Raqqa, Iraq. Although the city has been freed from the ISIS, not a single building is undamaged while thousands of innocents were killed as a result of the bombardment on the safe heavens of ISIS. After the victory, when Western journalists entered into the city, they were shocked because they have not seen such a great human tragedy, although, Allied forces have done their best to hide human losses from media.

                Such a strategy was adopted by America in 2001 in the name of attack over Afghanistan. In the name of war against terrorism, USA used all the bombs and missiles against Taliban for two months. After two months of the bombardment when Allied forces entered into Afghanistan, the hatred against Americans have been deep-rooted in the hearts of the Afghans. Another big mistake was done by the American strategists that they gave the control of the Pakhtoon majority areas to Northern Alliance although Hamid Karzai was chosen as Puppet President. The inhuman treatment of Northern Alliance to Pakhtoons unveiled the reality of American claims that they have attacked Afghanistan to save Afghans from Taliban and give them their rights. They lost the rights that they had in the reign of Taliban as well. American soldiers with their communications equipment, automatic weapons, and uniform were nothing less than aliens for Afghans. Such like uniform they have seen in the Hollywood films thus they became sure that they have been enslaved. Use of latest missiles and heavy bombs over civilians areas has further reinforced this thinking. Americans were of the view that after use of such heavy bombs and missiles, no one will have the courage to take up weapons against Americans or face American forces. Americans were shocked when a convoy was attacked while traveling from Heart to Kabul by the Afghan fighters burning a military truck resulting in the deaths of many American soldiers. Allied forces continued their search operation for a week, each and every house was searched but they failed to find a clue against the attackers. Americans wanted to hide the ambush but the attackers released the pictures of the attack over the Internet. After this attacks on Americans and allies became a routine. The leader of Northern Alliance claimed that attackers had Pakistani support, they come from tribal areas of Pakistan and after executing their plans they return back to Pakistan.

Pak Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa in discussion with Lt Gen Nazir Ahmed Butt about Border Management at forward post in Khyber Agency

                America increased air support against the Afghan fighters, wherever they felt a doubt about the presence of Taliban, American fighter jets bombarded there. Americans were facing the similar situation as that of Soviet Union in 1980. In this era, America with the CIA was providing all the support to Afghan Mujahideen from the tribal areas. All those retired armies and CIA soldiers who were now guiding Americans in Afghanistan were terming uncontrollable resistance a result of Pak army and ISI’s support to the militants. RAW’s links with the newspapers and magazines published in West are not a secret which was a favor of MOSSAD to RAW. India fueled the anti-Pakistan propaganda and succeeded in establishing the stronghold in Afghanistan with the help of Northern Alliance. Northern Alliance and Indians succeeded in convincing Americans that India can punish Pakistan in a better way for interference in Afghanistan as she is an important power of the region and historic enemy of Pakistan.

                So a three-dimensional aggressive policy was planned against Pakistan i.e. 1) Terrorism in Pakistan through Pakistani citizens; 2) establishing of the special task force for propaganda against ISI and Pak army within and outside Pakistan so that Pakistan army and ISI can be blamed even for the terrorism within Pakistan. In this regard, books against Pakistan were specially published internationally; Pakistani writers were given special preference so that the content may be given some authenticity. 3) Propaganda was launched that Pakistani nukes may fall in the hands of the terrorists, making the world suffer from the fear of mass destruction so that Pakistan’s nuclear program may be suspended and handed over to UNO (USA).

Newly Constructed Forts by Pak Army and Frontier Corps to improve surveillance in Bajaur, North Waziristan, Mohmand, Khyber and other Agencies near Afghan Border

                This plan against Pakistan was comprehensive, India was happy that the conspiracies against Pakistan that she was unable to hatch alone were being fully supported by Britain, American, and other Western powers. Training of terrorists, giving the identity of Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to deceive Pakistanis, a chunk of Pakistani media always blaming Pak army and ISI for terrorist activities within Pakistan etc. was not a plan of India alone but USA, Britain, Israel and secret agencies of 2 Islamic states of the regions  also played their roles as well. The stem of terrorism in Pakistan was one while branches were different in the form of extortion in Karachi, target killing, sectarian killing for hardly hitting the economy of Pakistan. In Balochistan, the militancy was started under the garb of denial of rights to Baloch people by Punjabi army and bureaucracy. Ther terrorist training centers were established in Karachi in the name of the imposition of Islam. Suicide bomb blasts targeting military installations and vehicles, civil departments, hospitals, mosques, courts, markets, parks, schools etc all were targets of terrorists. The plan was to force Pakistan army to react irresponsibly so that civilians might get killed in the military action and those who survive may be recruited against Pakistan.  But Pakistan army restrained from acting in the rash and killing civilians while replying terrorists, the hard policy of identifying and neutralizing the terrorists hiding within the city areas was adopted. The world saw that first of all Zarb-e-Azb then Rad-ul-Fisad, the operational headquarters of terrorists were wiped out from tribal as well as the whole of the country. Terrorists were forced to flee to Afghanistan and take shelter there.

                Now the need was to stop terrorists from entering into Pakistan and executing terror activities because after the destruction of their hideouts in Pakistan they were operating from Afghanistan, crossing the border and attacking Pakistan. This was not being done by terrorists individually but they had the support of the India along with other anti-Pakistan forces. Terrorists were the weapon in the hands of anti-Pakistan forces being used in very planned manners. The important aspect of this plan was to defame Pakistan as the supporter of terrorists through propaganda. Electronic and print media was controlled by them who after every terrorist activity blamed Pakistan for supporting terrorists, the fairy tales of Pakistan sending terrorists in neighbor countries were told in such a way that Pakistani Foreign Ministry was forced to give clarifications. Another aspect of this strategy against Pakistan was demand “DO MORE” which was played by Americans like a recorded message. This was going on since 2004 when first Americans made such demands from Pakistan. General Pervez Musharaf expressed his willingness to construct fence over the 2344 kilometers long Afghan border. America who has been always blaming that terrorists come from Pakistan to attack her soldiers in Afghanistan should have supported Pakistani plan because this was the only way to stop the unchecked movement of militants across the border. Astonishingly not only puppet Afghan govt. but nationalists in Pakistan also protested against it. On the objections, Musharaf proposed to fill the crossing point with land mines. America did not accept this plan as well because in this way it was impossible for her to execute terrorist plans in Pakistan,

                In 2007, Pakistan once again proposed to erect fence over the border but Afghanistan once again rejected it by saying that in this way Pakhtoons living across the border will get divided. Pakistan’s demand was that DO MORE should not be demanded from Pakistani anymore. Until that time anti-Pakistan elements had established the plan to wage war in Balochistan against Pakistan with the help of India, America and Western powers. From 2009, Pakistan seriously started working over the plan of erecting fence over the Afghan border. In the tribal areas, on some parts, 35-kilometer long fence was erected but due to nonavailability of the funds, the plan was suspended. On the start of the erection of the fence, ISAF assured Pakistan for her support but parted from it later on. In 2013, the war on terror has been practically changed into war against Pakistan. On the one hand, there were suicide bomb blasts from KPK in Punjab while on the other militants were launched in Balochistan. In order to stop movement across the Afghan-Balochistan border, 11 feet deep and 14 feet long trench was dug up. Its length is 1100 kilometers and it has been mostly completed. Pakistan army’s checkpoint was attacked with rockets, groups of terrorists entered into Pakistani areas and target military posts at night. Even civilians were targeted with rockets as well. Pakistan army gave the befitting reply to such activities and informed ISAF commanders as well. The checking of documents over Pak-Afghan border was strictly imposed. As a reaction, Afghan army attacked Turkham border on 14 June 2016, in which Pakistan army’s officer Major Ali Javed Changezi was martyred. He was monitoring the installation of gate inside Pakistan away from the zero-point. Afghan soldiers attacked him with heavy machine guns. While Pakistan has already informed not Afghan but American officials as well about the implementation of Border Management at all costs. Pakistan and Afghanistan both are independent countries and as per international laws, it is necessary that citizens of both countries should have the passport, visa, and other traveling documents to cross the border. How can America deny this while she is forcing foreigners coming to America to remove even their undergarments for entry into America? But stopping Pakistan from the implementation of border management was different.

                India sending terrorists, Afghanistan facilitating India and America the supervisor of whole activity was not in favor of border management by Pakistan but America was unable to express her anger over border management by Pakistan. Sometimes the firing and shelling of Afghans into Pakistani areas seemed that Afghanistan was challenging Pakistan for war. On 05 May 2017, Afghan army attacked unarmed civil servants of Pakistan in Chaman who were there for the census, in this attack 15 innocents were martyred. Before this Afghan Foreign Ministry has said on 5 April 2017, that if Pakistan did not stop the imposition of Border Management to stop unchecked border crossing than Afghanistan will use military power to stop Pakistan. It is clear that Afghanistan having a nominal number of so-called Afghan National army threatening Pakistan for military action is actually speaking the language of some anti-Pakistan powers. America has become so much powerless in front of India due to her interests against China, that she is unable to give a statement against India over Pak-India tensions. This is why India has been so much encouraged that she is using Aghan army against Pakistan.

Recovery of Weapons from Terrorists in Khyber Agency

                Another threat imposed on Pakistan by India is the increasing power of ISIS in Afghanistan. India will attempt to start terrorism in Pakistan once again on the lines of TTP by cultivating supporters of ISIS. Youngsters using the internet and social media are special target including women. Although the propaganda for recruitment in ISIS is going on all over the world in which posters, videos, and attracting sentences are being used but women are being specially targeted. Recently, a video clip is being shared over social media and internet in which women are being attracted by telling the worldly as well eternal benefits women may achieve by marrying the people linked with ISIS. A short clip “Bird of Jannat” has been launched in Malaysia, posters of this video show a beautiful woman standing with an ISIS terrorist having the captions like The Love Jihad, Till Martyrdom Do us Apart. In the other poster, a Muslim woman is portrayed as using modern weapons with the caption “Islam has made me free”. In these videos and poster, different Ahadith and Verses from Quran are being used as well to entrap women. What happens to these women after being entrapped by these ISIS terrorists this can be imagined by the confessions of 20-year-old Noreen Lughari arrested in operation in Lahore in April 2017? According to Noreen Lughari, the student of Liaqat University of Medical and Health Sciences if her hideout had not been raided, she was going to be used for suicide bomb blast two days later, her suicide jacket was ready. Her confessions show that how much deeply rooted are Indian terrorist agencies within Pakistan. Although TTP and ISIS have been claiming responsibility for terrorist attacks in Pakistan but such terrorist attacks are not possible without the terrorists crossing the border into Pakistan. Keeping in view all these threats by terrorists Pakistan army is busy in installing fence over the border and it is hoped that it will be completed by December 2018,. Moreover, 843 bunkers like fortresses will be constructed 1.5 to 3 km inside Pakistan over the Afghan border, from where the border will be monitored using state of the art equipment. These fortresses will be like small cantonments which will have the capability to neutralize any external aggression against Pakistan. Moreover, all the secret passes will be monitored as well so that no smuggler or terrorist may cross the border. Pakistan army has already constructed 100 such fortresses in Northern and Southern Waziristan. Work on 85 such fortresses is going on rapidly. Whether it is the installation of fence or construction of fortresses its importance can be imagined from the point that Lt General Nazir Ahmed Butt is himself supervising the construction work.

                Pakistan army has achieved success against the terrorists having safe hideouts in FATA, despite their cantonments like strongholds, manpower, and lethal weapons. The installation of the fence on such long border and border management will be exemplary as well. Last year when Pakistan army cleared Northern Waziristan from terrorist, the British army was not ready to believe it because of the during the British reign, the British army has to face defeat despite her professionalism, well-trained manpower and weapons in these areas. In Khyber agency only a doctor was spared so that he may inform his rulers, the whole British army was slaughtered. On the news of the success of Pakistan army, British Army Chief visited Pakistan in October 2016 and expressed his wish to visit Waziristan. Afterwards while expressing his feelings he mentioned defeats of the British army and praised the achievements of Pakistan army. Including America, on duty Generals from many countries have visited tribal areas of Pakistan but the most happiness was expressed by British, here it is the point to be noted that despite being ally of America Britain has never demanded to DO MORE from Pakistan. Perhaps British army was aware of the hardships of war in the tribal areas. The emotional link of Britain with these tribal areas can be imagined that a few weeks ago, British Army Chief has once again visited Pak-Afghan border areas and examined the fence installation work as well. It is astonishing to him that with such scarce resources Pakistan army has done this in very short time while Pakistanis have to face attempts like firing and shelling from Afghanistan as well to stop the construction work.

                America should think twice before blaming Pakistan for supporting Haqqani and other militants. The construction of fence and border management should have been done by USA and NATO forces. If America and her allies were really willing to establish peace in Afghanistan they might have constructed China Wall like fences. Americans have become so much powerless that they are now using Bigram Airbase as Kabul airport is not secure for them. American Passenger airplanes are taken into protection by American Air Force fighter jets as soon as they enter into Afghanistan and American officials are shifted into strong bunkers. In last two months, 380 people have been killed in Afghanistan including 2 Italians, 8 Americans and more than 100 soldiers of Afghan National Army.

                Obviously, peace in Afghanistan is the responsibility of the Afghan govt. but it is only possible when there is the real representative of Afghans in power, not the puppet govt. Afghan Taliban term Americans as invaders and fight against them as the war for freedom, although this internal matter of Afghanistan and Afghan people. America blames Pakistan for supporting Afghan freedom fighters for last 16 years in order to pressurize Pakistan. On the other hand presence of TTP leadership in Afghanistan and use of American controlled Afghanistan for terrorism in Pakistan; the USA is not ready to talk over it. In such scenario, the construction of fence and digging of the trench over Afghan border is inevitable for Pakistan to protect her integrity and CPEC for which India has declared to go to any limits to fail it…

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Urdu Copy Page-2

Written by Khalid Baig,

Published in Weekly Family Magazine,

Date: 12 October 2017.