I moved to US in late 1990s. That was also around the time when India tested its nukes and Pakistan followed it up with its own blasts. Since then, I had a habit. I used to listen to most Pakistani radio programs which were based on politics and also read at least three Pakistani newspapers regularly – including Dawn. My areas of interest were three sections: Opinions, Editorial and Letters to Editor. The first represented the mind of the “intellectuals” in that country, the second showed the mind of the journalists and third was a reflection of the normal public.
That was the time I came to understand Pakistan and Pakistanis better. It is a world in its own state of being. Starting from the top and from the beginning, the whole nation is ruled by the mindset of Aggression-and-Denial. To make that happen, it is imperative to lie outright. That is why most of the folks in establishment, media and intelligentsia are pathological liars.
The barbarism of its Army was very apparent during Kargil when they did what they with Captain Saurabh Kalia and his men! The mindset of the Army is such that it tries to obliterate every dissenter and critic they have. Running the whole country, along with its industry isn’t after all that easy and the unquestioned authority that is important for an Armed force to function is transplanted to the civil society. And this authority that Pakistan Armed forces has is brutal. They perfected this brutality in Bangladesh and have repeated it everywhere, including the infamous genocide in Balochistan.
As people like Ahmar Mustikhan and Tarek Fatah – two prominent voices for Balochistan freedom speak on the Indian TV challenging and rubbishing the Pakistani generals who aren’t used to being talked back to by intelligent people, we have a very explosive situation. The manner in which these ethnic Punjabi Pakistani generals threaten the guests on the show is pathetic and very symptomatic of what Pakistan’s real mojo is!
