Book Review : Fighting To The End ; The Pakistani Army’s Way of War”, by Christine Fair : पुस्तक का सारांश
राजीव उपाध्याय 
पाकिस्तानी सेना पर लिखी इस पुस्तक की विशेषता इसके अत्यंत गहरी पहुँच मैं है . क्रिस्टिन फेयर , एक अमरीकी लेखिका व् प्रोफेसर लेखिका का ज्ञान व् समर्पण अत्यंत सराहनीय है जो पहले तो फिल्म गाँधी जैसी प्रतिक्रया देता है की हम भारतीय ऐसी पुस्तक क्यों नहीं लिख सकते . लेखिका ने पाकिस्तानी सेना व् भारत के विभाजन के अनेकों प्रकाशनों को पढ़ा है . सब के बाद लेखिका का यह निर्णय है की पाकिस्तानी सेना भारत विरोध को ही देश भक्ति मानती रहेगी . वह युद्ध या मुंबई जैसे काण्ड भी करती रहेगी क्योंकि उसका अस्तित्व भारत विरोध मैं है . परमाणु हतियारों ने उसे उच्छिर्न्कल व् ख़तरा लेने मैं सक्षम बना दिया है . वह १९६५ व् १९७१ व् कारगिल की पराजय को भी एक तरह की विजय मानती है क्योंकि उसके अनुसार भारत से लड़ कर हारना कुछ न करने से अच्छा है . यदि कश्मीर भी पकिस्तान को दे दिया जय तो भी उसका भारत विरोध समाप्त नहीं होगा . वह अपने को पाकिस्तान व् उसकी की इस्लामी राष्ट्रीयता का रक्षक मानती है . इसलिए भारत कुछ भी कर ले पाकिस्तानी सेना उसे शांत नहीं बैठने देगी और वहां के राजनेता कुछ नहीं कर पाएंगे जब तक पाकिस्तानी सेना की अत्यधिक निर्णायक पराजय न हो .
“The Pakistani Army’s Way of War”, by Christine Fair
Pakistani Army was born by partition of the country . Pakistan with seventeen percent landmass and resources inherited more than 30% of its army ( 150000 soldiers out of total combined Indian army of 4.62 lakhs ). Its disproportionate size was due to Punjabi muslims and Sikhs being the preferred soldiers of Brtish Raj.
2. Partition of the country on religious grounds ,Communal riots following partition and feeling of unfair division of Punjab ( Gurdaspur coming to India ) , Indian army’s refusal to share stores etc made Pakistani army lose its traditional secular character of British army .
3. Pakistani army became revisionist ie against maintaining status quo right from the beginning like not accepting Kashmir accession to India and sending Mujahids ignoring its own British Commander in Chief . It displayed same tendency in 1965 , Kargil and inspite of losing 1971 kept needling India on Punjab , Kashmir insurgency etc . , It is never satisfied with status quo and has become greedy .
4. Its first Pakistani Commander in Chief Ayub Khan , after the coup , leaned on Islam for support and legitimacy . It continued in Zia as well as Musharrafs times . Even civilian leaders like Z.A.Bhutto were not shwe y of using Islam for political purpose .
5. Pakistani army developed the concept of ‘existential threat from India ‘ to justify its size and growth .
It assumed the role of not only protecting the frontiers of the nation but also its ‘ Idealogy ‘ of two nation theory based on Islam . Kashmir became a focal point .and sending Mujahids
Pakistani public slowly accepted its narrative of existential threat from India .
6. Pakistan is an insecure state and due to its strategic culture Pakistani Army has the Nation not vice versa ie Nation having an army .
7. Punjab, the main population base of Pakistani army, always had high regard for army from British times . It continues even today . Bengalis were not regarded martial race by British and had virtually no representation in Pakistani army dominated by Punjabis and Pathans . Even Sindhis and Balochis had very little representation in army . Over the years particularly after 1971 defeat efforts to induct Sindhis and Balochis are continuing .
8. Pakistani army is not ashamed of its defeat in 1965 , 71, Kargil . It is content by holding India at bay , obstructing its growth or dominance . It considers inaction worse than defeat which explains Kargil and 1965 and its subsequent support to terror groups .
9 Zia’s Islamization drive has gone deep amongst young officers .
India is associated with hindus who are considered weak , divided , pusillanimous and incapable of brave fighting . That is why inspite of numerical inferiority Pakistan keep attacking and provoking India .
Destroying India is now Jihad for even army as the war has become civilizational .
How insecure state built up security with alliances, strategic depth , nuclear umbrella and its impact on India , we will see in next post .
“The Pakistani Army’s Way of War”, by Christine Fair – 2 : Pakistan’s Quest for Strategic Depth, Security Alliances, Nuclear Umbrella , India under Army’s Gaze , Chap 5-8
1. British were worried that while in 1759 Russia was separated from India by 4000 miles , by 1885 the gap had come down to just 400 miles . British fears were proved right when Russia occupied Afghanistan in 1979.
2.. Afghanistan took advantage of Indian independence to disown its commitment to Afghan – British accords . It was the only country that opposed Pakistan’s entry in UN and refused to accept Durand Line as boundary between the two countries . It even raised a demand for independent Pakahtunistan .
3. Even in Z.A.Bhutto’s time limited use of Isamists radicals was being made by Pakistan to increase Pakistani influence in Afghanistan .
4. After expelling Russians , Zia’s Pakistan wanted the right to choose government in Afghanistan . Pakistan started considering Afghanistan as Pakistan’s back yard and wanted to use Afghanistan for strategic depth even for keeping its army and armaments safe from India . Atleast it wanted a weak coalition of Islamists countries . . It promoted and supported Mulah Omar’s Pashtun Taliban government to drive India away . But after 9/11 war , a non Pashtun non Taliban government was formed of Northern Alliance supported by India , Russia, Iran and USA . Pakistan is still supporting Pashtun Talibans which are indulging in terrorist activities to gain power in Afghanistan much to the chagrin of Americans and Indians .
5. Quest for Security vis a vis India has been a unvarying and obsessive dimension of Pakistan’s foreign policy . In Ayub’s times it joined SEATO , CENTO and Baghdad Pact with USA and UK . It demanded an outlandish amount of $ 2 billion to build its armed forces in 1947-48 while the total Marshal Plan to rebuild Europe after war was only $ 1.3 billion . In 1953 USA gave one million toones of grain as aid to Pakistan . In 1954 USA agreed for a $171 million aid programme after it signed a mutual defence pact with Pakistan .
6. Pakistan felt USA should have helped Pakistan in 1971 war but USA argued that the treaty was only against communism . Pakistan too never helped USA in Korean war . But after Sino Indian border disputes Pakistan and China started warming up to each other . In 1963 President Ayub conceded part of POK territory to China for durable peace . China’s gamble succeeded when Pakistan became China’s widow to western world in Nixon Kissienger era.
7. After loss of Bangladesh in 1971 and Indian nuclear explosion in 1974 , Z.A.Bhutto began pushing for developing nuclear weapons . A..Khan , working in Germany had translated a Uranium enrichment report by centrifuge . He offered to help and Pakistan was able to steal all the relevant technical know how . Preoccupied by Russian occupation of Afghanistan , Regan and subsequent presidents ignored the CIA warnings .Regan even pledged an aid of $3.1 billion to Pakistan . It is only proliferation of nuclear knowhow by A,Q,Khan that made USA seriously worried about Pakistan . (Pakistan exchanged nuclear know how with North Korea for getting Missile technology . It also is believed to be the source of Libyan , Syrian , Iraq and Iran ‘s nuclear efforts , not mentioned in book )
. China gave material for first two bombs .
Nuclear capability increased the risk appetite of Pakistan vis a vis India particularly in exporting terror .
8. Russian occupation of Afghanistan and American attack on Afghanistan after the attack on World Trade Centre were two big opportunities for Pakistan to come closer to USA. But Mujahidin became Pakistan’s albatross after Russian withdrawl . The relation with USA sored as American became weary of Talibans , a great friends of Pakistan . Americans suspected nd started accusing Pakistan of duplicity .
9. Inspite of defeats in wars , India is regarded as a ‘ Hegemony Pakistan Must Resist ‘ and Pakistan makes absurd demand of being treated as an equal nation to India .
The Pakistani Army’s Way of War”, by Christine Fair – 3 : Pakistan’s Jihad under Nuclear Umbrella , Past Prologue , International Implications of its Strategic Culture Chap 9 -11
1. Nuclear umbrella has increased Pakistan’s risk taking recklessness & desire for Low intensity conflict ,
2. Pakistani army has started accepting Jihad as an Islamic duty. 47 % Punjabis in Punjab want Shariah to have a larger role in State Governance , military’s main catchment area , 58 % believe that Kashmiris in India will prefer to join Pakistan . Only 12 % of Sindhis in Sindh and 27% Baloch wanted a larger role for Shariah , Similarly only 37% Baloch felt that Indian Kashmiris will like to join Pakistan and 45 % Sindhis felt accordingly .
3. Right from 1948 Kashmir incursion by tribals , Pakistan’s army has been using Non State Actors . Throughout 1960s Pak army journals importance of infiltration . Zia and Pervez Musharaf too used them freely as Islamic militants are regarded as assets by army .
4. LeT has regular recruitment and training camps but bulk of trainees are sent back to their districts . Between 2000 – 2011 Pakistan experienced 3209 terror attacks , 7334 deaths and 14652 injuries .
5. Under protection of nuclear umbrella , LeT and other such bodies are deemed to be protecting Pakistan’ idealogy and serve a useful purpose of Pakistani army .
6. Media and Civil Society and economic shock very gradually change this perception . But one must view the Punjabi people’s support for Islamization of Government due to changed education system in Pakistan .
7. Pakistan will continue to have a very stable Instability . It will also undermine the long term American interests in the region .
8. For India situation is bleak . Pakistan army will continue to weaken India by any means available .
