Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif on Wednesday, 17^th November 2016, said 11 Indian soldiers were killed on November 14 after Pakistan Army ‘responded to unprovoked firing’. “The Indian army should man up and accept their losses,” said the chief of army staff. He also said that unlike the Indian army, the Pakistan Army accepts and owns its casualties.

Comment:

On the night of Sunday 13 November, seven Pakistani soldiers were martyred during cross-border firing across the Line of Control. This was a slap in the face of the Pakistan Army and the Muslims of Pakistan were furious, desiring the response of a lion to avenge the blood of the martyrs. However, binding his hands by the command of his American master for restraint, General Raheel proved himself as much of a coward, traitor and loyal agent of America as his predecessors Kayani and Mushrraf. And when anger did not subside, Raheel eventually emerged over three days later to claim a tit-for-tat response, when a jaw breaking response was the need of the time.

In the era of Musharraf and Kayani, whenever American intruded Pakistan and killed civilians or military men, Pakistan armed forces were prevented from retaliation on the pretext that America is a superpower and we cannot fight with it. So, whether it was the numerous hot pursuit incursions by the US in the time of Musharraf, the Bajour attack, in which 82 people were killed by the US on 30^th October 2006, the Salala attack on 26^th November 2011, in which 28 Pakistani soldiers were martyred, or the American surgical strike of Abbottabad on 2^nd May 2011 just adjacent to the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, neither Musharraf nor Kayani ever responded in a befitting manner. On all those occasions, sincere men amongst the aware people warned of setting a dangerous precedence, as such weak stances only encourage India in its desire to strike inside Pakistan, using the same pretext used by America of “fighting terrorism.” And just after the Abbottabad attack by America, on 4 May 2011, the then Indian Army Chief General VK Singh said, “All the three wings (army, navy and air force) are capable of carrying out such operations, when needed.” However, traitors in the military leadership have always brushed aside all dissenting voices in Pakistan against their policy of “restraint” and inaction, by saying that India will never dare to do this nor we will ever allow India to do this. Hollow words, when actions speak louder than words.

Now when India killed seven soldiers in just one night, General Raheel kept quiet for over three days and then came forwards with claims of a tit-for-tat response. Even after his claim, Indian aggression has not halted, rather it has continued undeterred. The reason for this unabated aggression by India is simple- General Raheel has tied the hands of our soldiers in compliance with American orders. So the Muslims do not see any real befitting response against Indian aggression. They do not see a massive troop deployment and a real hero of an army commander visiting the LoC & WB, to obliterate Indian forces. The Muslims only see such things in the tribal areas of Pakistan, because it is approved by Washington and its purpose is to kill those Mujaheedeen who are fighting American forces in Afghanistan.

So General Raheel is no different than his widely reviled predecessors, Kayani and Musharraf, in any significant aspect, for he is as loyal to America as they were. He is banking on this fact as rumors of a two year extension arise, for Washington alone determines his arrival and departure, just as it did in the cases of Musharraf and Kayani. Indeed, Washington does not shy from dumping the most loyal of its agents into the dustbin of history when they become ineffective through anger against them or any other reason. So, Raheel has done his level best to demonstrate to the US that he is their man, unleashing great treachery against the Muslims and Islam. Raheel completed the destruction of tribal area of Pakistan in order to collectively punish the tribal Muslims because of their love for Islam and Jihad and their support for those who fight against the US forces in Afghanistan. He did this only to strengthen the US occupation of Afghanistan. He did not end military support to US for strengthening and consolidating US presence in Afghanistan, even when America signed a defence agreement with India, the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) which allows both countries to make use of their military bases. Under this agreement India can use American bases in Afghanistan against Pakistan and so open two separate fronts against Pakistan’s armed forces. He has not deterred India from her aggression against the Muslims of Pakistan and Kashmir, emboldening the Hindu mushrikeen in their mischief. So does this man deserve to lead the strongest army of the Muslims at all, let alone being granted an extension? Certainly not.  In the soon to arrive Khilafah (Caliphate) on the Method of Prophethood, the commanders will be those who cherish the dominance of Islam and the sanctity of the honor, wealth and the blood of Muslims above all else, those who will be the foremost in fighting the enemies of Islam and Muslims and those who ask Allah سبحانه وتعالى for victory or martyrdom.

لاَ يَسْتَأْذِنُكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلآخِرِ أَن يُجَاهِدُواْ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِٱلْمُتَّقِينَ

“Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day would not ask permission of you to be excused from striving with their wealth and their lives. And Allah is Knowing of those who fear Him”

(At-Tauba 9:44)

Shahzad Shaikh

Deputy to the Official Spokesman of Hizb ut Tahrir in the Wilayah of Pakistan