تاریخ اشاعت:۔25-02-2010

A disaster after disaster

کالم :- Tauqir Ahmad  

A Pak. army gunship COBRA helicopter had crashed in a remote area of Khyber agency Terah Valley in the second week of February 2010 leaving a disastrous situation afterwards. The reason for crash is not yet confirmed as the 2 Pilots were dead on the spot and the team which went on rescue mission came under heavy fire from insurgents who were hiding in that area killing one Brigadier and seriously wounding one Major and a lieutenant.

Later on the whole area was cordon off and a search operation was started by the security forces with the help of gunship helicopters.

The security experts would ask a simple question that why the area was not simultaneously secured by the security personnel during the rescue operation which could
have saved the precious lives of rescue team including the Brigadier. Was the standard operating procedure (SOP) ignored in an emotional situation and in hurry knowing that the militant insurgents could be present in that area? Who shall be held responsible for this disaster after disaster?

In another incident in Khyber agency, a Khasa dar force vehicle was attacked by a suicide bomber killing 18 and wounding 8 people. It is reported that the envoy was returning after a Jirga meeting and met with another security force group alongside the road. They had started a conversation in that unsecured area. The suicide bomber who was on foot took advantage of this situation and blew him among them. Again the basic SOP was not observed here which could have saved precious lives.

The positioning of Army on borders as well as the operation in Waziristan is costing PAK army the lives of their solders as well as huge amount of money everyday but the Americans are not paying their full financial share despite their promises and agreements instead they have adopted the “DO MORE” policy. According to a PAK army press release, the number of Pakistani civilian and military casualties is much higher than the total number of Americans and their allied forces of 42 countries in Afghanistan. The allied forces in Afghanistan have lost a total of 1582 up to date whereas 30,452 Pakistanis including civilians and security personnel have either sacrificed their lives or were seriously wounded. More than 10,000 people have lost their lives only in 2009 and the fact is that more than 10 security personnel are sacrificing their lives everyday. We should also remember that today’s Terrorists were yesterday’s “Mujahadeen”, the freedom fighters that fought guerrilla war against Russians invasion in Afghanistan with the help of USA and Pakistan therefore it is important to find the root cause which has made them Terrorist.

The security situation in that region is deteriorating and the whole Pakistani nation is hoping that soon it will be under control by changing our policies as the using of force is always a last resort.