Rustam Shah Mohmand Speaks to PMS Probationers

In the last decade of previous century few Pakistani intellectuals gained global fame for their deep knowledge and concern with Afghan & Tribal affairs. They are still in limelight and considered authority on Tribal & Afghan affairs. Their opinion always have considerable importance and acknowledgement across the world. One of them is Mr. Rustam Shah Mohmand, a tribal by origin and former top bureaucrat and diplomat of Pakistan. 

Probationers of Provincial Management Service (PMS) were quite fortunate for having the opportunity of a face to face conversation with Mr. Rustam Shah this morning at IM Sciences. He was invited by the administration to throw some light and share his opinion regarding Afghan and Tribal affairs with PMS probationers. He accepted the request and came to the Human Resource Center of IM Sciences where participant were eagerly waiting for him.

He spoke for almost an hour and participants listen to him all ears in pin-fall silence. His calculated words and assumptions, his personal view point and idea about the future perspective of this part of the world was quite clear, logical & rational. He said ‘till the commencement of war on terror after 9/11 incident, everything was going fine. Pakistan along with her allies was deeply involved in  war against USSR. Mujahedeen were travelling across the border quite freely and frequently. Arms & ammunition were transported,  mujahedeen were stationed in different regions of Tribal belt and a historical Gorilla war was being fought but this never created any problem or law & order situation for the local administration. Political administration was intact, institution of Maliks and principle of collective responsibility was working well and the situation inside Afghanistan never effected this side of the border.’

According to him, ‘problem created when Pakistani forces invaded tribal belt, they bombed the towns and villages without any discrimination, killed a huge number of innocent people and the worst of all they used jet bombers and gunships which destroyed the area brutally. This has never been done even by Indian army in 60 years of uprising of  Kashmiries in any part of Kashmir. This irrational and insensible use of force has turned the tribal area into war zone which could easily be avoided otherwise, as situation was far better than occupied Kashmir.’

There can be genuine kind of difference with him and everybody has the right but this analysis by a tribal intellectualist is really painful and portrays how careless are the policy makers of this poor country and how they are ruining the natural defenders of Pakistan those have guarded the western border of Pakistan for the last 60 years wholeheartedly and voluntarily.

'My humble opinion about the decision of allying America in war on terror by Pervez Musharaf was simply a criminal act which has ruined Pakistan so badly that for the next couple of decades we cannot come out of trauma even if it ends right now. Consequences of that criminal act are more severe than we can asses. Turkey & Lebanon were two other countries faced alike situation as Pakistan faced but the institutions present in those countries strongly deny the American offer and saved not only their sovereignty but also the peace of their lands. It was not a big deal for Pakistan to avoid the consequences of war on terror even if becoming the ally to Americans by putting our share on our own conditions but the absence of parliament and other institutions proved a fatal misfortune for us and a dictator not only destroyed our land but also the grace and respect of us all across the world.’ Mr. Rustam Shah was seemed deeply dejected and sad while recalling the 7 years past time. All of us were also in grip of sorrow and grief. We were feeling ourselves totally helpless while speaker was turning black pages of our recent past.

‘I strongly recommend that institutional development and existence is a must for a graceful life among the nations of world. If institutions would have been intact in recent past in our country we were not been in such miserable situation as we are facing today.’

Question/answer session also enhanced the view point of Mr. Rustam Shah. He replied all the questions with smiling face and patience. After almost one and half hour this fruitful session came to an end.

We all are thankful to you sir for granting some precious moments of your time and sharing your worthy opinion with us.