Balkan Tragedy: A Re-enactment of the 1971 Genocide in Bangladesh

REPLY to OMAR1974`s post #175

khokan Dr. Saleh Tanveer has pointed out that the cold-blooded murder of Mr. Samsuddin (the project manager of Wapda project manager) by an Pak

army officer (either Lt. Colonel Z.A.Khan himself or an officer directly under him) was not an isolated incident.

OMAR MIRZA: This could be a complete fabrication for all we know. Mere unproven allegationas mean nothing.

RESPONSE: Omar Mirza can find out for sure if he ever dares to bring a law suit against Chowk/Mr. Jamal Hasan. I doubt he will be foolhardy enough to do it. Mr. Jamal Hasan will be wasting his time if he offers to prove the allegations on Chowk. Mr. Hasan has made the allegations. He has thrown the gauntlet. The ball is now in the Brigadier`s court. If the Brigadier and his proxies (Mr. Mirza, Ms. Khan et al) are all that sure that the allegations cannot be proved,all they must do is to come good on their threat to sue. Of course, they will never dare do that. It is so much safer to bark, ``I`ll sue`` on Chowk than to risk exposure in a real Court of Law.

And Brigadier Z.A.Khan has himself admitted to the loot and murder of a shop owned by a Bengali in the cantonment area by soldiers under him.

OMAR MIRZA: Uh, Uh. False assumption. No lawyer or judge reads as carelessly as you do, Mr.Khan.

RESPONSE: Bravado doesn`t a case make! If Mr. Mirza is so sure, let him go to court instead of barking at Chowk. After all, neither Mr. Jamal Hasan nor the Chowk has bothered to retract or apologize.

But these crimes are only the tip of the iceberg.

OMAR MIRZA: Heresay Inadmissible in a court of law, move to strike from the record.

RESPONSE: Mr. Omar Mirza`s imaginary judge might grant him his wish but a judge in a real court of law won`t be as indulgent. Is it any wonder that Mr. Mirza has been content to bark instead of venturing to bite.

It would not be difficult to find witnesses to prove that the soldiers in the commando led by Lt. Colonel Z.A.Khan were guilty of crimes

against humanity.

OMAR MIRZA: So you say. We`ll see. Geneva Conventions don`t apply as you seem to think. I`m not going to give a lesson in law to you in why i believe so, in any event conclusive answers take very serious legal research.

RESPONSE: Yes, Mr. Omar Mirza will see for sure if

he ever dares to go to court. In the mean time he might indeed want to do some ``very serious legal research`` for a change.

Mr. Omar Mirza, the 25 year old nephew of Brigadier Z.A.Khan, seems quite aware of this fact. That is why he unabashedly declared that he

doesn`t care about witnesses to these crimes because in a poor country like Bangladesh witnesses can always be bought. In other words, no matter what, Mr. Omar Mirza will not admit to the crimes of his uncle. So it would be quite futile to provide him with the proofs that he is

demanding. But that is indeed Mr. Mirza`s prerogative. But the nephew surely knows that no court of law in America will be as indulgent toward his uncle as he is.

OMAR MIRZA: Every judge and lawyers job is based on a healthy degree of skepticism. Its innate.

RESPONSE: Let me assure Mr. Omar Mirza that the judge and the lawyers will extend the Brigadier every benefit of the doubt. Mr. Jamal Hasan/Chowk will be happy to see that the Brigadier is accorded every opportunity to defend himself.

But I doubt very much that the Brigadier and his proxies will ever dare to go to court.

In a court of law, it would be enough to prove that:

(1) crimes against humanity were committed by the soldiers under the command of Lt. Z.A.Khan. The murder of the Bengali shopowner and of Mr. Samsuddin are examples of such crimes.

OMAR MIRZA: As regards the Bengali shop owner you need to learn to read like a lawyer before you make such brash statements. And then begin to

think like one.

RESPONSE: It Is Mr. Omar Mirza`s prerogative to declare that he alone can think like a lawyer. And he can repeat it in a court of law if he ever dares to sue Jamal Hasan/Chowk. They will be happy to let the judge and the jury decide if

there is any merit to the nephew`s claim.

(2) Lt. Colonel Z.A.Khan took no action against any soldier under his command for the crimes against humanity.

OMAR MIRZA: Move to strike. No action qualifing as a `crime aginst humanity` ever proven to be taken by Z.A Khan or soldiers under his command. So ordered. Strike from he record.

RESPONSE: Mr. Omar Mirza has the luxury of acting as both lawyer and judge on Chowk. It will be very different in a real court of law. Is it any wonder that the nephew has been reduced to barking threats in lieu of going to court.

If Mr. Omar Mirza is indeed preparing for the Bar Exam, he might want to brush up the precedents established by the Nuremberg Trial. The British

Foreign Secretary Robin Cook had some very specific precedents in mind when he declared that ``Anyone who carried out atrocities against the

civilian population, anyone who gives orders for them to carry it out, or is complicity in those orders being given, and anyone who fails to

prevent such orders or to prevent those orders being carried out - anyone in those categories is liable to face indictment before the international war crimes tribunal``.

OMAR MIRZA: These statements have NO PROBATIVE VALUE in a court of law. Even a halfwit lawyer can tell you, Chowk and Jamal Hasan that.

RESPONSE: If Mr. Omar Mirza is so sure of himself,

why isn`t he rushing to court?

It is not necessary to prove that Lt. Colonel Z.A.Khan personally pulled the trigger. It is very unlikely that General Pinochet ever pulled the trigger in any of the crimes he has been accused of. But in a post-Nuremberg world, he now finds his life on hold.

OMAR MIRZA: I agree, never disagreeed. Infact I clearly stated that the scenario involving the bullet in the Bengalis` head from Z.A Khan`s

smoking gun IS far too simplistic.

RESPONSE: If the smoking gun was the Brigadier`s,

then he might want to consult OJ for a good lawyer

instead of depending on the trial skills of his

25 year old nephew who is yet to clear his Bar Exam.

Lt. Colonel Z.A.Khan admits in his memoirs that he was aware that crimes were committeded by his soldiers when the shop in the cantonment area

was looted. Did he take any action against the criminals? There is nothing in his memoirs to suggest that he did.

OMAR MIRZA: Was he even the Commanding officer? He was not even directly involved. These statements of yours are foolhardy. But here i go again, casting pearls before ..... no more need for me to bother.

RESPONSE: Yes, he was the commanding officer.

The Sepoys (Aziz et al) brought the loot to him.

It is not enough to claim, as Ms. Muneezae Alam Khan has, that sepoy Aziz was asked to return the milk. In fact the claim is ludicrous. The shop owner had presumably been murdered. The shop was probabaly destroyed. Where did Sepoy Aziz return the milk?!!!

OMAR MIRZA: Irrelevant, move to strike. Granted.

RESPONSE: Once again, Mr. Omar Mirza is acting as

both lawyer and judge! He is welcome to do so on

Chowk. But he`ll find the goings very different

in a real court of law.

In fact, Lt. Colonel cannot even absolve himself of all responsibility by claiming that he was merely acting on the orders of his superiors

(Colonel, Brigadier or even a General). In the post-Nuremberg world he had the responsibility to resist all illegal orders. Failure to do so

was, by itself, a criminal act.

OMAR MIRZA: Debatable, first you have the burden of proving his illegal conduct. And then proving that that amounts to `a war crime` rather than

restoration of peace and order under conditions of martial law, widespread looting and a general insurrection. Tall order. Don`t count your chickens before they`re hatched.

RESPONSE: Mr. Omar Mirza can debate all he wants!!

Mr. Jamal Hasan has made the allegations. In spite of repeated threats from the nephew (Omar

Mirza) and the daughter (Muneezae Alam Khan), Mr.

Hasan hasn`t backed down an inch. He hasn`t offered any apology. The ball is now in the Brigadier`s court. And it would indeed be a tall order to expect that the Brigadier or his proxies will ever dare to go to court. Mr. Omar Mirza is counting chickens even though he has not an egg in sight.

Mr. Omar Mirza and Ms. Muneezae Alam Khan has repeatedly threatened Chowk and Mr. Jamal Hasan with legal action unless they retract the

allegations and issue an apology. Neither has bothered to respond to the threat.

OMAR MIRZA: Suits us fine. Damages continue to add up daily. I`m keeping

tabs.

RESPONSE: You are welcome!!

And understandably so. The nephew and the daughter will fare very miserably if, in their misguided loyalty toward their uncle/father, they

are foolish enough to bring a law suit against Chowk/Jamal Hasan.

OMAR MIRZA: I know a few things you don`t, especially when it comes to defamation and the constitutional niceties involved.

RESPONSE: I wouldn`t have guessed it from Mr. Mirza`s responses so far. I wish him better luck in a court of law.

In fact, Mr. Jamal Hasan doesn`t even have to provide ``substantial legal proof`` to back up his allegation in an American Court.

OMAR MIRZA: Your ignorance of defamation law in the U.S is showing. I really wouldn`t mind Jamal Hasn hiring you as his attorney.

RESPONSE: The nephew (Mr. Omar Mirza) will not go

anywhere by putting the cart before the horse. He

must first sue Mr. Jamal Hasan before Mr. Hasan needs an attorney.

Brigadier Z.A.Khan is very much a public figure following the publication of his memoirs.

OMAR MIRZA: True enough.

It would be enough if Mr. Jamal Hasan can prove that he didn`t write anything out of personal malice and that he had probable cause to believe in the allegations that he made.

OMAR MIRZA: Be my guest, represent jamal Hasan and Chowk. At this rate 7 generations of their progeny won`t be able to pay off the verdict

against them.

RESPONSE: Apparently, the nephew is day dreaming that he`ll be able to live off the money his uncle will be awarded! He is welcome to build castles on air. But he will be foolish to give up studying for his Bar Exams in the hope of living in this castle for the rest of his life.

And as far as the victims of the 1971 genocide are concerned, they would like nothing better than such a law suit. It will provide the perfect

public forum to revisit the crimes of Pak military officers in 1971.

OMAR MIRZA: Don`t think I haven`t examined this possibility critically.

RESPONSE: Mr. Omar Mirza hasn`t given any indication so far that he has looked into this possibility critically.

And finally, Mr. Omar Mirza needs to be aware that military officers cannot escape punishment by claiming that a faceless mob had done just

as much. Muslim mobs in Kosovo may have indeed committed crimes against isolated pockets of Serbian civilians. But that, in no way, will absolve Yugoslavian soldiers of their crimes against humanity.

OMAR MIRZA: Fair enough. Now define isolated for the court for starters. Any more so-called legal analysis by you will NOT be answered by me. I`m

tired of the same silly routine over and over again. Keep reposting it if you like. I don`t have any more time for this. I have my own opinions and i`m in no hurry. Real answers are not the product of guess work. They are found by real lawyers working on real issues on the client`s billable hours (I Emphasize this). Get that straight. Enough arm chair lawyering. This is why you are Not are lawyer, or maybe you went to law school in the subcontinent, and think you know a few things. Good luck!

RESPONSE: Mr. Omar Mirza is certainly not obligated to answer my ``so-called legal analysis.`` He can go to court and have his day. Lawyers in a real court will take care of the Brigadier and his proxies if they ever dare go to court over Mr. Jamal Hasan`s article. I wish the Brigadier, his nephew and his daughter all the luck. They will need every bit of it if they go to Court.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to engage in rational discourse with the supporters of ZA Khan. Any account of the cold blooded murders and genocide committed by the marauding Pakistani army is dismissed as uncorroborated and unsabstantiated evidence inspite of the fact the documentary evidence abounds to substantiate the genocide perpetrated on Bengalis in 1971. On the other hand the word of ZA Khan is of course accepted as holy writ. It is of course quite futile to engage in any form of rational discourse with a person who only choose to believe what is palatable to him in the face of subtstantive evidence and then attempt to argue away unpalatable posts by means of half-baked legalese.

However, I will still post what I feel is informative and useful to this ``heated`` yet for the most part civil dicourse, with the aim of educating those who are completely unaware of what transpired in Bangladesh during those 9 months in 1971. I hope readers with open minds will benefit from some of what I post.

This post provides an eye-witness account of the killings that were perpetrated in the night of March 26, 1971 at Dhaka University. There are multiple witnesses to these events as well as video evidence of this carnage. This was just the beginning of the genocide and similar actions were repeated through out the 9 month period. It does not take a rocket scientist to conclude that the final death toll as claimed by Bangladeshis are not delusional exaggerations.

On the other hand, no Bengali/Bangladeshi has ever denied that some atrocities were committed against non-Bengalis. We have never condoned those acts and I for one offer my apologies. While a single death is a tragedy and an atrocity, those deaths do pale in comparison to the genocidal nature of the blood-bath perpetrated on innocent Bengalis during those 9 months. Those killings were few and isolated, for had they not been so, there would not be the so many hundreds of thousands of Bihari refugees in Bangladesh who are waiting to be repatriated to Bangladesh. Bangladesh had even offerred to let bygones be bygones for their support for Pakistan and had offerred them Bangladeshi citizenship.

That being said, here is the eye-witness account:

Eyewitness accounts



Professor Rafiqul Islam : Dhaka University



25th March 1971. Universities were closed because of the non- cooperation movement; neither students nor teachers were attending classes. Even then one has to go back a little bit to speak about the events of 25th March. The elections had established the supremacy of the Bengali majority. Consequently, the power to rule the country should have been vested in the hands of their elected representatives, but the authoritarian ruling clique of the west were in no mood to accept the judgement of the people. That is why they cancelled promised sitting of the parliament on the third of March.

In the face of this insult, Bengalis became defiant. The Bangobondhu`s thunderous declaration in a mammoth public meeting on the 7th of March - ``ebArer shongrAm shAdhinatAr shongrAm: This struggle is the struggle for independence`` - began to echo in the skies of Bangladesh. That struggle

began with non-cooperation, court boycotts, tax revolt, meetings, processions and other mass actions. The Pakistani government became totally paralyzed.

The incapacitated totalitarian government was incensed and gave vent to it`s fury on the black night of 25th March.

Dhaka citizens were apprehensive that the aggressor army might take recourse to a blood-bath. Innumerable barricades were built across the streets and roads of Dhaka. But, they

were futile. Soon after day-break, the barbaric attack commenced. Numerous tanks and armored carriers took to the streets. Doors and windows of houses began to reverberate with the sounds of firing cannons, shells and mortars. The deafening rolls of the weapons of death shattered the silence of dusk. And it appeared as if tongues of flame were dancing the dance of daemons on the stage of a blood red sky. Dhaka has been transformed into a bloody war field.

Just like the previous days, some of us had gathered at the University Teachers Meeting Room. Under the aegis of the teachers association we were busy through out the month of March in arranging protest meetings and processions and

putting out joint statements. Everyday work always awaited us, and that day was no different. Doctor Khan Sarwar Murshed had prepared a statement that we were planning to present to the British high Commission. Just a few days ago, a news item was published where we learnt that the British Government had permitted the Pakistani Navy access

to the port facilities of the then British protectorate of Maldives for repairs and refuelling. We were apprehensive that if at our hour of need the Indian Navy puts up a naval

blockade along Pakistani shores, Pakistani ships might attempt to reach Chittagong by way of the Maldives. That is why we were appealing to the British; our statement professed our great concern at the purported action. For several days we attempted to collect signatures form well

known citizens. Former Ambassador Kamruddin Ahmed signed, whereas former governor Sultanuddin refused to sign our statement.

On the morning of 25th March Doctor Murshed, Doctor Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, Doctor Belayet, Professor Ahsanul Haque, Professor Giasuddin Ahmed (later murdered by Al-Badr), Professor Joynul Abedeen (deceased) amongst others presented our statement to the first secretary at the British Deputy High Commission. On our return to Campus we

came across the leaders of Central Students Action

Committee Tofael Ahmed and Sheikh Kamal. Sheikh Kamal had come to campus to pick up Tofael Ahmed. Tofael Ahmed told us that the meeting between Yah Yah and the Sheikh Shaheb had ended without agreement; no one knew what might happen.

In the afternoon I went to the University club. All the teachers there were pretty worked up. Some were berating the Awami League leadership for not having yet declared independence. In the evening, the Seven O`clock English news on TV we heard of the Bangobondhu`s news conference earlier in the day. There he had said - If the Pakistani

Army attacked the innocent and peace loving Bengalis then the gallant sons of Bengal will not let that pass unchallenged... etc.. On the way home from the club that night I met up with some known students students from Iqbal Halls. Two students Feroze and Moin told me that they were

leaving Iqbal Hall for safety. They advised me to take my family elsewhere to safety since my house was so near Iqbal Hall. But it was already 10 at night, where could we go? I had no premonitions of what was going to befall us two hours hence.

Behind Iqbal Hall were University quarters 23, 24 and 25. In total 24 teachers stayed in those buildings with their families. I was a resident of the second floor of building 24. Doctor Fazlur Rahman of the Botany Department lived in building 23. In the same building Professors Anwar Pasha

and Rashidul Hassan resided with their families in the apartments on the fourth floor. Just across from building 25 was the Nilkhet railroad. On the other side of the rail-line there was a slum where several thousand homeless eked out a leaving. In front of our buildings and parallel to the Nilkhet Road was four residences of University Administrative Officers. From the night of 35th March through the morning of the 27th Iqbal Hall and the adjoining residences were the main target of the Pakistani Army attack.

Just after midnight on the night of 25th March, the Pakistani Army began their attack on the Student Halls and Staff Quarters of the University. Since Iqbal Hall was known as the head- quarters of the Free Bengal Students

Action Committee a major portion of the Pakistani Army fury was directed at Iqbal Hall. Just after midnight Iqbal Hall came under a barrage of heavy mortar and machine-gun attack from near the pond in front and the police barracks behind

it. Immediately students and bearers from the Hall, and Bengali Policemen from the Nilkhet Barracks tried to escape and seek refuge in the adjoining teacher`s and staff quarters. The Bengali soldiers of the EPR who were on duty

at the President`s House were disarmed and then to Ramna Race-Course where they were gunned down. Several EPR soldiers managed to flee and found refuge amongst our midsts. The Army set on fire the Nilkhet slum and in cold-blood machine gunned fleeing slumdwellers from the Nilkhet Rail-Gate. Many managed to escape from the slum and also took shelter with us.

I don`t have the words to express the bestiality and barbarity that was perpetrated on the Dhaka University area, especially Iqbal Hall, Jagannath Hall, and adjoining residential areas, for a period of 36 hours from the night of the 25th till the 26th night. What transpired around Iqbal Hall, I saw with my own eyes. Raging infernos everywhere; the slum was burning, the cars parked around the residences were burning. The heaped bodies of the dead from the slum were also set on fire near the Nilkhet rail gate petrol pump. The sound of shells bursting and guns firing, the smoke and fire, the smell of gun-powder and the

stench of the burning corpses all transformed the area into a fiery hell. Every so often our building was being peppered with bullets. In the midst of this, we, our families, the students and bearers from the Halls, the slum-dwellers, had given up all hope for life, and were waiting for the hour of death. For most of March, student

leaders Nur-e-Alam Ziku and Shahjahan Siraj used to spend the night with thus, but on that fateful might they weren`t with us. Had they been with us we would have been very apprehensive about their safety.

The incessant firings from cannons, mortars, tanks, machine-guns and automatics continue throughout the night. On the morning of the 26th the Pakistani killers began to go through the hall rooms and residential apartments and began their orgy of murder and looting. Huge gaping holes appeared on Iqbal Hall and the ad- joining residences of the bearers as a result of the shelling. Many bearers died as a result. Those unfortunate students and bearers of Iqbal Hall who had failed to flee were all killed by the Pakistanis. Some surviving students were taken to the Iqbal Hall kitchen where petrol was poured over them and then they were burnt alive. The university correspondent of the Daily Azad was shot near the auditorium. So was bearer Shamshu. The water pump workers of the Hall as well as the

bearers were all brutally murdered by the Pakistani fiends.

Having finished their slaughter in Iqbal Hall, the

Pakistani animals turned their attention to the residential buildings. The first began in flats of building 23. This here that they murdered Professor Fazlur Rahman of the Geology Department and two of his relatives. They also entered the flats of Professors Anwar Pasha and Rashidul

Hassan. Everyone in those flats were hidden under the beds. After failing to see anyone in the torch light, the Pakistani soldiers were heard saying: ``Bangali Kutta Bhag Gia - The Bengali dogs have flown.`` Even though Professors Pasha and Hassan miraculously survived from the Pakistani

barbarians, death still met them on the 14th of December, on the eve of Victory, when the killers from Jamat-e-Islam, Islami Chhatro Shango, and the Al-Badr Muslim Bangla, murdered many intellectuals near Mirpur. Another resident of the building, Dhaka University Assistant Librarian Mridha miraculously survived. But about 30 women, men and

children from the slum who took refuge on the roof did not live to see another day. Each of them were brutally murdered by the barbaric Pakistanis, and for nigh over a month their corpses fed the vultures and crows. After several months their skeletons were brought down from the

roof; the same day the skeletons of 50 Rokeya Hall staff and their families were removed.

The Pakistani hyenas also entered the building we were in, no 24. On the third flight two mothers from the slum had taken shelter. Their babies were with them. Both of them had been shot in the legs. On seeing the blood allover the entering Pakistani soldiers thought that some of their colleagues had already been through our buildings and so

did not enter it. That is why we survived. We did our best to help those mothers and the day we left Nilkhet we had them admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

On that night the Pakistani beasts had also attacked Madhu`s Canteen and Rokeya Hall. Madhu Da, and his family, bearers and ayahs of Rokeya Hall and their families, were all brutally murdered that night.

Jagannath Hall too faced the fury of the Pakistani Army. Incessant shellings and blood-letting continued their throughout the night of the 25th and the day of the 26th. After the shelling, the soldiers went from room to room and brought out all the students and bearers to the field in

front of the hall. There they were forced to dig their own graves. Subsequently they were all shot and buried in the graves they had dug themselves. Amongst all the residential halls of the University, Jagannath hall paid most dearly in

terms of lives lost. In the teacher`s corner of Jagannath Hall`s Assembly House used to live Applied Physics` professor Anuddoipayon Bhottacharjo. On that night the Pakistani animals entered his room and bayonetted him to

death. His body was put out near the big tree close to the Hall auditorium for some time, and was then probably buried in the mass grave in the field. At the end of the night, the Pakistani beasts attacked the residence Dr. Gobindrochondro Deb opposite the hall. They first shot him

in the head and then bayonetted him. They dragged his body outside, and in plain view drove a truck over him. His corpse was then taken to the Jagannath Hall field and was probably buried in a mass grave. Close to Dr. Deb`s house, near the Shaheed Minar, used to reside Professor Muniruzzaman and Dr. Jyotirmoy Guho Thakurta. Around 3 in the morning the Pakistani entered their residences and shot Professor Munirazzaman, his son Akram, and Dr. Thakurta.

They died instantly. In the same building, professor Abdur Razzak and Dr. Anisur Rahman survived miraculously. On the same night, the Pakistani soldiers also attacked the Fuller

Road faculty residences. Their first target was building 11. There they entered the residence of University Laboratory School teacher Mohammed Sadek. The animals first bayonetted him and then shot him in cold-blood. His dead body remained in that building till December 27. On the 27th he was buried behind the flat. They barbarians had

also attacked building 12. They had dragged out Professor Syed Ali Naki of the Social Sciences Department, and a gentleman by the name of Syed Syedul Islam. For some inexplicable reason they were not killed, but Professor Abdul Mutkadir of the Geology Department. from the same building, was brutally murdered. They dragged his body

somewhere; it was eventually found on the 27th inside Iqbal Hall. The Pakistani animals had also attacked Salimullah Hall and Dhaka Hall. They beat up Salimullah Hall house tutor Professor Munim, and murdered Professor A. R. Khadem at Dhaka Hall.

This is how we spent those 36 hours. When on the morning of the 27th, the so called curfew was lifted, we all left the area for wherever we could. During those 2 days I had thought that everything was over, and we were all condemned

to perpetual slavery; but, the firm and strong voice from Chittagong`s Shadheen Bangla Betar Kendra told us that we had not died yet, and I lived again. That is why I still live today.

---

Zunaid Kazi

Reply to OMAR1974`s post # 169

OMAR MIRZA (nephew of Brigadier Z.A.Khan):

Your continued assumptions anout the inability of Z.A Khan, or anyone else named to travel freely internationally, outside Pakistan are totally amusing. Z.A Khan even wanted to visit Dhaka a few years back, but he couldn`t get permission from the Pakistan government (which requires special permission for visits to India and Bangladesh). None of these people are living like Adolph Eichmen, don`t flatter yourself. Why? Because they have Not been charged with any crime.

RESPONSE: History repeats itself, first time as

a tragedy and the second time as a farce. General

Pinochet is now 83. This man wasn`t living like

Adolph Eichmen (sic). He hadn`t been charged with

crimes. He went abroad for medical treatment. And

he now finds himself in a predicament which might

dog him till his dying days.

Mr. Omar Mirza no doubt fancies himself as a legal

wizard. But Brigadier Z.A.Khan will be ill-advised

to come abroad on the strength of his nephew`s

legal skills to sue Mr. Jamal Hasan/Chowk. If the

Brigadier is foolhardy enough to do so, he`ll

become the laughing stock in the eyes of his fellow criminals who have prudenly stayed put in the safety of Pakistan. Greed, as much as pride, goes before a fall. The quarter million dollar that the nephew is waiving before the eyes of the uncle, might indeed lure Brigadier Z.A.Khan into a

situation not unlike the one that General Pinochet faces today.

Omar Mirza (nephew of Brigadier Z.A.Khan):

Those are the facts. Like it or not. Now personally, i don`t think there is any point in going over this particular issue again. None of them think of themselves as War Criminals I`m sure, because no one else does either. To be perfectly honest, we well know its the older generation of Bengalis, not even those in my own age group that are interested in this. And my initial interest was because I`m a history buff. And I`d like to set the record straight. But of course with certain people, I may well be casting pearls before swine or trying to make a silk purse out of a Sow`s ear in doing so. I don`t deny we all have preconceptions about things (`Liberation War` Vs. `Treason`), but if you really want to get to the truth, it will become necessary to overcome mere rhetoric, and here i am partly to blame also, but certainly not alone.

RESPONSE: Mr. Omar Mirza labors under the illusion that he has pearls to cast. He might want to take his pearls to an expert for appraisal. Otherwise, he runs the risk of landing his uncle in big trouble. He might also want to re-examine the sow`s ear (or any other body part of the sow) that he treasures.

And, yes, Mr. Omar Mirza has a preconception of

`Treason` that is unwarranted by facts. Pakistan`s

ruling elite (of which the military officers were

undoubtedly the crown jewel) had usurped a

disproportionate share of the country`s wealth for

itself. This ruling elite was determined not to part with either its grip over power or its ill-gotten wealth. It was the military officers, and not the elected representatives, who were the traitors. They were determined to go to any length, including genocide, to hang on to their privileges.

And these traitors continue to rule Pakistan. But now it doesn`t have the Bengalis to kick around anymore. It has been forced to find victims in Pakistan itself. It is quite in the scheme of things that General Tikka Khan, the butcher of Dhaka, went on attain fulfillment of his life as the butcher of Baluchistan. Sindhis and Mohajirs, Shias and Ahmadiyyas must all now pay for the upkeep of the wealth and privileges of the corrupt military officers.

Omar Mirza (nephew of Brigadier Z.A.Khan):

Also, someone else noted earlier that `war criminals` are not in the habbit (sic) of writing books.

RESPONSE: Any war criminal will be glad to write

a self-serving book. Brigadier Z.A.Khan is no exception. However, he is not particularly bright. He has unwittingly incriminated his fellow officers, and even himself, in the book. When, if ever, Brigadier Z.A.Khan ventures to sue Mr. Jamal Hasan in a court of law in America, his memoirs will come back to haunt him.

Finally, the nephew (Mr. Omar Mirza) might want to think of the statutes and laws that the British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook had in mind when he declared recently: ``Anyone who carried out atrocities against the civilian population, anyone who gives orders for them to carry it out, or is complicity in those orders being given, and anyone who fails to prevent such orders or to prevent those orders being carried out - anyone in those categories is liable to face indictment before the international war crimes tribunal``.

Jamal Hasan`s choice comments

`he Sindhis, the Balochs and the Pathans have all found encouragement in the eventsof 1971.Their aspirations for nationhood cannot be suppressed for long.

But, unfortunately, the road might prove to be just as bloody as 1971 because

the rulers have failed to learn from its debacle in Bangladesh. It continues

to believe that the problem of national integration can be solved by sweeping

all ethnic and linguistic differences under the rug of religious solidarity.

``We are all Muslims,`` is its refrain even as it tries to smother the

nationalistic aspirations of Sindhis, Balochs or Pathans.

Pakistan was torn asunder in 1971. And it runs the danger of breaking into

many more pieces because it has failed to learn from the 1971 tragedy.

Technological progress and higher literacy rates in the coming decades will

aggravate the centrifugal forces in Pakistan as each linguistic group will

demand a nation of its own. The problem will be particularly acute because of thePunjab factor.

RESPONSE:

Interesting prognosis. Not particularly novel, but indicative of the mentality nonethless that expressed it. I don`t think you should count out the determination of those who want to hold the country together. In their doing so,I for one personally regard their actions are completely justifiable. There existsno rule of international law that can prevent the Pakistan Army from doing its duty as a force of national integration. The largely illiterate Pathans, Sindhis and Balochis

are unlikely to be able to `break away.` For one thing they lack intellectual leadership of the caliber of a man like Jinnah. And if any Bangabandhus arise among them.. this time the nuclear armed state of Pakistan with not be so merciful towards those who desire nothing but to tear the country asunder. Don`t underestimate our will to wipe out terrorists and foreign sponsored

traitors. No one wants to see Pakistan broken up except intellectually bankrupt individuals singing a gospel of `New Nationalism.` Nor is NATO action in Yugoslavia a precedent. Why? Remember how quickly Bush`s New World order collapsed after the Gulf War? Nations only take actions in their self interest. The ratio-or justification of these actions, like that of many court decisions actually differs significantly from the real reasons articulated. Not being satisfied with the effects of the treason of 1971,

certain `elements` connive to continue to dsiprove the viability of the 2 nation theory to this day! I`m begining to now gain a new insight into why the Pakistan army did what it is alleged to have done on March 25 on Dhaka University campus. But Ideas should be countered by Ideas. Jamal`s criticism of the use of Islam as a Unifying force for Pakistan is valid, but what are the other realistic alternatives?He doesn`t say. So, we should reconcile ourselves to the break up of Pakistan! Pernicious is the word.

Those who have followed the thread, could not have missed the fact that Mr. Omar Mirza (nephew of Brigadier Z.A.Khan) and Ms. Muneezae Alam Khan (daughter of the infamous Brigadier) have both resorted to racist ideology and stereotyping to

justify the worst holocaust since the days of Hitler.

Ms. Muneezae Alam Khan, who considers herself a wise woman of today`s Pakistan, condiders Bengalis to be descendants of Mir Jafar, the Indian Quisling of 18th century India. She also makes it very clear that her father, the infamous

Brigadier Z.A.Khan, doesn`t think any better of the Bengalis. In her words, an apt epitaph for her father would say, ``Here lies the man who knew you can never trust a Bengali`` or something to that effect.

Mr. Omar Mirza, who is a nephew of the infamous Brigadier, fancies himself to be a legal scholar. He openly declares that if he were in the Brigadier`s shoes, he too would have done exactly the same thing in East Pakistan in 1971. In other words, for all the legal training that he has received, he is still prepared to repeat the crimes of 1971. Mr. Omar Mirza`s only regret seems to be that he did not get to personally murder any ``ghaddar`` Bengali.

The nephew and the daughter are merely mouthing the racism that is part and parcel of the officer class of the Pakistani army manned predoominantly by members of the ``martial races.`` They have only contempt for ``non-martial`` races like the Bengalis and the Sindhis.

This is a clue to understanding the tragedy. I must commend Mr. Jamal Hasan`s for his excellent analysis in the article, ``Balkan Tragedy: A Re-enactment of the 1971 Genocide.`` The article says it all and doesn`t need my comments to make

it any more explicit or understandable. But it would do good to get an understanding of the racist prejudice among Pakistan`s ruling elite as a key to understanding the tragedy.

Theories on ``Hindu perfidy`` or ``Bengali treachery`` cannot expalin the 1971 tragedy. It is the racism, greed and ambition of Pakistan`s ruling elite that bears primary responsibility for

the failure in national integration that Harvard scholar Rounaq Jahan wrote about. And it is Pakistan`s ruling elite that closed ranks after 1971 to make sure that no member has to pay for the crimes of 1971. If men like Gul Hasan Khan, Tikka Khan and Rao Farman Ali continue to walk with a swagger in post-1971 Pakistan, if the quarter million ``Biharis`` continue to rot in

refugee camps, it is because the Pakistan`s ruling elite has always managed to sell theories of ``Hindu perfidy`` and ``Bengali treachery`` to a gullible nation to protect its own. Mr. Omar

Mirza and Ms. Muneezae Alam Khan is doing the usual in their racist outbursts against Bengalis, Hindus and Indians.

It is easy to blame everything on others. Racist theories and conspiracy theories abound quite copiously in many a third world country where the ruling elite seeks solace by absolving itself

of all responsibility and blaming it all on an omnipotent and perfidious enemy bent on mischief. The ruling elite in Pakistan is no exception. The 1971 genocide was a tragedy waiting to happen regardless of whether Bengalis in general and Hindus in particular had any malicious design on the world`s largest Islamic state, Pakistan.

Pakistan`s ruling elite never made any secret of its lack of respect for the Bengalis. Jinnah and Liaqat Ali Khan had both contemptuously dismissed Bengalis claim to be Pakistan`s national language. ``Field Marshall`` Ayub Khan`s ghost-written auto-biography was quite explicit about the dictator`s racist disdain for East Pakistanis. Not even Sher-e-Bangla Fazlul Huq could escape his contempt. Pakistan`s ruling elite construed it in the fashion of Kipling as the ``burden`` of the tall and fair complexioned ``Aryans`` to be the colonial masters of the short dark complexioned ``Dravidians`` in East Pakistan rather than to be their compatriots.

A contrast with the Iranian situation says it all. When the Shah was about to be toppled, he couldn`t even dream of using the army in the manner of Yahya Khan to perpetuate the status quo. Ordinary soldiers would have never agreed to commit atrocities on their kith and kin to keep the Shah on the throne.

Yahya Khan never faced this problem. The soldiers had been brainwashed by the ruling elite, through years of stereotyping, into accepting its unflattering image of the Bengalis. The soldiers had been deliberately led to believe that Bengalis were not good Muslims, in fact Bengalis

were viewed as subhumans. This is what made it possible for Pakistan`s ruling elite to enlist the support and cooperation of the ordinary

Pakistani soldiers to perpetrate the genocide of 1971. Pak Army didn`t need any goading by the ``enemies of Islam`` to do the needful. It was

ready and willing to to do the dirty work at the behest of the country`s ruling oligarchy. It did it under the banner of making East Pakistan safe from the enemies of Islam!

After 1971, Pakistan would have been well advised to take steps like:

(1) Arrange for the speedy repatriation of the stranded Pakistanis aka ``Biharis.``

(2) Make public the Hamoodur Rehman Commission Report.

(3) Take steps against those that were found responsible for the 1971 tragedy.

(4) Agree to an equitable division of the assets between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

(5) Compensate for the exploitation between 1947-1971.

(6) Offer reparations for the crimes of 1971.

(7) Try the criminals like Tikka Khan, Rao Farman Ali, Gul Hasan Khan etc.in a court of law for their crimes against humanity.

But absolutely nothing happened. Why? Is it India that has prevented Pakistan from doing the needful? Is it the Hindus that is trying to keep Bangladesh and Pakistan apart for all times to come? It would be too glib for anyone to suggest such an absurdity.

Anyone who wants a clue to the answer has only to read the posts by the likes of Mr. Omar Mirza and Ms. Muneezae Alam Khan. They made no attempt to hide their disrespect and disdain for the Bengalis. They are young enough to be in their twenties. But both seem to have inherited the racism of Pakistan`s military officers from ``martial races`` in good measure. The wonder is not that Pakistan was torn asunder in 1971. The wonder is that the parting of the ways didn`t happen any earlier.

LET CHOWK VOTE ON IT!!!

Allright, lets have a Vote. Lets see what the people at Chowk think. The question? SHOULD PAKISTANI OFFICERS FACE WAR CRIMES TRIALS FOR the events in 1971 in Former East Pakistan?

These are some of my questions and remarks for the supporters of Z.A. Khan (so far only two people have come forward to aid the retired brigadier):

1. If the brigadier was not allowed to visit Bangladesh a few years earlier by Pakistani government, then what are the chances that the same government will agree to his departure to America at this time?



2. Unlike Pakistan, the US courts are impartial. Has it ever occurred to Z.A. Khan and his supporters that Bengalis in the US will love to sue him in the civil court to show that there is a preponderance of evidence pointing that gross civil rights violation occurred in the hands of army commandeered by Z.A. Khan. Dr. Jaffor Ullah has expressed an interest to take Brigadier Z.A. Khan to US civil court once the brigadier arrives in the US. Mr. Omar Mirza should not lose his sleep over the issue whether Dr. Ullah has the resources to litigate Brigadier Zia or for that matter any of the alleged killers of Bengalis during 1971.



3. Mr. Omar Mirza said often times that Bengalis from Bangladesh are not credible witnesses. Is that what the law school taught him thus far? May I know which school he attends? Believe me the world does not need one more prejudicial lawyer! Occupied Bangladesh in 1977 was densely populated at the time. Z.A. Khan admitted in his memoir that he was a very visible army officer in Comilla, Chittagong, Rangamati, Kaptai, Dacca, and few other places. Believe me it will not be difficult to obtain credible witnesses who could point finger at Z.A. Khan and narrate the atrocities he and his soldiers committed from March through June 1971.



4. Why was Lt. Col. Z.A. Khan sacked in June 1971 and shipped hurriedly to West Pakistan? Any clue, Mr. Omar Mirza? There lies the culpability of Lt. Col. Z.A. Khan. From the memoir, it is all but clear that Z.A. Khan had often overstepped while performing the duty of a battalion commander. His service record is not that clean either. He had left a paper trail both in erstwhile East Pakistan and in Pakistan, which might haunt him if push comes to shove.



5. Someone who is very ignorant of the civil litigation had remarked in this debate that Bengalis have to prove beyond the shadow of doubt that Z.A. Khan killed civilian Bengalis in occupied Bangladesh. That is simply not true. In criminal case, that may be the norm. Remember O.J. Simpson case? He had won the criminal case but in civil litigation he did lose the case. So, watch out Z.A. Khan. The Bengalis will be more than eager to go after him once his arrival to the states is announced with great fanfare. We will be anxiously waiting.



6. Is it plausible that Z.A. Khan published his 1971 memoir to embarrass the Pakistani army? There is ample of evidences in this line of analysis. The Brigadier from Murree, N.W.F.P., had high hopes for becoming a four-star general in Pakistani army. But in May/June 1971 he saw that he was not getting along with his superiors. They wanted to restrain him and keep him in the Cantonment. The generals could not trust him anymore. Therefore, the retired brigadier wanted to spill the beans. Boy, did he do that! He has embarrassed the entire Pakistani army. Z.A. Khan was like the Genie described in Arabian Nights. The brigadier stained his hands a thousand times with Bengali blood and the Pakistani generals in Dhaka wanted to put him back in the bottle. In June, they did it. They shipped him back to some obscure Cantonment in West Pakistan. Now it is the revenge time for retired Brigadier. Quite a story! Someone in the Bollywood should make a movie based on the narratives of ``The Way It Was`` to subsidize the pension of this retired soldier. The brigadier could be found in his paternal house in Murree in Pashtunland. Mr. Omar Mirza who only sees a big dollar sign on his uncle’s face should become the literary agent for the brigadier. Nice thought, huh?

These will be enough for today.

The ``martial race`` theory was created by the British to serve their own purposes - in practice, what it did was give more easily manipulated elements precedence over the ``radicals`` in a certain field, and all through selective recruitment. It came to the fore after the mutiny of 1857(?), and against the backdrop of peasant agitation in some regions, in particular (surprise surprise!) Bengal.

As for O Mirza`s comments on Indian Muslims - they are downright offensive. These people have more courage than most Paks or Bangladeshis, and a good part of them are there for the sake of an ideal. It has yet to be seen whether the ``two-nation`` theory (i.e. Hindu vs Muslim) has any basis in fact; one can argue that muslims of erstwhile india can practice islam best in the context of a hindu-majority community. And the language he uses.....house n * * * * *? It seems that in spite of his purported education, this guy demonstrates a classic attitude often seen on other S Asian forums. Looks like we have racist muslim on our hands(pakistan zindabad)....no, wait, contradiction in term.

Uncle and cousine, you must be proud.

OMAR1974`s question: SHOULD PAKISTANI OFFICERS FACE WAR CRIME TRIALS FOR...?

Brig. Z. A. Khan wrote: ``After the 4 East Bengal Regiment rear part was DISARMED, all the East Pakistanis were collected in the 4 East Bengal Regiment barracks, there was no barbed wire etc to prevent the Bengalis from breaking out of the barracks, apparently they made an attempt, Bengali soldiers WHO WERE PRISONERS, officers and servents of West Pakistani officers WERE TAKEN AND SHOT. The Bengali eliment of the 3 Commando Battalion who had been LOCKED UP in the quarter guard, WERE ALSO TAKEN AND SHOT, some of them had been with the SSG from the time of its creation.``

``Most of the DOCTORS of the Commilla CMH were Bengalis and did not survive, the officer commanding the CMH was from West Pakistan, he became a mental case because of the MASSACRE of his officers.``

As a law student OMAR1974 should know Geneva Convention in respect to Prisoners of War ans especially DOCTORS and should find answer to his question - SHOULD PAKISTANI OFFICERS FACE WAR CRIME TRIALS FOR the events in 1971 in Former East Pakistan? Perhaps we now need a vote on Geneva Convention?

As I have said earlier - One must understand the power of Internet, which may become tool for trying war criminals in the next millennium. These 188 postings in Chowk may be the begenning of it and self-styled Attorney OMAR1974 already made Brig. Z. A. Khan the first defendent!!!

Incidentally two news items from today`s Washington Post may be of relevance:



WASHINGTON POST / April 28, 1999 p A22

Ex-Gestapo Agent Goes on Trial in Germany:

Stuttgart, Germany- A 79-year old former Gestapo agent who has confessed to shooting 500 people at a Nazi concentration camp went before a court for what could be the last major war crimes trial in Germany. Alfons Goetzfried is charged with assisting the murder of 17,000 people, mostly Jews, at the Majdanek concentration camp in Poland in November 1943.



The following is an excerpt from Washington Post,

April 28, 1999 the story titled ``Images Tug at Purse Strings`` , the excerpt is from the last paragraph on page A21:

``The bloody massacre in Bangladesh quickly covered

over the memory of the Russian invasion on Czechoslovakia, the assassination of Allende drowned out the groans of Bangladesh....``



Readers, past is coming back and will be hunting all the perpetrators of a heinous crime, the genocide of Bangladesh in 1971.

It is true the Sindhis, the Balochs and the Pathans have all found encouragement in the events of 1971. In fact Punjabi leaders, who control the military and bureaucratic power structure of the central government, had always feared that the three minority provinces in the western wing would combine with the Bengalis against them. That is exactly why they had decided to consolidate the west wing into a single unit that would balance Bengali strength in a projected national government structure based on the concept of parity between the two wings.

Islamabad`s assault on the multi-ethnic populas and its commitment to an artificial monolithic Pakistani nationalism consitutes a frontal challenge to Baloch values. The result is a simmering freedom struggle that has flared up with progressively increasing intensity in 1948, 1958, 1962 and finally with full force in the 1973-1977 insurgency.

In the celebrated battle on October 10, 1958, at a remote mountain village known as Wad, the Baloch people led their guerrilla activites against the Army under the leadership of Nauroz Khan Zehri. Nauroz proclaimed that he would fight on until the undemocratic One Unit plan was abandoned. The pakistani government responded by bombing villages. Finally, with no end to hostilities in sight, the two parties met to discuss peace terms. Nauroz Khan and his men agreed to lay down their arms in return for the widthdrawl of the One Unit plan and a promise of safe conduct and amnesty. The army representatives sanctified their safe conduct pledge with an oath on the Quran. In any event, the the army dishonored their pledge and arrested Nauroz Khan. His son and five others were hanged on treason charges in July 1960.

Popular accounts related that the condemned cried, ``Long live Balochistan!`` as they went to the gallows. One of them reputedly tied a copy of the Quran around his neck, shouting that if he were hanged, the Quran must also be hanged, since the government had broken its holy oath.

In short, the Baloch struggle will continue till we free our homeland!

``man lutt u pullaa gutt gir kanaan
bungwaj kanaan zulmaa dir kanaan
maati watanaa ``noki sir`` kanaan
aazadi kanaan man baaghi aan!
man baaghi aan! man baaghi aan!``

In the looting and snatching I grab the throat,
I uproot, I drive away oppression
I make the motherland a ``new bride``
I make it free, I am a rebel!
I am a rebel! I am a rebel!

- Gul Khan Nasir, famous Baloch nationalist
writer and poet.

Re: Khokan # 186

Please try to refrain from making comparsions of the events of 1971 with what happened during the Shoah (1933-1945).

One of my first posts to this article warned the InterActers not to compare historical genocides. No one genocide is any less, in the horror of its crime, than any other. To draw a comparsion, no matter what the reason may be, lessens the suffering of the victims in another genocide by suggesting that it was not on par with the rest. To say the events of 1971 were worst example of a genocide since Hitler`s extermination of the Jews is a slap in the face of the victims of Pol Pot, China`s treatment of Tibeteans, the victims of Rwanda, the Christian minority in Sudan, the people of East Timor. The Shoah was another genocide in long line of such barbaric examples. Let us not forget the Boer experience at the hand of the British Army (1898-1902)and it was the British who first came up with the idea of concentration camps, to imprison the Boers, not the Germans; the Turkish massacre of the Aremenians; the purges of Stalin against the Kulaks of Ukraine or the mass killings of the Linz Cossacks at the end of the Second World War by the Russians!

I can understand your reasons for equating 1971 with the example of Shoah, but everytime you do that, you are in fact suggesting that there is an invisible line; a threshold which must be passed before we should be horrified at the level of brutality. By doing so, you are not only lessening the crimes of a genocide, but you are also sanitizing yourself mentally to tolerate repression until it reaches a certain state of repulsion before you consider the acts horrible enough to envince a reaction!

What happened in Bangladesh, in 1971, was horrible and it was certainly not the ``finest hour`` of Pakistan, but it was another human tradegy in long line of human tradegies. I think that Pakistan owes an account, to the world, of what happened and in this I support your claims to have justice served and the guilty punished, but if you and the people of Bangladesh think that I will support your claims, to be worst of than the other victims of this century`s genocides, then you are sorely mistaken.

Yes, the people of Bangladesh did suffer, but to suggest as you do that it was the worst suffering a people had to endure since the Shoah simply demeans and morally lessens the sufferings of others. By suggesting so, you seem to be advancing the idea that others did not suffer enough, because their pain was a lot less than what the Bengalis suffered!

There is no hierarchy of suffering and nor should there be one. We as human beings being should not legitimize the scales of human misery or suffering, because every time we do that, we lose a certain peice of our own humanity and become just a little more intolerant towards others. We should all do well to remember the words of the English poet John Donne:

``Every man`s death diminishes me for I am involved in mankind.....therefore, do not send to ask for whom the bells toll; it tolls for thee!``

Those who have followed the thread, could not have missed the fact that Mr. Omar Mirza (nephew of Brigadier Z.A.Khan) and Ms. Muneezae Alam Khan(daughter of the infamous Brigadier) have both resorted to racist ideology and stereotyping to

justify the worst holocaust since the days of Hitler.

Ms. Muneezae Alam Khan, who considers herself a wise woman of today`s Pakistan, condiders Bengalis to be descendants of Mir Jafar, the Indian Quisling of 18th century India. She also makes it very clear that her father, the infamous

Brigadier Z.A.Khan, doesn`t think any better of the Bengalis. In her words, an apt epitaph for her father would say, ``Here lies the man who knew you can never trust a Bengali`` or something to that effect.

Mr. Omar Mirza, who is a nephew of the infamous Brigadier, fancies himself to be a legal scholar. He openly declares that if he were in the Brigadier`s shoes, he too would have done exactly the same thing in East Pakistan in 1971. In other words, for all the legal training that he has received, he is still prepared to repeat the crimes of 1971. Mr. Omar Mirza`s only regret seems to be that he did not get to personally murder any ``ghaddar`` Bengali.

The nephew and the daughter are merely mouthing the racism that is part and parcel of the officer class of the Pakistani army manned predominantly by members of the ``martial races.`` They have only contempt for ``non-martial`` races like the Bengalis and the Sindhis.

This is a clue to understanding the tragedy. I must commend Mr. Jamal Hasan`s for his excellent analysis in the article, ``Balkan Tragedy: A Re enactment of the 1971 Genocide.`` The article says it all and doesn`t need my comments to make it any more explicit or understandable. But it would do good to get an understanding of the racist prejudices among Pakistan`s ruling elite as a key to understanding the tragedy.

Theories on ``Hindu perfidy`` or ``Bengali treachery`` cannot expalin the 1971 tragedy. It is the racism, greed and ambition of Pakistan`s ruling elite that bears primary responsibility for

the failure in national integration that Harvard scholar Rounaq Jahan wrote about. And it is Pakistan`s ruling elite that closed ranks after 1971 to make sure that no member has to pay for the crimes of 1971. If men like Gul Hasan Khan, Tikka Khan and Rao Farman Ali continue to walk with a swagger in post-1971 Pakistan, if the quarter million ``Biharis`` continue to rot in

refugee camps, it is because the Pakistan`s ruling elite has always managed to sell theories of ``Hindu perfidy`` and ``Bengali treachery`` to a gullible nation to protect its own. Mr. Omar Mirza and Ms. Muneezae Alam Khan is doing the usual with their racist outbursts against Bengalis, Hindus and Indians.

It is easy to blame everything on others. Racist theories and conspiracy theories abound quite copiously in many a third world country where the ruling elite seeks solace by absolving itself of all responsibility and blaming it all on an omnipotent and perfidious enemy bent on mischief. The ruling elite in Pakistan is no exception. The 1971 genocide was a tragedy waiting to happen regardless of whether Bengalis in general and Hindus in particular had any malicious design on the world`s largest Islamic state, Pakistan.

Pakistan`s ruling elite never made any secret of its lack of respect for the Bengalis. Jinnah and Liaqat Ali Khan had both contemptuously dismissed Bengalis claim to be Pakistan`s national language. ``Field Marshall`` Ayub Khan`s ghost written auto-biography was quite explicit about the dictator`s racist disdain for East Pakistanis. Not even Sher-e-Bangla Fazlul Huq could escape his contempt. Pakistan`s ruling elite construed it in the fashion of Kipling as the ``burden`` of the tall and fair complexioned ``Aryans`` to be the colonial masters of the short dark complexioned ``Dravidians`` in East Pakistan rather than to be their compatriots.

A contrast with the Iranian situation says it all. When the Shah was about to be toppled, he couldn`t even dream of using the army in the manner of Yahya Khan to perpetuate the status quo. Ordinary soldiers would have never agreed to commit atrocities on their kith and kin to keep the Shah on the throne.

Yahya Khan never faced this problem. The soldiers had been brainwashed by the ruling elite, through years of stereotyping, into accepting its unflattering image of the Bengalis. The soldiers had been deliberately led to believe that Bengalis were not good Muslims, in fact Bengalis were viewed as subhumans. This is what made it possible for Pakistan`s ruling elite to enlist the support and cooperation of the ordinary Pakistani soldiers to perpetrate the genocide of 1971. Pak Army didn`t need any goading by the ``enemies of Islam`` to do the needful. It was ready and willing to to do the dirty work at the behest of the country`s ruling oligarchy. It did it under the banner of making East Pakistan safe from the enemies of Islam!

After 1971, Pakistan would have been well advised to take steps like:

(1) Arrange for the speedy repatriation of the stranded Pakistanis aka ``Biharis.``

(2) Make public the Hamoodur Rehman Commission Report.

(3) Take steps against those that were found responsible for the 1971 tragedy.

(4) Agree to an equitable division of the assets between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

(5) Compensate for the exploitation between 1947 1971.

(6) Offer reparations for the crimes of 1971.

(7) Try the criminals like Tikka Khan, Rao Farman Ali, Gul Hasan Khan etc.in a court of law for their crimes against humanity.

But absolutely nothing happened. Why? Is it India that has prevented Pakistan from doing the needful? Is it the Hindus who are trying to keep Bangladesh and Pakistan apart for all times to come? It would be too glib for anyone to suggest such an absurdity.

Anyone who wants a clue to the answer has only to read the posts by the likes of Mr. Omar Mirza and Ms. Muneezae Alam Khan. They made no attempt to hide their disrespect and disdain for the Bengalis. They are young enough to be in their twenties. But both seem to have inherited the racism of Pakistan`s military officers from ``martial races`` in good measure. The wonder is not that Pakistan was torn asunder in 1971. The wonder is that the parting of the ways didn`t happen any earlier.

Anyway, the Pakistani army doesn`t have the means to perpetrate another genocide in Bangladesh. Understandably, the nephew is now fulminating against the Sindhis and the Balochs. He has even ventured the thought that they ought to be nuked by the keepers of Pakistan`s unity (presumably the Punjabi officers in the Pakistan army). It is men, such as these, that are the traitors. They will go to any length, including genocide, to preserve their privileges and ill-gotten wealth.

Bengalis won`t be the victim the next time. It will now be the turn of the Sindhis and the Mohajirs, the Balochs and the Ahmadiyyas, the Christians and the Shias to pay for the greed and ambition of Pakistan`s ruling elite. That is why it is to the benefit of the common men in Pakistan to make sure that Pakistan`s army officers accused of crimes against humanity are tried in a court of a law to determine their guilt.

And, finally, I wish Brigadier Z.A.Khan would be foolish enough to pay heed to Mr. Omar Mirza`s advice. But after seeing what General Pinochet is going through in UK, the Brigadier is unlikely to venture into America to sue Mr. Jamal Hasan and/or Chowk.

Iconoclast:

The Scenario I have drawn of the RSS/VHP is not too far from their past treatment of muslims. Nor should the sikhs be discounted. None of this (my somewhat lurid description) was meant PERSONALLY to apply to you (I don`t know who you are and don`t really care), but rather to serve as a graphic and vivid illustration of the future of India`s muslims in India, and its not too farfetched. Believe me, the descriptions i set forth are tame compared to the reality of communal violence which i am well aware of. I know personally what people have suffered. And what can very likely happen in India in the not so distant future. As for Kashmir, frankly India has no claim to assume moral superiority, and while this line continues i shall continue to expose it. Pakistan is no Shangrila granted mainly because the Quaid-e-Azam M.A Jinnah`s ideals were betrayed, I have never purported it to be that. But, nor will I stand idly by while others propose its dismemberment or support the commission of what i personally consider to be treason.



Others, misc comments:

I am not unaware of the Bengali and Indian scholarship and accounts of March 25/26th etc, or the views ascribed to Yahya Khan etc, and theories of colonialism. In fact I am well aware of all views, and a good deal of historical writing. I don`t dismiss any of it out of hand. But I don`t uncritically embrace all of it either. This however does not mean that I am guilty of `wilful blindness.`

As for first person type accounts I am always willing to listen. Mr.`Zunaid`s` account reads like a story from hell, but, i must point out that i never disputed that what he described did not happen out of hand. However, I don`t think there have even been any allegations that Z.A Khan was involved in this action. I might also point out that by the time of this action Bengali personnel in Pakistani Armed forces were virtually persona non grata, and therefore going after the EPR and Police who were supporters of looting, lawlessness etc, was entirely justifiable. Going after unarmed civilians is however a different matter. How to sort out the 2? The questiion of course that should however also be kept in mind is whether those people were prima facie guilty of treason which by some of their actions can be argued to be the case. I think I stated earlier that Yahya was a bit of a simpleton and made some astute comments about his character. He was not capable of dealing with a complex political situation, he only knew the language of war. In trying to save the country he wound up destroying it. But he is not solely to blame either. He was no Iago. Much more like Othello.

FINALLY:

I have always believed that if a person has something to say, he should never be afraid to come out and say it bluntly, no matter how many people are offfended, IF he/she believes in the cause he is fighting for is just and believes in it to be true. I don`t care to hide behind the anonymity of a username because my views are my own. I have never backed off from personal confrontations in my life. Nor do I live life worrying about others being offended by what i believe is true. Nor in this particular case am i in the least motivated by the $ sign as someone puts it. I am motivated solely by my own conception of what constitutes honor. As to that i hold very definite views. Better to live 1 day the life of a lion, than a thousand years the life of a jackal. As i stated earlier, there can be no price put on that.

Z.A Khan is a very forthright person. He tells it like it was, without pulling any punches about who is offended by the truth of the facts he relates or not. His character is of the highest

possible character expected of an honorable professional soldier. He is not some Pakistani version of Arkan.

As for my being one of the only defenders of Z.A Khan, thats laughable, he needs no defenders.

I alone have always been sufficient to take on more than a crowed roomful in life. Those who know me personally can testify to that determination. I have never worried about whether i was in the `minority`, even a minority of one, as long as i believed my self to be morally right. Z.A Khan has no guilty conscience. Even today the man stands upright, there is no shame in his past and it shows clearly in his demeanor. He does not care whom the truth offends. Friend, or foe. That is the way to live life.

Reply to OMAR1974 in post # 185

OMAR MIRZA:Not being satisfied with the effects of the treason of 1971, certain `elements` connive to continue to dsiprove the viability of the 2 nation theory to this day! I`m begining to now gain a new insight into why the Pakistan army did what it is alleged to have done on March 25 on Dhaka University campus. But Ideas should be countered by Ideas. Jamal`s criticism of the use of Islam as a Unifying force for Pakistan is valid, but what are the other realistic alternatives? He doesn`t say. So, we should reconcile ourselves to the break up of Pakistan! Pernicious is the word.

RESPONSE: It is Mr. Omar Mirza who seems to be reconciled to the break-up of Pakistan. He seems to firmly believe that Pakistan can be held together only through intimidation of the ordinary citizens. He also seems to firmly believe that the only raison d`etre for holding Pakistan together is to preserve the power and privileges of its ruling elite in particular and of the military officers in general. He finds it quite right to go to any extent, including genocide, to preserve the ruling elite`s grip on power and on its ill-gotten wealth. Mr. Mirza is quite at ease with 1971 genocide. And, now he says that the keepers of Pakistan`s unity should be willing to even nuke the Balochs and Sindhis if that`s what it takes to preserve the vested interests of the ruling cabal.

If one does not have any respect for the rule of law, he cannot possibly have received a good legal education. Judging by that, it is clear that Mr. Omar Mirza has received legal training that he should not be proud of. Unless he changes for the better, he`ll never manage to clear the Bar Exam. And even if he somehow manages to do so, he will soon find himself disbarred for some dishonorable act or the other.

Yes, Pakistan can be one country. Democracy is the key to its survival as a united nation. It is the ruling elite`s disdain for democracy and its belief in racist ideologies that led to the 1971 break-up.

Mr. Jamal Hasan has been very perspicacious in pointing out that Pakistan risks breaking up into many pieces unless the ruling elite chooses to learn from its mistakes in 1971.But if Ms. Muneezae Alam Khan and Mr. Omar Mirza epitomize the wise women and men of today`s Pakistan, then only God can save the people. Men like Brigadier Z.A.Khan hasn`t been content with breaking up the country in 1971. They seem to have sowed the seeds of further destruction by passing on their greedy, selfish and racist attitudes on to their daughters and nephews. Mr. Omar Mirza, for all his purported legal training, would solve today`s problems by nuking the Sindhis and Balochs much as his uncle had sought to solve the 1971 problem with unequalled savagery.

Yes, Pakistan can remain united. But that will be in spite of the Omar Mirzas and the Muneezae Khans of the country. Europe is steadily getting united. It is democracy, rather than Christianity, that is prodding Europe in the right direction. If Pakistan survives as a united nation, it will owe far more to democracy than to Islam which is yet to forge the two dozen Arab countries into a single nation.

OMAR1974`s question: SHOULD PAKISTANI OFFICERS FACE WAR CRIME TRIALS FOR...?

The answer will be an unequivocal ``yes`` from anyone who wishes Pakistan well. Pakistan has been ill-served by military officers whose belief in the divine right of ``martial races`` to lord over the country has brough grief and even genocide to Pakistanis of ``subject races.``

Bengalis are no longer in Pakistan to be kicked around any more as the preferred subject race. So, now, it is the turn of the Sindhis and the Balochs, the Shias and the Ahmadiyyas to suffer the onslaught of the ruling elite.

Forcing the war criminals of 1971 to pay for their crimes is the only salvation for the common citiens of Pakistan. Men like Brigadier Z.A.Khan and their scions have a vested interest to stand in the way of such an accounting in a court of law. War crime trials will be opposed by the top brass for its own benefit and not for that of the country. Conversely, war crime trials will force the ruling elite to back off and to give democracy a chance to survive and take off. And, that, ultimately is the only way that Pakistan can survive as a united country.