Zishan

This is with reference to Kamran Shafi’s article ‘Why not a civilian head of ISI ?’ (Nov 17) and Lt Col (R) Mukhtar Ahmed Butt and Rizwan Ashraf’s letters to the editor (Nov 19).

Lot has been written on the role of ISI without knowing the inside story. The scope of ISI has never been to tackle internal politics of the country. Rather, this organization was established to thwart external elements from damaging the interests of our homeland; whether it be related to defence issues or to those pertaining to media warfare.

The point under deliberation is having a civilian head of ISI for which I totally agree with Kamran Shafi and would like to add further. His facts about the leading Agencies of the world are absolutely right. And the question of a Civilian head is very much justified. I have a firm belief on the importance of military institutions and their role in strengthening the country’s defence, however, many people don’t know that ISI is constitutionally a ‘Civilian organization’ which was established with a view to support and share the burden of conventional intelligence organizations vis-à-vis military intelligence (MI). Furthermore, armed forces personnel were to serve in ISI on ‘deputation’ for a period of 3-3 1/2 years and then return back to their parent department. This practice aimed at having mutual cooperation and understanding between major pillars of the state i.e. armed forces and ISI.

ISI has a permanent civilian cadre whose officers serve their entire life in the organization. The desired competency level as illustrated by my fellow friends Mr. Mukhtar and Mr. Rizwan would be more in a person who serves his entire life in one department with all necessary training and experience as compare to some one who is to serve for a limited period and lacks the desired expertise too. However, for the past many years, the irony of fate has been that majority of civilian organizations are headed by an armed forces personnel which is agitating to those who have served their entire life and have the right to be departmental head. If we think that armed forces personnel are the only ones who can run public organizations with the back ground and knowledge of a ‘military unit’, then I think we should not blame others for all the wrong doings in our country. As far as Mr. Mukhtar’s statement that ‘gathering intelligence and co-relating it with the geo political situation of the country is a complicated affair’, I put a question to him as to what is the qualification of a military man? Psc (staff course), war course and so on. Does this have any relation with international politics and diplomacy? Isn’t there any one in the country who is patriotic other than the armed forces personnel? These are the questions which have carved deep marks on the nation and are causing internal rift and hatred.

I request all concerned to consider the civilians as equally patriotic and responsible as any soldier would be and the impression of ‘bloody civilians’ should be removed from the minds of our so called ‘God fathers’.

Life is a complete test of wits and nerves. Often there are times when you are helpless and things don’t go the way they should. Your moral goes down giving way to a series of depressing thoughts and beliefs which makes you slow and dismal. But this is not the end of life. It is just a beginning of a new ‘You’. From the core of one’s heart, deep down in the shackles of gloomy thoughts, arises a tiny ray of hope; that is the hope to fight the miseries and come out as victorious. This hope or the will to fight is where tough times dry down; your energies are restored and you are a new living being.

Like every other person on this piece of land, I too encountered many situations where I was forced to give rise to a new ‘me’. Problems always bring out the best in an individual and the same happened with me. Those were the times of my childhood; I was in grade 1. By birth I had inherited a physical disability; my feet were broad and I couldn’t wear normal shoes. Rather, I had to specially get crafted a pair of boots for myself. This handicapped feature hindered my growth, shawl away my childhood innocence and buried my smile. The times when children free from all worries enjoy the best moments of their life, I was to hear the chants of my elder school mates. I was all alone, had no friends, nor any well wisher who could make me learn the hard facts of life. This loneliness carved deep impressions on my soul which are still evident in me. But as it is said, life moves on and time passes away, so the same happened with me and my time flew till I was in Grade 4.

At that time, I was used to of facing the poisoned arrows of others which had withered my soul. I was grown up by then. It was during those days that I met a senior. He was a blessing in disguise, an angle for me. He made me learn the bitter facts of life. It was he who gave me the will to fight; the emergence of a new ‘me’. Slowly and gradually, bit by bit, I gathered courage and gave the first fight to my depressed soul. The fist thing I learned was that it is me and only me who has to fight and no body else. Nobody would come for my rescue but myself. This self belief was the founding stone behind all my achievements in life. Next was the will to fight and face the harsh words of others. For this, I developed a habit. Anyone who used to shout at me, was replied with a laughter or smile from my end. “By exhibiting respect for another persons opinions we may at least set the stage for a more positive future interaction with that person” (Fotis 48). This was because I learned that being handicapped is not in my control. If somebody is beautiful, its not by choice but by design. God has made everything as and how He liked. So it wasn’t my fault that I couldn’t wear normal shoes or play like other children do. This was my fate which I had to accept open heartedly and make others realize too. This lesson again became one of the principles of my life; that never to pin point any body’s physical features and always take things positively.

On the other hand, my parents had consulted few surgeons right from my childhood and I was told that I had to undergo few surgeries after which I would be normal. But during those surgeries, I had to experience lot of pain and agony. So it was suggested that we should wait till I get a ‘bit’ grown up. So that time came in Grade 4. Summer vacations were ideal for any such venture. I underwent 4 surgeries; 2 each for I foot. It took me 4 years, in fact my of 4 summer vacations to get rid of that physical disability. I still remember the day when a new dawn arose and I was able to buy pair of shoes for my self.

During the next few years, no body could judge that I was the same shy and lonely boy who used to run away from crowds. I never cursed my disability afterwards as during those times I was able to learn what many people don’t even after spending their whole life.

I was able to deal with a difficult situation in my life which spanned over my entire childhood. However, I could do so because I developed the courage to fight, a positive mindset towards life and “Believed that for every problem there is a solution” (Peale 185).