Jahangir's World Times First Comprehensive Magazine for students/teachers of competitive exams and general readers as well.
It is generally believed that observance of merciless discipline and accountability are the hallmark of our armed forces.
No doubt there are lots of reasons for this belief, but the unpardonable lapse of security of Mehran Base at Karachi, and now the verdict of the Court Martial has shaken this belief and disappointed us. After a year elapsed, yesterday the verdict of Court Martial was announced by spokesmen of Pakistan Navy. This verdict is reported in the national media of today the 22nd May 2012, whereby only one Commodore and two Commanders of Navy are penalized by the Court Martial for the devastating attack on Mehran Base of Pak Navy located next to the runway of Air Force at Karachi. This gruesome attack on Mehran Base resulted in loss of invaluable lives of several naval officers and other security agencies, by handful of about 12 terrorists.
Commodore Irfan Ul Haq, the Chief Spokesmen of Pakistan Navy, on the pretext of confidentiality, refused to disclose the names or sentences, if any, awarded to the Naval Officers against whom the Court Martial proceedings were conducted. The reports in national media, however, disclose that some sort of a mild penalty was given by the Court Martial to only three concerned officers of Pak Navy. None of them was awarded any rigorous imprisonment. The number of officers tried by the Court Martial is also not disclosed. Nor it is known if anybody has been acquitted, or whether all the concerned Officers named in the first report of investigation were court-martialed or not. The courts of armed forces are known for their unparallel speedy justice. Strangely in this case, the court-martial prolonged the trial and after several months elapsed, if not a year, awarded such penalty which appears to be negligible keeping in view the gravity of the disaster and security lapse. I wonder why? The negligible penalty can only be justified, if the accused did not have any major role or responsibility for such a great national disaster. If this was the case, then why they were penalized at all. And who on earth were responsible for such a blatant security lapse. The investigators, prosecutors and the Court should have identified and prosecuted such personnel of Pak Navy and Pak Air Force for such indefensible disaster of Mehran Base. Why was this exercise not carried out? These pertinent questions arising from the verdict of the court-martial, creates doubts in the minds of the people about the degree of discipline or accountability being presently observed in our armed forces. I am sure all will agree that none of the personnel of the armed forces should give rise to such doubts by any of their act or omission.
It may also be noted that despite the reports appearing in the media that the security lapse had occurred both at the end of the officers, responsible for the security at the Air Base and Naval Base. But none of the concerned officers of Air Force was tried by the court nor was top brass of Pak Navy made accountable for this inexcusable security lapse. The gravity of this lapse had warranted that the Naval Chief should have been made to resign or sacked. Instead, to our horror, the Naval Chief was conferred one of the highest awards early this year by our President. It can only happen in Pakistan, unfortunately. No wonder that our critiques in the world embarrass us by calling Pakistan a Banana Republic.
