FINALLY, Bangladesh executed Abdul Quader Molla for war crimes. He was one of those Jamaat-i-Islami adherents who fought for Pakistan’s integrity and sovereignty during the 1971 war.

Molla and his fellow JI members supported the Pakistan Army by launching two paramilitary counter-insurgency units — Al Badr and Al Shams. They had no personal agenda and whatever they did was to save their homeland.

When the punishment was announced in September, the Pakistani foreign office unfortunately termed it as an ‘internal matter’ of Bangladesh. It is betrayal of those who sacrificed themselves for their homeland.

I am not a JI member or its supporter, but I believe that Molla and all others who fought for Pakistan in 1971 are heroes of the nation. Pakistan should pay homage to these heroes instead of ridiculing them by denying their services to the nation.

Atif K. Butt
Lahore