THIS humble man is an octogenarian who has been watching and studying closely national events since the early days of the motherland. In 1953, martial law was imposed in Lahore due to protests that went out of control. In 1958, martial law was imposed due to large-scale demonstrations and unrest against President Iskander Mirza.

The movement was led by Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar, a stalwart of the Pakistan movement. Iskander Mirza played all types of gimmicks and intrigues to remain in power. He even formed a political party, called the Republican Party, which also got buried with him, never to rise again.

In 1969, martial law was imposed due to the mass movement against Ayub Khan led by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Nasrullah Khan. In 1977, martial law was imposed as there was a serious confrontation between two political rivals and there was a danger of a civil war. The October 1999 episode took place due to serious differences between Mian Nawaz Sharif and Gen Pervez Musharraf, the then army chief, after the Kargil conflict.

The present scenario is not much different from the previous ones; rather it appears to be more lethal and damaging because of the volatile situation which is causing a great divide among the masses. The country cannot be allowed to drift towards chaos, confrontation, polarisation and a civil war-like situation.

The main cause of such a situation has always been the desire of the ruling party to remain in power at all costs. Regardless of the intensity of the blame game, calling names, and passing derogatory remarks are highly unbecoming of political leaders and so is adopting an alarming and threatening posture. It is not at all going to be beneficial to anyone, for this is a recipe for a grave political disaster and instability.

In view of the above facts, let sanity prevail before it is too late. I am sure that no one is indispensable as graveyards are full of indispensable people. However, there will be no damage to Pakistan, as Pakistanis are a highly robust and resilient nation; we have gone through many political storms and have come out successfully.

In spite of various impediments and difficulties, both nationally and internationally, Pakistan continues to be a great success story. We have shown the door to two superpowers and the liberation of Kashmir is in sight.

Today, we are a strong and safe nuclear power with a professional, well-equipped, well-trained and battle-hardened army, navy and air force. We have a large industrial, agriculture and trade base. On the other hand, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), especially the Gwadar port project, is a true game-changer.

Pakistan is a gift of God, and nothing will happen to the country. It will continue on its path to progress and prosperity, while all those who act against the interest and wellbeing of the country will have nothing but ignominy as their destiny. History of Pakistan bears testimony to this fact. Long live Pakistan!

Lt-Col (retd) Syed Iftikhar Ahmed
Karachi

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2022