NATION

16 July 2007,

DR FAROOQ HASSAN

As the Lal Masjid offensive in Islamabad ended on July 10, it had left behind according to the Pakistani Government an estimated 88 people dead, including the deputy head of the Mosque and the military colonel who led the initial assault. The casualty figures according to the online edition of an English daily of July 12 of dead could be much higher. Many websites originating in the US & UK dealing with Pakistani affairs submitted that around 1000 were burnt or eliminated inside the Mosque complex. Irrespective of the exact figure there is no gainsaying the fact that such human loss directly emanated under the instructions of the President. Since the Army operation against Bengali citizens of East Pakistan in 1971, this is the largest military action by the army against the citizens of the country.

This analysis examines the reporting of this subject by the Pakistani Press. Irrespective of the partisan political divide that may exit on such issues in the political horizon it is an event of highest tragedy. The national army’s deployment at such a heavy cost should raise many questions relating to the legality of such use to the wider questions relating to Pakistan’s security concerns and nationalism. We should therefore see if such queries were raised, and if not identify at least the questions that have been left unanswered until now.

The whole essay is here.

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