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We were ‘them’ 65 years ago

RPK said:
We were


Though Tuesday was an eventless private members day at the Punjab Assembly, a resolution moved by a minority member caught the attention of the galleries.
Najma Saleemi, a PPP member, asked the house to adopt a resolution urging Pakistan Air Force to name a base after Cecil Chaudhry, the late war hero. Law Minister Rana Sanaullah read out a reply on behalf on the air force, saying that the suggestion will be considered “in due course of time.” At best the answer is a non-committal sentence right out of a bureaucrat’s book and at worst a polite way of saying ‘no’.
Though the House approved the resolution without any opposition, the treasury members opted for silence.
It is widely believed that Chaudhry, who was decorated in the 1965 and 1971 wars for his courage, was retired quietly because of his faith. The conservative military establishment could not consider a Christian commanding the air force. Otherwise, a decorated war hero was certain to make it to the position of air chief.
Squadron Leader Anwar Shamim who led the 1965 Amritsar mission to destroy the radar station (that brought a Sitara-i-Jurat for the then Flight Lieutenant Cecil Chaudhry) made it to the top. However, Shamim’s name was later tainted for allegedly accepting kickbacks in an F-16 deal with the US.
Cecil’s patriotism did not wane until his death. After his retirement from the air force, he fought for the rights of minorities and served as an educationist. It’s a shame that it took a resolution from a minority member to remind us that Chaudhry has not been appropriately recognised. It should have been done already.
We frequently see the names of captains and majors who laid down their lives for the country inscribed at crossings. We also see fighter planes installed at road crossings to remind us of the blows to the Indian Air Force in 1965 war but we don’t see the name of the hero who flew one of those Sabres.
The life for minorities is hard as it is. Limited economic and political opportunities and the fear of persecution at the hands of extremists define their lives.
And now we don’t want to acknowledge the heroes among them. Have we forgotten that Muslims were a minority when they raised the slogan of a separate nation in the name of their religious identity? The minorities in Pakistan are now facing exactly the same circumstances as the Muslims in India did 65 years ago.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 18th, 2012.
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A Biased article with Loads of Tobasco..
 
Fazlu said:
Its pitiful. A hero like Cecil chaudhary died in vain protecting a nation that never wanted him anyway.
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Yes. A Pakistani Christian can rose to the level of Deputy Chief of Air Staff. He can be awarded highest of civilian and military awards. He can be the only officer from PAF(non muslim or muslim) to serve as the Commandant of National Defence College. He can be one the few Pakistanis who eye witnessed the first cold test of a nuclear device(during Zia regime). He can command the biggest and most important air base of PAF(Sargodha Air Base). He can become senior member of the military unit Special Development Works (SDW). He can do what no other Pakistani could have done in their lives. But still Pakistanis don't want him anyway. Very true.

Do you know who was that officer?

Michael John O'Brian - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
mafiya said:
wrong comparison. I'm not asking about past. I'm asking about current position. The Indian troll raised the question that Currently we are mistreating the minorities in armed forces and i asked weather Any current indian Minority represented AF on international level. That is the context of whole discussion. Now i think you can answer my exact question instead of answering sideways.
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Do you know who is the General Officer Commanding (GOC) in Kashmir ?
 
VCheng said:
I have a question: After Zia's dictatorship, how many minorities have risen through the ranks to high positions?
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A Christian Major General participated in action against TTP in Swat. A Parsi air commodore head of PAF's AWACS program. There might be more.
 
Areesh said:
A Christian Major General participated in action against TTP in Swat. A Parsi air commodore head of PAF's AWACS program. There might be more.
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It is good to hear that the professional ethos of the armed forces has not succumbed to the religious nutcases holding sway over civil society generally these days. Excellent!
 
Retired Brigadier Simon Sharif, who was involved in making first nuclear policy of Pakistan and was actively involved in Pakistan nuclear program. You can search his articles or about him on net.
 
I see boyish Pakistani posters claiming about Non-muslims in Army other important positions, bursting bubbles etc., leave out India here. Don't compare with India. we don't have to do such show out because we actually have a minority unlike you. And we don't have our minorities migrating to other countries to escape persecution and Terrorism. we still get 10-15 families per week from Pakistan. In fact it's an insult comparing Pakistan with India.
 

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