One of the
proud Pakistani and fan of first Pakistani military dictator posted video
report of USIS on Youtube and recently it was also circulating on Facebook.
This report is about Pakistani military dictator Gen Ayub’s eight days official
visit to US in 1961. In this visit Gen Ayub and his daughter Begum Aurangzeb
received warmed welcome by President Kennedy and other dignities from US. This
note is my brief after watching that ‘historic’ video.
On October
7, 1958, General Ayub with the support of Iskander Mirza declared Martial Law
in Pakistan. Within three weeks Iskander Mirza was ousted by General Ayub Khan,
who then declared himself President and later Field Marshal. Some authors (e.g.
Quaid-e-Azam as Governor General / Qaum Nizami) suggested that General Ayub’s rise
to power was his decade long planning and desire for politics. That was the
time in the history of Pakistan when sincere political activists like Hasan
Nisar were tortured and murdered as punishment to criticise and resist against
military dictatorship. Progressive newspapers like
Pakistan Times and daily Imroz were nationalized. Famous poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz described
that era in this stanza:
Nisar main teri galiyon k aa watan, k jahan - chali hai
rasm k koi na sar utha k chale
jo koi chahanewala tawaf ko nikle - nazar chura k chale,
jism-o-jan bacha k chale
[May I be a
sacrifice to your streets, oh motherland, where
It has
become custom that no-one shall go with head lifted]
Another poet and political
activist Habib Jalib, could not ignore the injustice during General Ayub’s time.
His poetry attracted large number of public as he recited poems against
dictator and condemn him strongly:
Deep jis ka
mehellaat hi main jalay, Chand logon ki khushyon ko lay ker chalay,
Wo jo saye main har maslihat kay palay; Aisay dastoor ko,
Subh e bay noor ko, Main naheen maanta, Main naheen
jaanta.
(The light
which shines only in palaces, burns up the joy of the people in the shadows
Derives its strength from others’ weakness, That kind of system, like dawn
without light, I refuse to acknowledge, I refuse to accept)
Bees gharanay hein abaad – Aur karorron hein nashaad -
Sadar Ayub Zindabad.
(Twenty
families are becoming wealthier and millions are becoming deprived, long live
president Ayub).
On foreign front
General Ayub further downplayed relations with USSR while signing defense treaties
and leasing a airbase to USA.
With this
political scenario in mind now watch this 20:49 minutes USIS report. At dinner
President Kennedy, welcome military dictator from Pakistan with the words “No
one could be a more welcome guest than President Ayub”. Throughout in this
media report you will notice USIS titled Pakistani military dictator as
‘President Ayub’ instead of his favourite title Field Marshal Ayub Khan. Why?
Definitely American democrat government was giving deceitful impression to
American public that our loyal friend General Ayub Khan is democratic civil president
of Pakistan. In other words, state department don’t want to tell American
public that they like democracy in US but they support military dictators in
developing world to follow their imperialistic agenda.
Precisely
this video report ends with “…he (Gen. Ayub) impressed people (of US) by his
force and loyalty“. The key word here is ‘loyalty’. I think this was message
that imperial power was expecting General Ayub as loyal servant instead of
equal status friend. But our potato-head dictator never understands and in the
end of his career he complained as “Friends not masters”, Anyway like other
dictators he never accepted his mistakes being dictator and also being founding
father of Pakistan Army’s supremacy on all other institutions of the state. Since
1958 Pakistan turned into security state instead of welfare state and since
that civil military relations are not settled.
For video click here:
