The Ex-Servicemen Society


Written by Zia Ul Islam Zuberi • Cover Stories • July 2008

The Ex Servicemen Society of Pakistan is perturbed at the state of affairs in the country not only in the present but also angry at what transpired in the past. When I first read about this society I thought this is a society composed of former linesman of the telephone company who after privatization have decided to serve the country and strive for democracy. When told that this was an organization of ex army people I naturally assumed it would be composed of ex airmen from the Air Force, ex sailors from navy and havaldars from the army.

I was greatly surprised when I read a statement from the society and most of the signatories were ex generals and other retired top brass of the army. I thought it was sad that these people were hiding behind the name of Ex-servicemen instead of just declaring who they were and proudly proclaiming themselves as Ex General and Brigadiers Society. By calling themselves Ex Servicemen they have already accepted the fact that the people will not take them seriously if they were to adopt a name that reflected their true rank in the armed forces. The huffing and puffing and fuming and indignation expressed by these gentlemen on the sad state of affairs in the country would really loose its impact if the name of the society changes as suggested.

The society wants true democracy and also holds former military rulers responsible for the grim situation facing the country. As far as democracy is concerned one would like to ask if the Ex Servicemen Society has held any elections within themselves and if so were the ordinary havaldars, ordinary soldiers etc if they are members of the society allowed to contest and why if these people are so in love with democracy no low ranking ex servicemen is seen at their gatherings or holds office in their organization. We can only assume that this is a private elite club of former top brass who after having a honey moon with dictators during their respective tenures and in the process amassing considerable assets and businesses now have enough time on their hands and after playing golf, squash and all those fancy games exclusive to such people want to also enjoy media attention and gain influence to serve them in case there is any accountability in the future.

The question everyone naturally wants to be answered is why did these people not express these revolutionary ideas and profess their love for the people when they were in key positions and could have made the difference that would avert the tragic circumstances in which we find ourselves at present. The latest answer from this group is that they were bound by military discipline and sadly they lay the blame on political parties who they say were free to act and did not do so. First with the question of military discipline the reason for their bottled up love for the people. In the Nuremberg trials following the defeat of Hitler in the Second World War this question has been answered for all times. No military person can take the plea that they committed illegal acts because they were bound by military law. The court held that every person is responsible for their own acts and should have refused to carry out any illegal acts.

Top people were convicted among them Wilhelm Frick Hitler's Minister of the Interior 1933-1943 and Reich Protector of Bohemia-Moravia, Karl Dönitz who became President of Germany following Hitler's death, Hermann Göring commander of the German Air Force, Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess, Ernst Kaltenbrunner Highest surviving SS-leader. Chief of RSHA 1943-45, the central Nazi intelligence agency. The list goes on and most of them were given the death sentence notwithstanding their “straitjacket position” in military rule.

What could the democratic forces have done during this period is obvious. All they could do was to try to survive in the face of relentless persecution, campaigns of character assassination and intimidation. What the gentlemen of the ex servicemen society really are saying is that there we were standing with batons and guns and every repressive mechanism at our disposal and we did not have the guts to stand up for truth and freedom but the political parties facing the brunt of their actions should have stood up to them and that is why we are angels and they are the villains of the piece. A more twisted logic is hard to find in this universe.

Have the gentlemen of the ex servicemen society taken even a little step towards redemption of their collective sins. Have they given up their assets and devoted their time to public service activities like joining the Edhi foundation or some other such organization, asking the people for forgiveness of their own acts while they were in power. Not to my knowledge so their sermons are bound to fall on deaf ears. I think they should seriously consider redeeming their past otherwise the way things are moving our country too might have its own brand of the Nuremberg trials.