The tragic incident of Badakhshan finally unveiled so many sensitive issues that were kept forbidden and out of the reach of public discussion. The nation as a whole admires the efforts, professionalism, sacrifices and dedication of our security forces in which the most honored group is of National Army but I think it is still not much late to raise some of the unsolved questions and get their answers. If today, we sleep comfortably in our houses and walk with safety in our cities and towns, the credit goes to the efforts and dedication of our security forces. It is a sad fact that corruption has gone deep into the roots of our country and all the walks of life and it is no surprise if it is the case with our security forces but the case of security forces cannot be compared to any walk of life. Corruption of civil servants, ministers, traders and other people might harm the country but corruption in security forces is so injurious that it might bring an end to the existence of the country.
Badakhshan incident resulted in the martyrdom of more than 30 soldiers of National Army. There are also reports that some of the soldiers are still missing and they are feared to be kidnapped by the militants. Militants not only inflicted heavy losses on the soldiers but they also burnt their equipments and looted the weapons. The fact shows a drastic picture when the forces were left with no option except to kill or die and in the end, they preferred the death of honor on the shameful arrest and torture. According to media reports, our brave soldiers bravely fought and resisted the heavy attack of militants for more than six hours and they kept requesting for reinforcement but no help arrived and in the end, they were left on the mercy of militants. The reports also reveal that our forces could have retreated and saved their lives but there was no enough fuel left in the tanks as the fuel was sold by their corrupt officers. In the end, they sacrificed their lives for their country and the countrymen.
The sad incident raises many questions about the corruption, the criminal negligence and lack of coordination in our forces and the way officers left the helpless soldiers on the mercy of militants and did nothing to save their lives. As it gets clear, the worthy lives of these soldiers could have been saved had their officers taken a little interest in the issue.
As media reported, the soldiers kept resisting for six hours until their ammunition and resistance got exhausted. These six hours are more than enough to send reinforcement from the neighboring provinces but also from the capital Kabul. Alas, nothing was done and the forces were left on their own.
In the same way, they could have easily retreated but in the final moments, it was discovered that the fuel was not enough in the depots and the fuel was sold by the corrupt officers. Having a look at the great loss that the nation and bereaved families experienced, this discovery of corruption is shocking and disappointing.
Once again, the officers and the concerned ministry came with the repeated excuses. Once again, the foreign hands were blamed for this attack, which is not a new discovery. We have been hearing about the foreign hands responsible for sabotaging the security of the country since the inception of democratic government in the country but it is a fact that no serious efforts have been made to identify and chop down these foreign hands. Once again, the lack of cooperation by the foreign forces was given as an excuse but now, this excuse carries no weight. As the foreign forces have handed over the authority to our forces, they can no more be held responsible for our laziness and negligence. In the same way, there are also reports that a single helicopter could have changed the scenario of the war but no helicopter arrived. On the other hand, it is a general observation that these helicopters are extensively used for the transportation of so-called corrupt ministers and Generals. Why not a helicopter was spared to save the lives of those whose lives make more difference than those of corrupt ministers and Generals?
The media also reports that the responsible officer was in Kabul on the day of incident and there was no proper high command to direct the soldiers. I am sure the work of these officers was not more important than the lives of our soldiers.
As usual, the parliament has summoned the responsible officers of military into the parliament to explain their position in this regard. As a nation, we have no hopes from this often-repeated drama. As mentioned earlier, same old excuses would be given and the incident would be forgotten until we are awakened by another similar incident in future. It is also strange that a parliament is summoning the officers for their corruption and negligence at a time when the entire house is under severe criticism for their bribe-acceptance and corruption in case of accepting or rejecting the candidates for ministries being introduced by the government. It is due to this monkey business that our ministries are still functioning without ministers even after six months of the formation of a government.
The incident had the biggest blow on the morale of our soldiers in National Army who are working with all the dangers. They are not only angry and sad on the loss of their fellow compatriots but also angrier on the laziness, corruption and lack of concern of their officers. The incident conveyed a message to them that their lives carry no meaning for their officers and they can be left on their own without any help from those who could have easily saved the lost lives. Such a perception can be both viral and lethal. If this feeling penetrated into the lines of soldiers, they might not take proper interest in their duties and responsibilities and may not exhibit the required dedication. If this feeling and perception persisted, it may be very dangerous for the mere existence of the country as after All, our hopes are pinned with our security forces for the protection of the country.
This incident has also given us all an opportunity to look into the issues that were kept forbidden. A proper investigation should be carried out and all the responsible officers should be tried and properly punished. It is the call of masses that the President and the Chief Executive should take exclusive interest in this issue. All the findings of this investigation should be made public and responsible officers should be dealt with harshly.
Just like the said area of Badakhshan, many areas of the country have fallen into the hands of militants. Wide-scale military operation should be conducted to clear these areas and bring them under the control of government forces.