File closed

The file of perhaps the most unique incident in the history of Pakistan, in which General Zia-ul-Haq, the most powerful ruler who closed the files of many high profile incidents during the 11-year dictatorship, was killed in an air crash, has also been closed.

To this day, it is not known why mango belts were placed on the plane in the last days because the journey was very short but it had not only the highest military leadership but also the US Ambassador to Pakistan Raphael.

Not one, not two but many high level investigations were done, reports were prepared and received by the government but after "review" they were mysteriously closed. This was the same 11-year period in which General Zia-ul-Haq, General Akhtar Abdul Rehman and others launched the "Afghanistan Jihad" with American aid and assistance. Later, files on issues such as the Ojai camp and the Geneva card were closed and the file on the overthrow of Muhammad Khan Junejo's government was also closed.

Many, including senior civilian and military officials, suspect that General Zia was killed by the United States and Israel, while others believe it was an internal matter. Whatever the case, if the report is closed in the great national interest, questions will arise that all but one of the top military officers were on board, but they were on a separate ship. Most of us have a laid back attitude when it comes to painting a picture about ourselves. Those who ruled until yesterday are today seeking justice for their own sons.

Access to facts has never been easier in this country. I'll try to add some links. I recently sought an account of the incident from Roidad Khan, Pakistan's most senior bureaucrat, who was then an adviser to Ghulam Ishaq, who was acting president for 90 days after General Zia.

"One day the president called me and put a file in front of me," he said. This is Bandial's report, just read it. I glanced at the file and said, "You've read it. What can I do?" He kept quiet and quietly put it in the drawer. That report probably didn't come out of the drawer after that. It is quite possible that veteran Ravidad Khan has guessed that this matter will not go any further, so there is no point in watching and reading but Chaudhry Nisar Ali, a former interior minister and senior politician who was part of Ishaq Khan's interim government at the time. When contacted, Khan said he had never seen a serious attitude from any government, including the interim government, in this regard. " If it wasn't for the cover-up, it would have been a little closer. "

I contacted General Zia-ul-Haq's son Ijaz-ul-Haq and when asked about the Bandial report, he said, "This report has not been shared with us." I don't even know the report of the three-member commission of inquiry headed by Justice Shafi-ur-Rehman. However, once I met him, he revealed that once he went to see the wreckage, he left the place. Was missing. "

How neatly did the killer wash his sleeves?

When I asked Humayun Akhtar, son of Akhtar Abdul Rehman, he also said to Chaudhry Nisar that no government has been serious in conducting investigations. Is it unfortunate that such a powerful government was overthrown in two minutes But the news is coming out, so the report of the joint investigation of Pakistan Air Force and American experts has now become "DE CLASSIFIED". After reading the 42-page report, it is estimated that the disturbance probably occurred in the part of the cargo where the mango belts were kept. The Board of Inquiry concluded that the accident was not a criminal act and suggested a criminal inquiry which did not take place.

Trying to read the pages of the past, I came across an interview with former ISI general Hamid Gul, which aired on a private channel on August 29, 2009, where he mentioned the incident while talking about other important factors. "The ISI is concerned with the security of the president. However, the agency had alerted the president to limit his activities. He may be targeted, but on August 5, he suddenly decided to go to Bahawalpur with the top leadership. Now, according to the Blue Book, the responsibility for security should have been asked. " However, like any other high profile, this file was closed and turned into a blind case.

Most of the files here are closed like this. If there is a plane crash, there is a technical glitch, if there is a high profile, there is a foreign conspiracy or an outside hand. The same thing happens with such cases. It is sometimes said that India's hand is sometimes found in Afghanistan, sometimes in Israel and the United States, but in such cases, they do not try to find their own.

When an ambassador asked Eboro Crete why his relatives were not found, he gave a meaningful answer, saying, "They are also with foreigners whose interests are more or less here." Many of the security codes for the August 17 events changed, but attacks on the rulers continued and another prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, was targeted and killed. She also filed a report. However, as a political slogan, the demand continues.

Now it may be history and it is not known what was inside the plane with the highest security siege that caused the accident because there was no rocket fire or missile from outside. Questions will continue to arise as to whether Humayun Akhtar can ask his government to open the "file" by making all three reports public. ..maybe not.

(Translated from well known journalist Mazhar Abbas's daily Jang column)