Understanding Each Other, Diversity and Dissent: The War in FATA

09 January, 2012

The War in FATA

Lieutenant General Tariq Khan-A Soldier of Substance

Agha.H.Amin

I first heard of Lieutenant Tariq Khan in 1978 . We were having dinner with one Colonel Sikandar Hayat Durrani who earlier had been my fathers second in command in the 105 Engineer Battalion in 1976-77.Sikandar had again joined my father in Lahore as a battalion commander , while my father was commanding the corps engineers.

Colonel Sikandar Hayat Khan belonged to an illustrious family of Durrani Pashtuns from Dheri Zardad a village on the Kabul river in Charsadda.He had also been an year or so junior to my uncle at the Cadet College Hassan Abdal.Durrani was married to sister of Begum Nasim Wali Khan.

Durrani was extremely excited that young officers attending a course at the School of Infantry and Tactics had thrashed Quetta Police en masse for having misbehaved with an officer under the leadership of one Lieutenant Tariq Khan who was had earlier passed out as the top gentleman cadet with the sword of honour from 55 PMA Long Course.

This could have ended Tariq Khans career but the army realised that Tariq Khan did it over a matter of honour and this is how many came to know Tariq Khan.

The incident signified Tariq Khans character . Rapid decision making and lightning execution.These two traits have remained the hall mark of his personality.

Such was the unity in the officers and such was the faith in his leadership that when the commandant asked who had done it the whole course stood up and when asked any witnesses the whole course again owned it !

The incident stayed in my mind .

-COURTESY OF 55 PMA Long Course website
ما شاء الله

Battalion Senior Under Officer Tariq Khan receives the Sword of Honour from Chairman Joint Chief General Sharif , another extremely upright officer-
ما شاء الله.

Officers and Appointments 55 PMA Long Course

BSUO Tariq Khan fourth from left

-COURTESY OF 55 PMA Long Course website

I joined the Pakistan Military Academy in Many 1981 and passed out in March 1983 being commissioned in 11 Cavalry , which incidentally was the parent unit of General Tariq Khans father Colonel Nawabzada Azmat Khan who was a keen polo player.

My faher recollected that his uncle Squadron Leader Rahmat Khan was a test pilot at Drigh Road Airbase in 1964-68 where my father was the Garrison Engineer.

My first encounter with Captain Tariq Khan was in the armour basic course where he was an instructor.His second in command was Captain Mohammad Khalid my very close friend and regimental officer from 11 Cavalry .Although I did not do the course properly I was deeply impressed with Captain Tariq Khans professionalism and uprightness.Captain Khalid (Tanga) too held him in very high esteem.

I again served with Captain Tariq Khan while he was in the 4 Cavalry at Multan from September 1986 to May 1988.He was a perfectionist in all matters and his gunnery standards were very high.In March 1987 he objected to being a conducting officer at the wedding of Major General Hameed Guls daughter.This was a time when sycophancy and appeasement was at its height in the army.This stand again could have ended Tariq Khans career in this slavish orders oriented army ! But God had bigger plans for Captain Tariq Khan.No one could force Captain Tariq Khan to perform non military duties of a protocol man acting as conducting officer at a general officers daughters wedding , however powerful he was.

Tariq Khan is known for taking stands on matters of principle and fear of forfeiture of rank or military advancement has never deterred him.This actually has been the hall mark of his personality throughout his military career.

He was different from the meek and sheepish crowd in the sense that he took a stand over his principles even if it risked his career.An honourable stand was more important in Tariq Khans life script than survival at the cost of abandoning his principles.

If Tariq Khan ما شاء الله became a three star it was a triumph of destiny over a thoroughly rotten system !

To understand this point the below article on the highly flawed and fallacious training and assessment system in the Pakistan Army may be read---

http://pakistan-army-interviews.blogspot.com/2010/12/assessmentmilitary-training-and.html

I did not meet Captain Tariq Khan after 1988 but we stayed in correspondence and Colonel Tariq Khan was instrumental in getting three of my articles in the Command and Staff College Quettas Citadel Journal in 1997 and 1998.He was then the Chief Editor of the journal.

I had found the armys higher command system in my article anachronistic and unworkable and had suggested army command type headquarters

.My idea was that the Citadel will not have the guts to publish such a point of view.However to my surprise the article was published although Tariq Khans successor editor did add the caveat that my ideas about army command system were controversial !

The above recommendation was implemented by the Pakistan Army but only some nine years later.Today Tariq Khan apart from his additional charge of 1 Corps also commands the Northern Command.

I sent him my book Pakistan Army till 1965 and he wrote a very interesting reply .

In 2004 I permanently shifted to Afghanistan. My route of exit and entry was the Khyber Agency and I saw that the Frontier Corps known as FC was severely demoralised.Desertions were rising and Mohmand Rifles had literally evaporated.

It was at this time that I learned from many officers that now Major General Tariq Khan reversed the cycle and through his leadership restored the morale of the FC by leading from the front.

ما شاء الله

He had been promoted major general in 2006 and commanded an armoured division in Multan and later the 14 infantry division in South Waziristan leading Operation Zalzala against the militants.

On 1 October 2010 he was promoted to the rank ofLieutenant General and appointed Corps Commander Mangla.

ما شاء الله Touchwood

When I called upon him in September 2009 I found him the same Captain Tariq Khan that I knew in 1988 in Multan.This was inspiring beacuse most officers become arrogant and snobbish on getting general officer rank.

General Tariq Khan-ما شاء الله-Touchwood led from the front and participated in more than 65 operations in the FATA region of Pakistan.This was the main reason why the FCs morale was restored.

He commanded 35000 sq kms of the total 48000 kms of the conflict Zone in the ongoing Low Intensity war in Pakistans FATA region.

Some Pakistanis out of personal jealousy asserted that Tariq Khan was pro American ! Those who know him find this ridiculous assertion baseless ! Tariq Khan sees the extremists as Pakistans enemies ! Thus his zeal in carrying out operations was based on sheer patriotism !

A man of principles he finds double dealing and petty intrigue as dangerous strategic errors which Pakistan must not commit.

When NATO aircrafts arbitrarily attacked an FC checkpost and killed three FC troops it was Major General Tariq Khan who was most instrumental in closing the border with Afghanistan.

This bold action literally brought the US and the NATO to their knees.

As a consequence of this action , a joint inquiry was conducted at Bagram Airbase under stewardship of FC DIG Brig Usman who presided over the court.

Thus Major General Tariq Khans role was crucial in obtaining a public and an international apology from the US which has never done so since the second world war. Pakistan got compensation for the causalities and put procedures in place to secure the border.

Another false propagnda carried out by Pakistani Taliban who Tariq Khan had reduced to size was that his daughter had married a White American .

This again is a complete lie.

His daughter is married to his nephew, Faris Khan. Faris is a civil engineer in California. Faris Khans mother is a white american but his father is a Pakistani by origin.

General Tariq Khan is a keen hunter and has traversed the entire breadth of Pakistans border areas.

General Tariq Khans daughter is a very active journalist and has attacked the US perception in the Tribunal as a regular columnist. She is also quoted in the Monterrey Institute, her articles have been published in the Post Graduate Naval College in defence of Pakistan.