New Delhi, May 9 (IANS): The tremors of India’s “Operation Sindoor” are now echoing inside the halls of Pakistan’s Parliament. In an extra-ordinary and emotional moment, retired Major and current Member of Parliament Tahir Iqbal, a former officer of the Pakistan Army, broke down in Parliament, delivering a passionate plea in Urdu, begging Allah to protect Pakistan. The emotional outburst came just a day after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appealed to the world for help in shielding the country. Now even Pakistani lawmakers are publicly expressing fear and helplessness in the face of India’s strong response yo the terror attack in Pahalgam... In Parliament, Tahir Iqbal admitted Pakistan’s weakness and called for Divine intervention. In a trembling voice and tearful eyes he said, “Our nation is weak. That is why I say -- Come together and pray to our Lord. Oh the Lord of Kabba, we beg you to protect this country you entrusted to us.

 

This is the country born from prayers ...”. THOUGH nobody in India would sympathise with Pakistan MP Mr. Tahir Iqbal, everybody can understand his exasperation. Of course, everybody -- including possibly Mr. Tahir Iqbal himself -- knows that no prayers would help Pakistan survive for long, thanks to the path of brazenness and stupidity being followed by Pakistan right since its inception. Yet, out of sheer helplessness, he has appealed to his countrymen to pray for Pakistan’s protection and well being. His tears and his quivering voice explain further how a common Pakistani must now be feeling. Those prayers, those tears, those quivers in the voice show to what end Pakistan has pushed itself over time -- well beyond redemption. Of course, serious questions also need to be asked of Mr. Tahir Iqbal about his statement that Pakistan was born from prayers. Nobody would ever agree that Pakistan was born from prayers of pious kind. Historical truth tells us that Pakistan was born out of an ideology of hatred -- and has lived a life based on hatred. As everybody knows factually, Pakistan has never allowed anybody to feel that there is anything pious in that country, there is nothing truthful about the country, there is nothing credible about the country. That Pakistan is one country that is a habitual liar can be understood from its official denial that the Indian Armed Forces and their defence systems have destroyed missiles and drones fired by Pakistan.

 

Thus, even in the face of a tight slap on the face on the second day of “Operation Sindoor”, Pakistan has begun indulging in lie-telling about the war activity. The Indian forces have recovered debris of many drones and missiles downed by the Indian forces. Those materials show their make and ownership. Yet, Pakistan has the temerity to deny the reality that its drones and missiles have been shot down by the Indian Forces. When a country indulges in such lie-telling, then it is surely not born from prayers. Of course, all this lie-telling is being done by people in power. There also are people like Mr. Tahir Iqbal who have innocent faith that Pakistan was born from prayers. And hence their appeal to the Almighty that the country be protected. God alone knows if such prayers enjoy any credibility with the Divine. Yet the sense of helplessness and exasperation of such people can well be understood. They seem to realise that no material effort would make any positive difference -- except the prayers to the Divine -- and save Pakistan. But then, is it not a fact that Pakistan itself has invited such a situation ? Has it not sponsored terrorism as a tool of State Policy?

 

Has it not destroyed its own democracy and allowed the military junta to rule dominate the political power ? Has it not harboured a hatred for India ? Has it not tampered with Kashmir and troubled India for such a long period ?Has it not indulged in brazen lie-telling? And finally, therefore, has not Pakistan itself destroyed the core purpose of prayers ? Yet, the exasperation of people like Mr. Tahir Iqbal can be understood, if not sympathised with. They do not know how to stall the down-slide of their country and start rising again on the correct scale. Hence their grief. Hence their earnest prayers -- with little power to have a positive effect on the country’s fortunes in a serious confrontation with a neighbour as powerful and righteous as India. There is one aspect that persons such as Mr. Tahir Iqbal miss when they place their prayers before the Almighty.

 

They do not realise that all the actions of the Pakistan Government all along have been indulged in only in the name of the Almighty Lord. So, in other words, if the Lord has blessed Pakistan, then how can prayers be made seeking His blessings to protect Pakistan -- from itself ? This is the real trouble with Pakistan -- that it has bought and brought trouble for itself all along. At no point since its inception in August 1947, has Pakistan stayed true to truth, so to say. At every step of the way, it lied and cheated itself and the world. That was why it could not protect its own territorial integrity in 1971 when Bangladesh was carved out of erstwhile Pakistan. Most unfortunately, people like Mr. Tahir Iqbal appear blind to this ugly reality.