AFTER 55 years, the truth has finally prevailed. Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s anniversary was celebrated in Dhaka, with speeches emphasizing the immense struggle of Bengali Muslims for the creation of Pakistan. The reality is that Pakistan came into being largely due to the efforts of the leadership from Bengal, Bihar and Central Provinces. The speeches in Dhaka underscored the shared bond between Pakistan and Bangladesh, with some speakers even discussing the notion of a common defence against India under a nuclear umbrella.

The political reality is that had there been no Pakistan, there wouldn’t have been any Bangladesh. There is no doubt that India manipulated the events of 1971, taking advantage of the follies of Pakistan’s leadership, which led to naked aggression against a sovereign state. This act was carried out in violation of all norms of international law as well as the Partition Act of 1935. The fact remains that Indian Hindu leadership never anticipated Pakistan’s stability, believing it would not last more than six months. However, the Almighty had His own plans. It should not be forgotten that in 1962, Pakistan had a golden opportunity to take over Kashmir despite having fewer forces. Unfortunately, American pressure on President Ayub (as revealed in declassified documents) prevented him from pursuing this course. Pakistan suffered immensely both strategically and internationally.

Operation Gibraltar was not meant to proceed, yet it went ahead. It was a well-planned operation, but once again, American pressure was responsible for halting it. The operation was stalled due to a change in command. The Indian attack on the borders was anticipated, although Pakistan’s Foreign Minister had assured there would be no attack on the international border. This assurance proved hollow. Pakistan was fully prepared to counter it, effectively nullifying Indian intelligence. India failed to cross the BRB Canal. In the aftermath of the 1965 war, India began planning subversive activities in East Pakistan, having observed during the war that the province was not well protected militarily due to Pakistan’s scarcity of resources. Pakistan had only about five and a half divisions and could not afford to divide its forces between the two wings. This weakness was exploited by the Indians, leading to the Agartala conspiracy.

There is no doubt that Mujib was involved in the Agartala conspiracy alongside India, as later revealed in RAW papers. Unfortunately, West Pakistani politicians, for their short-term........

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