By Adil Najam
It has been a tradition for as long as I can recall that on the 25th of December a contingent of cadets from the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), Kakul, takes over as the ceremonial honor guards at the mausoleum of the Quaid, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. This year, Jinnah’s 130th birth anniversary, was special because the PMA honor guard contingent included eight female cadets and one Sikh cadet.
The two pictures here are from Dawn and Daily Times. Indicative of the importance is the fact that the two newspapers use the titles ‘Winds of Change’ and ‘New Beginning’ to headline the pictures, respectively.
According to an Associated Press report in the Daily Times (27 December, 2006):
Eight female cadets from the Pakistan Army’s elite training academy on Monday became the first female honour guards at the mausoleum of Pakistan’s founder, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. State-run television showed the female contingent, clad in khaki cadet slacks, some wielding swords and others holding guns, marching to military tunes with their male colleagues in a ceremony at the mausoleum of Mr Jinnah, the Father of the Nation, in Karachi. In November, for the first time in the history of Pakistan, the Pakistan Military Academy Kakul opened its doors to women. In March, women also broke into the all-male air force when it inducted four women pilots.
Forty-one females joined the army academy to undergo a rigorous six months of military training along with men before being inducted as officers in various branches of the army. President Gen Pervez Musharraf, who attended ceremonies in Karachi marking the 130th birthday of Mr Jinnah, laid flowers at the mausoleum and praised the female cadets who are to graduate next April. “I am really impressed by the girls,� Musharraf said. “This is the future of Pakistan.� Previously, women had only served in the army’s medical corps without being trained at the academy. But the 41 female cadets at PMA will join the army as non-combat officers in the communication, engineering, legal and education branches.
Comments on this issue have already been flowing elsewhere on ATP but I thought these pictures were worth sharing and highlighting here. Readers would remember that earlier this year Aviation Cadet Saira Amin had won the coveted Sword of Honour for best all-round performance at the Air Force Academy in Risalpur and became the first woman pilot to have won the Sword of Honour in any defense academy of Pakistan. I should confess that a few days ago when I had contemplated naming an ‘ATP Pakistani of the Year’ she was one of the people I thought would make a great candidate as a symbol of women breaking into traditionally male-dominated professions.
@Abizab: beside personal attacks I haven’t found any thing useful in your
baselessrant. I don’t mind personal attacks and I always welcome if they help to learn something[emphasis added].[quote post=”492″]. And again if a girl in my family did this, its still her choice and business. Who are you to dictate her what to do or not to do a[/quote]
Offcourse I am irrelevent but yes your family members are not who would make the life of that girl hell by taunting her severely. I know you are trying to demonstrate yourself a broadminded and bold person but my friend I know that you are bold and broadminded on Internet only. I have seen lots of “moo k commando” like yours.
Let some girl of your family take part in such contest then everyone would hear things like “KHandan me naak katwadi” etc etc. You want to say that it doesn’t happen?
People try to demonstrate their enlightment by using others while they themselves keep their women at home and try their best that “nobody see them”. This is a Pakistani mentalityand everybody knows it. What I believe that If you dislike something for yourself, you should dislike for others as well. Many people talks about sex education in Pakistan,allowing alcholism etc etc, I say ok fine, but starts from home, bring your own family people first as role model because preaching starts from home. If you are happy with Pakistani girls taking part in bikni contest then go and start preaching your family women and girls to take part in it otherwise you would sound a hypocrite soul.
[quote post=”492″]Your involvement in my or for that matter anyone elses family business is not welcomed nor appreciated. And keep your judgements and opinions to yourself,[/quote]
Ah, so I was right. Your family was referred and it made you pissed and you are asking me to “mind your own business”. Why? why is it not appreciated? I am just repeating your words “whats the big deal about Pakistani girls in bikni”? do you want to say that you and your family is not part of Pakistan? it’s OK to appreciate women of others families but not yours? why is it like that? beyta jis baat par tum khud amal nahi karsaktay tu usko bolo bhe nahin.
[quote post=”492″]yours as the right one is imposing. Ofcourse yours will be rejected[/quote]
if it’s being imposed then how one could dare to reject it? ;) As you refuted yourself that everybody is free to reject hence I can’t impose anything at all *grin*.
[quote post=”492″]d nor my place to judge that;[/quote]
this is your fatwa:
[quote post=”492″]so lets not assume our Creator’s job and start declaring people infidels, kaffirs or whatever. This is probably borderline or maybe full on ‘Shirq’.[/quote]
what’s that? and where did you see I am demonstrating shirk on my blog or here? You have no idea what are you talking about.
[quote post=”492″]justifies your behaviour[/quote]
And what is my behaviour? elaborate it rather giving vague statments?
[quote post=”492″]you are fond of quoting Quran
So? Does it irk you? one can quote shairs,political statments,songs, what’s wrong If I quote Quran? I am not ashamed of it, are you?
[/quote]
No, it doesn’t Irk me nor I am ashamed of it, you missed my point which was this: “lets see a verse that justifies your behaviour?” – So can we or are you gonna come up with a new excuse?
[quote]No offense but I would like to know that how would your family people feel if some of your family woman takes part in such contest? I believe that a “Pakistani familyâ€
HuH An offense? did I abuse you and your dada? I am just disagreeing with that particular vision which was laballed as Jinnah’s vision.
[quote post=”492″]i think it was a wonderful gesture, one which should be applauded and appreciated.[/quote]
you aree free to share your opinion and I already mentioned in same forum why this is not a genuine step towards women welfare rather sending a signal to outer world that “we are doing”. Ground realities are very different. Go thru my earlier messages.
[quote post=”492″]you are fond of quoting Quran [/quote]
So? Does it irk you? one can quote shairs,political statments,songs, what’s wrong If I quote Quran? I am not ashamed of it, are you?
[quote post=”492″]correcting people[/quote]
Incorrect. I prefer to follow myself first rather sounding a preacher plus “Amar BilMaroof Wanahye An munkir” is a Quranic text not mine. GO thru it!.
[quote post=”492″]Also you bitch about Mush as a dictator then impose your views upon others.[/quote]
Its not about Mush, its all about mentality. I condemn Zia as well and condemned the things happened which caused 71 split. I was fond of Mush due to his “heroic” speeches specially Agra one but It doesn’t mean I have to “worship” him.
I am not a ruler, I am participating like you or others. If this is called imposing views then everyone here is imposing his/her views directly/indirectly.
[quote post=”492″]I am not sure whats the big deal about Pakistani Bikini girls?[/quote]
No offense but I would like to know that how would your family people feel if some of your family woman takes part in such contest? I believe that a “Pakistani family” wouldn’t appreciate it and for them a woman’s IZZAT is more than anything else. Replace a family with Pakistan and you would understand everything.
so I am a mushrik now? *grin*
Adnan,
Im not one to point fingers at people…However i take offense with your statement: “You and your dada really misinterpretated Jinnah’s vision”.
I dont think sending women to the Quaid’s moseleum was a lame stunt, i think it was a wonderful gesture, one which should be applauded and appreciated. Lets leave it at that…
You and i were not around when the Quaid was so we cant say whether his vision is being misrepresented but my grandfather was, so for the time being, ill take his word for it…
Adnan, you are one fiesty thing. Hey by the way I am not sure whats the big deal about Pakistani Bikini girls? Its their choice, they are free to do whatever they want. Who are you to judge them? No one gave you the right to judge others, and we all know the right for judgement is reserved for our Creator – so lets not assume our Creator’s job and start declaring people infidels, kaffirs or whatever. This is probably borderline or maybe full on ‘Shirq’.
I surfed your blog, you are fond of quoting Quran and correcting people, lets see a verse that justifies your behaviour?
Also you bitch about Mush as a dictator then impose your views upon others. I see the irony…