The British, proud of their glory and might, sent about one hundred expeditions one after the other against the Pukhtoons to subdue them by force but they did not yield to the enemy's military might.
<During their operation in the region, Pakistani forces have failed to make any significant arrests> This is a typically very off the cuff kind of journalist remark devoid of any seriousness as far as the realities on the ground and history of the area is concerned.
With its very limited resources Pakistan faces an enemy who is hidden in an area, which has a bloody reputation, without massive global effort ands help the rooting out of the core elements will continue to take time. All these areas where Raj could not even penetrate are the areas where Osama can possibly hide. Look at the task and the challenge and the meagre resources that we have as a nation at our disposal..
<<The Pukhtoons, or Pathans as they are better known, resisted violently all attempts by the Sikhs and later the British to subjugate or turn them into docile and obedient members of an enslaved community. They offered stubborn resistance and Inspite of their meager means and resources, the Pukhtoons carried on an un-ending war for the preservation of their liberty. The British, proud of their glory and might, sent about one hundred expeditions one after the other against the Pukhtoons to subdue them by force but they did not yield to the enemy's military might. According to Col. H.C. Wylly 62 military expeditions were despatched against the tribesmen between 1849-1908, besides every day small skirmishes. These included the famous Ambela campaign 1863, the Black Mountain expedition 1868, the Miranzai expedition 1891, the Hassanzai expedition 1894, the Dir and Chitral expedition 1895, the Tirah campaign 1897, and the Mahsud-Waziri expeditions 1897. As a result of this aggressive policy the whole frontier, from Malakand to Waziristan, flared up in revolt against the British in 1897. The frontier rising of 1897 engaged about 98000 trained and well equipped British Indian forces in a grim struggle. According to Col. H.D. Hutchison, the approximate strength of the Tirah expeditionary force alone was "1010 British Officers, 10,882 British troops, 491 native officers, 22,123 native troops, 197 hospital Assistants, 179 clerks, 19,558 followers, 8000 horses, 18,384 mules and ponies and 1440 hospital riding ponies". But to these figures, he says, "must be added an enormous number of camels, carts, ponies etc working on the long line of communication with Kohat and gradually brought into use as needs increased and the roads were improved". The British forces suffered 1150 casualties during the Tirah expedition. Similar was the fate of other expeditions as well. The operations against Mohmand in 1915-16, and Wazirs and Mahsuds between 1917-1920 and 1936 Waziri campaign also deserve special mention.
britishbattles.homestead.com;
N.B. No journalism or reporting is good without historical facts to accuse a nation of failure abjectly off hand by as senior an institution as BBC surprises me sometime. |
