Ayub Khan believed only Pak Army offered hope for countrys peace, stability

Former Pakistan President Field Marshal Muhammad Ayub Khan believed only the Army offered hope for peace and stability in his country.

Lahore, Aug 27 : Former Pakistan President Field Marshal Muhammad Ayub Khan believed only the Army offered hope for peace and stability in his country.

Retired Associated Press (AP) correspondent Watson Sims recounted his first encounter with the Field Marshal and recalled the latter having told him that Pakistan had many good public servants, but that they all suffered from a lack of direction and purpose.

"We will get some of these good chaps and put them in charge. Once the situation is under control, there will be new elections," Sims quoted Ayub as saying.

He said he flew to Karachi immediately, upon hearing an All Radio Bulletin report that the government in Pakistan had been dismissed.

He requested for a meeting with President Iskander Mirza, but found out soon enough that the Pakistan Army had started running the affairs of the country.

"We could hear someone pacing up and down behind curtained doors at one side of the office. Mirza, visibly ill at ease, said the government was dismissed because it had been unable to control the country's widespread lawlessness. There would be new elections, but important issues had to be resolved before a date could be chosen," Sims wrote in his article 'Exclusive from Pakistan: My Most Memorable Assignment'.

"Suddenly, the doors to the balcony were thrown open and a strapping, moustached man in the khaki uniform of the Pakistan Army entered the room. Quickly, General Muhammad Ayub Khan took command of the meeting," Sims said.

He said Ayub told him that Pakistan had drifted into disorder under its civilian government, and that the army offered its only hope for stability and peace.

Sims said he then asked whether he could leave and send his story, to which President Mirza protested, saying it was "off the record".

Sims said Ayub told him that he might send his story after first letting his assistant, General Yahya Khan have a look at it, which was done within half an hour.

General Yahya, according to Sims, only challenged one word.

"Why do you say this is a 'luxurious' palace? It is not nearly as luxurious as your White House," Sims quoted General Yahya as telling him.

Sims said, later the story became a worldwide AP exclusive.

According to a Daily Times report, later, when a Pakistani journalist asked Ayub at his first press conference why the country had been forced to learn of its change of government from a foreign news agency, the Field Marshal said, "Well, none of you chaps asked me".

The column appears in the Columbia Journalism Alumni Journal's summer 2007 issue.

ANI