Between Cricket, The Khyber Pass and Kashmir

 Gerhard Visser

Meintjeskop Ditaba No II/1998

Saul Pelle and I had the wonderful opportunity of attending an advanced diplomatic course in Islamabad from April to June 1998 at the invitation of the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad (and of course the approval from the Department after the necessary advertisement and screening process in the Department).

We knew very little about Pakistan and decided as the saying goes "the proof of the pudding is in the eating thereof' - we decided to keep an open mind and enjoy whatever comes our way.

Pakistan became very hot - between May and July the temperature never dipped below 41*C. The group was taken to the famous Khyber Pass on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan This pass which is situated in the North West Frontier Province is the graveyard of many British soldiers who served there during the colonial days.

The local tribe is called the Pathans, and they were never subdued by the British and even today they have some autonomy over their area. The African group's vehicle to the border post at Minchni was accompanied by a truckful of rifle carrying Pathans - who work hand in glove with the Pakistani army to keep law and order in their autonomous area. The Khyber Pass is one of the heaviest fortified passes in the world - with old and dilapidated fortresses on nearly every hilltop. A few of the old forts are still being used by the Pakistani army.

Although the area is relatively stable at the moment, it was a beehive of activity during the occupation of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union. Pakistan was then an important partner of the Americans and the West in their fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan.

At the Regimental headquarters of the Khyber Pass Rifles photos of every general in the American armed forces from 1980 - 1990 (who visited the Minchni border post to peep onto Afghanistan) decorate the walls. Even Princess Diana visited the Pass about one year before her death.

The Pakistanis are tremendously friendly and hospitable people and South Africans are welcomed with open arms. To be invited for a cup of tea by a Pakistani is a tremendous honour and should never be turned down. They do it all the time and it is a pleasure to listen to their stories and their hopes for a better life in this fine but volatile region

They all know and appreciate their cricket and the names of Jonty, Hansie, Gary and Shuan are household names among the children in Pakistan. Even in the isolated capital of Kashmir, Muzzafarabad, the children talked cricket to us and knew most of our players While we were there it became even hotter - figuratively.

All along we, as a group, had been observing on the Indian TV (which is also received in Pakistan) that the Indian Minister of Defence, Mr George Fernandes, had been becoming very pugnacious toward his neighbours and specifically China. He said that India was noticing intimidation from some of its neighbours and China, and the newly installed BJP government just wanted to make it quite clear that they would brook no recalcitrant behaviour from any neighbour including China.

China was a little non-plussed by all of this because they had had no issue with the new government. When Mr Fernandes mentioned that India would safeguard itself if provoked, we were wondering who was doing the provoking?

One morning early in May we woke up to the news that India had exploded five nuclear devices and they followed it up with another a few days later.

Pakistan was dismayed by this incitement by India and made it quite clear that India should be disciplined by the international community for this "shameless provocation and aggression". From that moment the war of words started between India and Pakistan. While the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was playing the statesman, his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gohar Ayub Kahn was telling the world that it was not a case of "if' but rather "when" Pakistan was going to follow suit.

Many delegations came from all over the world to try and discourage the Pakistanis from testing their own nuclear devices. The internal pressure multiplied on the Prime Minister to do it. Most of the rest of the world tried to deter him from doing so. Despite this Gohar Ayub Kahn was telling the world that it was a case of "when" and not "if'."

This became a reality on 28 May 1998 when the Prime Minister announced that Pakistan had exploded five nuclear devices and also followed it up a few days later with another blast.

This all happened when the African group of diplomats was visiting the disputed territory between India and Pakistan , Kashmir.

When the group left Pakistan there was an invitation on the table from India inviting Pakistan to talk about their differences.

We also attended lectures for six hours a day on every conceivable topic in the diplomatic, economic, finance, human rights, gender and protocol and etiquette fields The lecturers were of the highest quality and we came back fulfilled and better prepared to serve our Department and country.

Pakistan - what a wonderful country and an adventure which Saul and I will never forget.