In an illuminating column in Pakistan's Urdu-language daily Roznama Express, senior Pakistani columnist Tanveer Qaiser Shahid recently examined the fate of people before and after the fall of authoritarian regimes. The column was published after the Bashar Al-Assad regime fell in Damascus and the opposition led mainly by Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) leader Abu Mohammad Al-Joulani captured power.
The column, titled, "From The Fall Of Dhaka To The Fall Of Damascus, Tanveer Qaiser Shahid," published three days before the 53rd anniversary of the December 16, 1971 fall of Dhaka, in which East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, seceded from West Pakistan, examined instances of popular uprisings overthrowing governments – especially in Iran, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and now Syria.
Shahid argues that, in these countries where popular uprisings dislodged authoritarian rulers, people have suffered and the external powers who supported these revolutions have also not benefited from such revolutionary change. He notably gives the example of Pakistan, which supported the Afghan Taliban but is now in a state of war with the jihadi rulers of Afghanistan.
A screenshot of the article
Following are translated excerpts from the article:[1]
"Almost Half A Century Ago, It Was The Same Day, Dates, And Month When The Fall Of Dhaka Occurred [Formally On December 16, 1971] – Pakistan Was Divided, And The Hearts Of The Western Pakistanis Were Torn Apart" After East Pakistan Became Bangladesh
"Almost half a century ago, it was the same day, date, and month when the Fall of Dhaka occurred [formally on December 16, 1971]. Pakistan was divided, and the hearts of the Western Pakistanis were torn apart [after East Pakistan became Bangladesh]. This was the result of the incompetence, crookedness, and injustice toward the people by our autocrats, the powerful, and all those in power, which brought the Fall of Dhaka before the whole world. And 53 years after the Fall of Dhaka, the Fall of Damascus has occurred. The 50-year rule of the Al-Assad family and Bashar Al-Assad's 25-year rule over Syria (or Al-Suriya) has come to an end.
"The cause is the same incompetence, crookedness, and oppression of their own people! Bashar Al-Assad, demonstrating cowardice and weakness, fled his country along with his family and has allegedly taken refuge in his benefactor country, Russia. Today, Syria is abandoned. The Syrian government forces have scattered. The shadows of further bloody civil war are looming over Syria. Taking advantage of the golden opportunity, Zionist Israel has further occupied Syria's mountainous region (the Golan Heights).
"During the last one-and-a-half decades, in several parts of Syria, extremist groups and terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State [ISIS] had been executing continuous bloody and destructive operations against Bashar Al-Assad's government. These terrorist activities weakened the Syrian government significantly.
"Economically, militarily, socially, and geographically, this was bound to happen. The end and outcome were inevitable, as occurred in the beginning of the second week of December 2024: the Fall of Damascus! In the form of Bashar Al-Assad, the sun of the 'Assad' family's and the 'Ba'ath party's five decades of oppressive rule has set in Syria.
"The decisions of fate are indeed strange. Fifty years ago, a Syrian Air Force officer, Hafez Al-Assad, seized control of Syria in a way similar to which toward the end of 2024, the rule of the Assad family and the 'Alawite sect' has reached its conclusion. How ironic are these moments that when Bashar Al-Assad's rule ended, no one was seen mourning the Assad family. A lesson for those with open eyes!"
"After The Fall Of Tehran, We Also Witnessed And Heard About The Fall Of Baghdad [In 2003] And The Fall Of Tripoli [In 2011]"
"Almost 53 years ago, we witnessed and heard the scene of the Fall of Dhaka. In the Dhaka tragedy, India, Russia, and the United States played similar roles. We kept mourning and throwing dust on our heads. Pakistan was shattered, and in place of East Pakistan, 'Bangladesh' came into existence.
"However, the caravan moved forward. Our tears slowly dried. Seven or eight years after the Fall of Dhaka, we all witnessed and heard the scene of the Fall of Tehran [in 1979]. In the face of public pressure, a king collapsed.
"In Iran, the end of a powerful monarch and the Pahlavi dynasty took place. The Shah of Iran, Reza Shah Pahlavi, had to flee the country with his family and hidden wealth, seeking refuge in Egypt, as no Western country was willing to shelter the king. In Egypt, he died in destitution, and no one, except for his wife, shed tears over his body.
"After the Fall of Tehran, we also witnessed and heard about the Fall of Baghdad [in 2003] and the Fall of Tripoli [in 2011]. The governments of President Saddam Hussein and Colonel Gaddafi were brought down by the United States, Western powers, and terrorists. Saddam Hussein was hanged, and Colonel Gaddafi was brutally killed. Iraq and Libya were drenched in rivers of blood."
"After Four Decades, We Witnessed And Heard About The Fall Of Kabul [In 2021]; During The Taliban's Takeover Of Kabul, Just Like The Shah Of Iran And Bashar Al-Assad, The Ruler Of Kabul, Ashraf Ghani, Had To Abandon Everything"
"After four decades, we witnessed and heard about the Fall of Kabul [in 2021]. During the Taliban's takeover of Kabul, just like the Shah of Iran and Bashar Al-Assad, the ruler of Kabul, Ashraf Ghani, had to abandon everything and flee the country under the cover of darkness. And now, the scene of the fall of Damascus and Bashar Al-Assad's flight. How the signs of once-prominent figures fade away!
"In light of the recent global event of the Fall of Damascus, there are several questions that dominate the horizon of the mind: Specifically, India played a role in shaping the Fall of Dhaka, thinking and planning that it would always have control and dominance over Dhaka. Today, Dhaka harbors the most hatred toward India.
"In the success of the Fall of Tehran, the most significant role was played by the Iranian secular parties and politicians, alongside the Iranian scholars. Today, where are those secular Iranian figures who played central roles? They are nowhere to be found. The powerful Iranian religious and ruling factions have pushed them far behind.
"In the Fall of Kabul, the Pakistani [military] establishment played a fundamental and crucial role, thinking that Pakistan's interests in Kabul would be safeguarded and that its western border would forever remain a haven of peace. Today, Pakistan's western border has become extremely insecure due to the Mullah [i.e., clerical] Taliban rulers of Kabul. The government of the Afghan Taliban to the west of Pakistan has become a leprosy for Pakistan and Pakistanis.
"Thus, we can say that the international forces that destroyed the lamp of the Assad family in Syria and handed over the reins of power in the state of Syria in the hands of a former prominent member of Al-Qaeda and ISIS, Ahmad Hussain Al-Shar'a aka Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani, those world powers should not be under any misunderstanding."
Since The Fall Of The Regimes In Their Countries "The People Of Bangladesh Have Completely Lost Their Dreams Of Happiness And Prosperity"; "The Majority Of Iranians Long To Flee The Country To Breathe Free Air"; "Where Do The Afghan People Stand Today? The Deprivations Of Afghans Have Increased"
"This question is also very important that since the Fall of Dhaka, the people of Bangladesh have completely lost their dreams of happiness and prosperity. The situation is that even today most Bangladeshis dream of escaping to India and Pakistan.
"After the Fall of Tehran, were the arms of the revolutionary people of Iran filled with the flowers of happiness, prosperity, and freedom? Even today, the majority of Iranians long to flee the country to breathe free air. Against the background of the new strict law recently implemented by the Iranian government for hijab [veiling of women], the reaction of the Iranian people is remarkable. The Iranian religious forces have received all the benefits of the Iranian revolution, but the Iranian people continue to be deprived.
"And after the Fall of Kabul, where do the Afghan people stand today? The deprivations of Afghans have increased. The freedoms of Afghan women, in particular, have been lost. Every Afghan wants to escape from the Taliban's totalitarian Afghanistan. More than four million Afghan refugees also do not want to go to Afghanistan from Pakistan."
"In The Overthrow Of The Assad Family's Rule In Syria, While Western, American, And Israeli Powers Have Played Their Overt And Covert Roles, Syria's Neighbor, Turkey, Has Also Played A Prominent Part"
"And now, we will soon see what the feelings and thoughts of the people of Syria after the Fall of Damascus will be. Estimates are that the situation of the people of Syria at the hands of the new rebel and occupying forces is going to be the same as what is happening at the hands of the powerful religious forces in Iran and Afghanistan.
"In the overthrow of the Assad family's rule in Syria, while Western, American, and Israeli powers have played their overt and covert roles, Syria's neighbor, Turkey, has also played a prominent part. However, it should be remembered that just as Pakistan, located next to the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, faces daily issues and troubles, global analysts suggest that in a similar manner, Turkey may also (God forbid) fall victim to problems and troubles at the hands of the new ISIS occupiers in Syria.
"The reason is the same: these 'jihadist' rulers, once in power, not only fail to live in peace themselves but also do not allow their neighbors to live in peace. Some also say that the fall of Bashar Al-Assad's rule in Syria also signifies the end of Iran's and Hezbollah's influence in Syria."
[1] Express.pk (Pakistan), December 13, 2024.