Ambassador Ivo Zdarek's death to affect Pak-Czech economic ties

“Do not hate and detest each other because it will lead to calamities and bad luck.” ~ Hazrat Ali (A.S.).

The body of the Czech Ambassador to Pakistan, His Excellency Mr Ivo Zdarek, who had died like a Shaheed in the terrorist attack on Islamabad’s Marriott Hotel on Sept 20, 2008, was sent back to his parents, family and countrymen in Prague on Monday from the Chaklala airbase amidst a befitting send off reserved for martyrs who give their lives to save the lives of others.

Today, suicide terrorists fight what they see as a war against their Western enemies, and the West and East again face each other uneasily across a divide that many see as a religious war. As ever, it is innocent civilians who are slaughtered. These terrorists are apt to cast their enemies in the role of “incarnate fiends” and simplistically equate their inhuman acts to combating pure evil. Little do they realize that it is they who, in reality, practice pure evil by blowing up defenceless women, men and children and by jeopardising the very existence of the country that they should be fighting to protect. As shown by this young Czech leader, greatness lies not in taking lives but in saving them.

To the elements, which have their interests in seeing a destabilised Pakistan, the attack on Marriott Hotel must have come as some sort of a sadistic victory, since such tragedies tend to cause principal damage, political and economic, to the home country. Fortunately, for Pakistan, its well-wishers and time-tested friends, instead of abandoning it in this hour of trial and need, came forward with their much needed help and support. Messages of sympathy and assistance were received from all quarters of the globe. Most importantly the Czech government itself came forward to assure Pakistan that it plans to continue to extend full cooperation and stand next to its friend in jointly defeating these common enemies.

To the people who knew him closely, Ambassador Ivo was a dynamic personality, a thorough professional and true diplomat. A graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, he previously held senior diplomatic posts in China and Vietnam. He served as consul-general in Shanghai from 1995 to 1999, before becoming ambassador to Vietnam in Hanoi from 2004 to August 2008.