In-camera briefing: Making the army subservient

This step by the government is only the first of series that should be taken so that the Army can be forced to see the parliament as the source of executive authority rather than the GHQ.

I don’t think we should be expecting wonders on the first day - what I am hopeful for is that this will ‘wet the beak’ of the politicians and they will seek more such sessions from those who have deliberately and foolishly lead Pakistan away from the process of democracy.

Some more sessions of the military generals being forced to answer questions and finally, for once in this country’s history, made to sweat for their actions, and we will have the beginning of the end of the Army’s role as the arbitrator of Pakistan’s destiny.

Anyone who thought that merely restoring the judiciary would complete the revolution was living in a fool’s paradise. I was one of those who thought along these lines as well. The obstacles in having an independent judiciary with heroes like CJ Iftikhar Chaudhary restored are not really those placed by Zardari or the parties allied to him. It is the GHQ. Zardari and his cohorts with their allegations of corruptions do not have anywhere near as much to lose as the GHQ if an independent judiciary was given the power to clean up the rot and answer for all the great blunders - all of which were lead by the military - East Pakistan, Kargil, Siachin, and the policy on Afghanistan.

The step to convince the military to answer questions by parliamentarians is a first in starting the process to hold the Army finally accountable.

Already the politicians, particularly the opposition ones, have started to demand more answers.

Sources: The News, Dawn

Mullen comes to mull

Kiyani and Mullen have met today in Islamabad apparently to discuss why Pakistan won't let the US forces to intrude into the territories of Pakistan.

Shouldn't need an explanation but perhaps the United States is worried over the sudden burst of valor shown by the Pakistanis. For almost 7 years the Pakistanis bent over backwards for the war on terror and now a it seems a breaking point has been witnessed by the nation. The war on terror has gone terribly wrong and the USA has utterly failed to achieve anything in Afghanistan. It's convenient to slander what was a classic banana republic but now with a democratic dispensation, that may not be so easy.

It's best if all parties realize that they should cooperate rather than pursue failed policies over and over again. Hopefully the meeting will conclude with the conviction to eliminate terrorists and help Pakistan rebuild the fabrics of its torn western regions.

Destructive role of the Pakistan Army

Ayesha Siddiqa's book Military Inc. has given us a good foundation to understand the roles of the Pakistan Army which are well beyond the realm of their professional duties.

Although at times the book seems to be gasping for statistics, this attempt by Ms. Siddiqa nevertheless helps us understand the comprehensive infiltration of the Army and consequent destruction of Pakistani institutions. From housing schemes, construction firms, fertilizer plants and banks, the tentacles of the Milbus is well spread out.

It also reveals other misconceptions - i.e. that it's a Punjabi Army. Although there is truth to this, further inspection reveals that only 3 of the 34 districts of Punjab find representation.
In page 59, her research sheds light on the composition of the Army. It turns out 75% of the Pakistan Army is from three districts in Northern Punjab - presumably Rawalpindi, Attock and Chakwal. Another 20% of the Army recruits hail from 4-5 districts in the NWFP, leaving the rest of the 125 districts of the country with a 5% representation.

With such damning statistics already raising question marks on the ability of the Army to satisfy the heterogenous mix of the country, the intrusion into the markets and economic structures of Pakistan reflect extremely negatively on this institution. The fact that it has taken over through the barrel of the gun and maintains one pointed at the democratic leaders even today, gives the Armed Forces a menacing image. It makes sense then to see the same threatening posture used to make the politicians bow down, also be used to squeeze benefits from the state's financial institutions and fund what often are loss making enterprises benefitting an elite group of officers and their immediate beneficiaries.