- Not a limited over match
The clarification sought by PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman from the GHQ would have been unnecessary if Prime Minister Imran Khan had not been reiterating again and again that the Army was on the same page with his government. The statement was repeated whenever the opposition criticized Mr Khan’s economic blunders or the shortcomings of his Kashmir policy. A year and a half back, the PTI government appointed COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa a member of the National Development Council (NDC) presided over by the PM ‘to accelerate economic growth and improve coordination among the provinces and the federation’. This was perceived by many as an attempt to make the Army a stakeholder in the PTI administration and share blame for the failure of the government’s policies. Instead of maintaining that the Army was subservient to every government, Mr Khan boasted that it stood behind him for it knew that he was honest.
The components of the opposition’s alliance have all along praised the Army’s role as the defender of the country’s borders. They recognize that the Army personnel guarding the front lines round the clock perform the onerous task of safeguarding the independence and security of the motherland. Pakistan however has also a long history of military coups and the Army’s interference in civilian affairs. There is a widespread consensus now that the Army needs to be seen to be concentrating fully on its constitutional responsibility of defending the country’s physical borders.
It goes to the DG ISPR’s credit that he responded to the clarification sought by the PDM chief politely, without losing his cool like Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed. His call for the Army not to be dragged into politics was meant for not only the PDM but also for the government, because responding to a question he affirmed that the Army has had no backdoor contact with the opposition parties, thus belying the PM’s claim about the opposition trying to incite rebellion against his government. The fight for civilian supremacy is going to be a nerve-testing match. A step by step approach and display of moderation can ensure that there are no jolts to the system.
