The apparent ambivalence of the government towards the security forces is not very difficult either to see or decipher for the public, but what remains an enigma is that it is being perpetuated since eternity, a trend no civilian established democracy had the slightest inclination of revising.
The Prime Minister just the other day was found publicly owning the Pakistani armed forces which is a good thing keeping the previous distrust between the civilian and military establishments in mind. But the respected leader has to answer to all those who demand to know how one can own something and still not be bothered about them only except at times when the need arises.
The need, it seems, arises more often than desired as the government remains unable to perform its various functionalities, thus ordering its very own army to accomplish mission impossible for it but takes serious offence when rewards and facilities are threatened to be shared.
Take the case of the recent event when all hell broke loose as once again, the civil authorities could not manage the security tasks that were long handed over completely to the armed forces due to which vehicles of a certain minister had to be stopped to make space for a four star general on the Constitution Avenue. Apparently, a dose of his own medicine did not go down well for the minister.
Similarly, the hue and cry that emanated from Islamabad at the outcome of the third round of the Pak-US strategic dialogue exemplifies the uniformity of attitudes as funds that were meant only for the armed forces were spelled as treachery of the worst order. Is treachery only of monetary gains important? What about the governments inability to establish law and order in terrorist infested areas that had been cleared by the army but are once again taken over by the Taliban?
Put to the test once again, despite being engaged in multiple tasks, the army has been called by the government for the recovery of electricity bills in Khyber Pukhtukhwa, FATA and all those who refuse to pay their tokens as the increased pressure from the IMF leaves no other option for the government. The decision to take the services of the forces hinges largely on the utter failure of the government departments to stop power theft.
UMAR QAYYUM MALIK
Islamabad
