The army is responsible for incapacitating democracy in the country, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif said on Friday.
Speaking at a reference held in the memory of late journalist Saleem Shehzad under the auspices of the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA), Nawaz said according to him the armed forces had sabotaged the Kashmir dispute the most.
The PML N chief said the presentation of the defence budget in the National Assembly was part of the Charter of Democracy. Criticising Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Nawaz said the PM should implement parliament’s resolution before asking US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to respect it. Talking about the deceased journalist, he asked the Supreme Court to take a suo motu action.
On the Kargil issue, Nawaz said former president Pervez Musharraf launched the Kargil attack without the consent of the civilian government and even the corps commanders were not taken into confidence before the offensive.
Various renowned journalists and human rights activists including SAFMA Secretary General Imtiaz Alam, Pakistan Today Editor-in-chief Arif Nizami, Mujeebur Rehman Shami, Jugnu Mohsin, Ahmad Rasheed, human rights activist Hina Jillani, and social activist Dr Akmal Hussain also spoke on the occasion.
The speakers criticised the armed forces on the recent developments that took place in the country, including the Abbottabad raid, attack on the PNS Mehran base, Shehzad’s murder and the cold-blooded killing of a citizen by the Rangers in Karachi.
Pakistan Today Editor Arif Nizami expressed grief over the increasing number of deaths of journalists in pursuit of their professional obligations. He said while everyone was busy demanding the formation of a commission to probe the death of Shehzad, the one formed on the killing of Osama bin Laden had died even before its birth. He said the killers of Shehzad would have been brought to justice by now had they not belonged to some state institution.
He said Nawaz was a different man now and understood the problems of the country. Imtiaz Alam said the government was not able to form a commission on Shehzad’s killing. “We do not blame any state institution but do not know how Shehzad was kidnapped in a broad daylight in a high security zone.”
Mujeebur Rehman Shami said the entire nation was protesting the killing of Shehzad. “I was surprised that the Supreme Court did not take notice on Saleem’s murder,” he said. Hina Jillani said the army was the biggest threat to the country, but “we should focus to change its line of direction”. Ahmad Rasheed urged to reform the foreign policy of the country and asked the military to end its “jihad” policy. A media commission was also announced on the occasion to follow Shahzad’s case and to pressurise the government to seek justice.
I disagree. During war, if someone creates hype against their own country’s army, it is not less than treason. This baldy himself is a product of armymen.
But "Army has incapacitated democracy" is a true statement though. More so if you recall Nawaz's kind of people are the product of the Army.
disagree. he is a bloody cheaper man in our politics, when Army hold the country he used to say, Army destroying our country and now he is saying Army is responsible for these circumstances………..
a BIG NO!!!
I won’t say any single individual or institution is responsible for the failure of democracy! but Mian sahab certainly has a major share in the said responsibility.
But all Pakistan has is only one institution, "the ARMY". Everything else is either a side-show or run by the Army (or it's proxy).
Disagree ..
Democracy need environment to flourish. Give the economic conditions in pakistan where 1/3 of the population is living below the poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition hunger when these conditions prevail you can’t teach people the ideals, fundamentals and rudiments of democracy and this is the very reason why feudalism is still dominate in much of the pakistan which subsequently has hampered the process of democratisation. I think what we need is to first make this country economically prosper otherwise things will move like this.
If (a big if) Pakistan's economy improves and more people (yes, a lot more people) gets a stake in it, Pakistan won't need a big army that dominates every Pakistani's life with ill effect on civility.
Power and strategic depth would come from the barrel of money. Pakistan won't get used as a torn piece of rag by US or China.
AGREEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Look who is talking. While little brother is assigned as Maalshia to Gen Kiani he (Nwaz Shrif, spelled deliderately) asking for a kick in his feminine backside. The socalled man will be the first to board a plane if there is a tyre burst in Raiwand. He will soon shoot himself in the foot.
900 chohay khanay kay baad…………….
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