Tacitly registering his concern over the debate in the media on the role of the army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Kayani on Wednesday said “the national institutions should not be undermined”.
“The debate (on TV channels) does not support national institutions as it works to de-motivate soldiers performing their duties in 20˚Celsius below the freezing point. We need to motivate our soldiers instead of demoralising them by such debates,” the COAS said while informally talking to a group of editors at the farewell dinner hosted by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani for the outgoing Air Chief Rao Qamar Suleman.
Though he did not specifically point out any particular talk show, he did say that the debate “in the evening” was not contributing positively. He referred to other countries, including Israel, and said they never talked about their intelligence agencies the way the ISI was discussed in Pakistan. “Even in countries like the United States, the role of agencies is not discussed publicly,” he said.
He admitted that mistakes did take place but it did not mean that the institutions should be undermined. “It takes very long to build institutions,” the COAS observed. About the role of the army in politics, Gen Kayani said he had taken a “conscious decision” to keep his institution out of politics. But when referred to the Mehran Bank scam, he said it had happened 20 years earlier and discussing it now was fighting history. “We should learn from the past, live in the present with a focus on the future,” he said. He rubbished reports that the army or the ISI was supporting PTI chief Imran Khan. “If anyone has any proof of this, it should be brought to the fore and it is also for Imran Khan to take notice of this allegation,” Gen Kayani said. On Balochistan, he said he had many a time said that there was no military operation going on in the province and there was no plan to set up new cantonments there. “The Sui cantonment has already been converted into a military college. Similarly, a medical college has been set up in Quetta and it has become operational,” he said, accepting that the only role the army had played was to resolve the disputes between the tribes as it was hampering development work in the province. About the missing persons, the COAS referred to a report already submitted with the Supreme Court and said there were only 47 missing persons in Pakistan as compared to 350 in India and 11,000 in Sri Lanka. However, he refrained from going into details, saying the matter was sub-judice. He said parliament was supreme and the issue of NATO supplies and relations with the United States would be in accordance with the decision of parliament which would meet on March 19. He said he had asked the US military officials not to visit Pakistan before the joint session of parliament which would draw fresh guidelines for relations with the United States and Pakistan’s role in the war on terror. Gen Kayani, however, confirmed that US CENTCOM commander General James Mattis would visit Pakistan by the end of March after the joint session of parliament framed new rules of engagement with Washington after the Salala incident.
Everybody loves to be above public scrutiny. Everybody has things they want to push under the rug. Everybody wants to be able to do whatever they wishes and be able to do it with impunity. Kyani is not a new thing in Pakistan.
What a weasel. He must have gotten the job by ass kissing. He is a coward. If I was him and Pakistan's sovereignity was violated, the least I would have done was resign for failing in my job to protect the borders of my country. I guess kiani has no shame and neither do any of the other corps comanders.
Kamran you are a idiot can you tell me after 9/11 from US who resign.US have world best intelligence and equipment but how this possible 5 plane Hijack from 5 diffrant airport and then they attack on diffrant place where is the US ARMY or CIA that time.
but on the other hand every body say where is ISI and PAk army when 2nd may US come to kill Osama.
For the first time he has taken the name of Imran khan in public. . . .
Salute to the general
I have done jobs in 50C and -15C that for a pittance and no gun at my hand to defend myself, shouldn't I be perturbed by what Beg, Mush, Pasha and Zia did to undermine civilian's rule?
Yes sir only Jamat ul Dawa , is acceptable on Television .. Kiyani Saabh. 🙂
This general like all the other generals live in another world. They want us to see everything the way they want. Its not possible. You have to change your mind set. No more military doctrines in pakistan. We want peace and you crazy generalls are just creating mess since last 60 years. So enough of your talks and let the people talk about the institutions they pay with there hard earned money. Its our money you are being paid from so mind it. You are not above the law.
Look Gen .Kayani you allowed the pandora box to be opened and now are trying to close it. Perceptions matter. Under you our soveringity is being raped , drone attacks continue unabbated. People start questioning the only ?reliable instituition in the country. I remember the late president JFK saying during Cuba and Vietnam crisis that he could not tolerate his salat and star wearing gens who only asked for more and more soldiers and delivered nothing. Let it not be said that about ours. We need friends not masters. The need is for a stable Pakistan, nothing else matters.
in simple i love my army and respect the job they doing for all of us…
Never in the history of pakistan has the Army been so insulted as it has been during kiani's term. Even the defeat in 1971 was not as humiliating as the last few years of kiani. Atleast that was over in a few days. This has lasted years. Kiani will be remembered in history as the most incompetent genaral Pakistan has ever had. He is an insult to a soldier's profession.
dear friends,,,,what so ever general has said i fully agree with him….If we want a prosperous and healthy Paqkistan,,we ned to forget our past but do remeber the foolies of past. Our def forces has still the best credability and popularity among the nation even greater than the political parties.Still people of Pakistan consider our def forces as the only institution which is gurantor to our country,s soveraignity. Discussing institutions in public is making job easy for our adversories who do not want our defence forces to be strong enough.Remeber forces without the support of gen masses are nothing and certainly such debates and discussions hurt the feelings of a common soldier….so decision is your. If we want to change the destiny of Pakistan,we need to change ourselves first and only than a positive change can come to our country…
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