Time to change the self-imposed guardians
For decades the establishment has acted as the sole interpreter of what constitutes the “supreme national interest”. Military rulers of the past have invoked the concept to raise nurseries of politicians at great expense to national exchequer, knocked together alliances to defeat parties they arbitrarily considered as security threat and bolstered leaders only to bundle them out at will. Other crimes committed included bringing together bands of extremists from all over the world and settling them in tribal areas and creating ethnic and sectarian terrorist outfits. The former ISI Chief Lt Gen (retd) Asad Durrani admitted in the SC that during the 1990 elections he distributed Rs 140 million among anti-PPP politicians on the orders Ghulam Ishaque Khan in the “supreme national interest”.
Who is to decide what constitutes national interest? Jinnah conceived of Pakistan as a modern parliamentary democracy. Under this system parliament defines national goals strictly in accordance with the constitution. It cannot, for instance, direct its officials to commit illegalities or order security e agencies to deprive anyone of his life or liberty in the name of national interest.
What should a civilian or army officer do if ordered by superiors to commit acts in violation of his oath, constitution and law? He can submit to the orders, knowing that they are illegal, to please the superiors and thus gain personal benefits. By doing this, however, he brings bad name to his institution besides causing suffering to the people. An official can alternately refuse to carry out the illegal orders which is the only honourable course for a man of conscience, whether in civilian clothes or uniform. As this can harm one’s career, this is generally the road not taken. As those willing to act as tools have not received their comeuppance in the past, more and more are willing to take the much trodden path.
It has been a common practice among presidents wearing military uniform to undertake the engineering of elections to support their own group of politicians. But on does not expect an elected president to create an election cell to favor one party against another. The president being the head of the state has to be neutral and uncommitted to any political party. If he claims the privileges of the office he has to fulfill its obligations also. Presidency in the past has often been turned into a center of intrigues against the opposition parties. This has led to charges of the pitch being queered against the opposition. It is time to ensure that this does not happen again.
