Who other than an army general can say to a journalist “shut up, idiot”. Some Pakistani generals are not ordinary human beings, they are supermen, self-claimed saviours of Pakistan. We should not forget that it was generals who assumed the role of the saviour and pushed the country off the track envisioned by M A Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan. Not all are same though. I have personally met a general who posed himself as a superman and treated me with the mindset that I really was a bloody civilian. On the other hand, I have also met a general who never allowed superficial power to stiff his neck. He showed the impression that he believed that real saviours were the people of Pakistan. The generals are public servants and are supposed to be subservient to the elected civilian governments.
The people never mandated them to assume the role of saviours. Why can’t generals be criticised and questioned and why don’t they have any answers? Why don’t they have the ability to listen to criticism? Why don’t they allow another point of view? Why have they lost the virtue of tolerance?
Every Pakistani, irrespective of his/her status, should respect the constitution and strive for rule of law, if we want to have any respect in the world.
S T HUSSAIN
Lahore