After a new SPD chief

War, too important an issue to be left to the generals alone

Among the issues the PML-N government has to deal with is rationalising the country’s defence expenditure not only on account of the financial crunch it faces but also to fulfill the promise to ameliorate the lot of the common man. The military plays a crucial in role in defending the geographical boundaries of the country. It has therefore to be well-trained and well-equipped. Aware of the military’s vital role successive governments have allocated huge chunks of the budget to cater to its needs. However when institutions, civil or military, are given a free hand to determine their own needs, their demands tend to cross reasonable limits. Military rulers are to open to fulfill whatever demands are put up by what they consider to be their constituency. An elected civilian government which is answerable to people is best situated to mediate between the military demands and the requirements of social development to create a balance.

The SPD is one the military departments whose needs have continued to multiply since it was set up in 2001. The SPD administers National Command Authority’s policies over the country’s nuclear and missile programmes. It oversees the research, development, production and manufacturing of Pakistan’s ballistic and cruise missile arsenal. Among its duties, the SPD trains and maintains the force that provides security to Pakistan’s nuclear programmes and assets. Earlier this year, Lt Gen Kidwai also saw the induction of the first indigenous fleet of surveillance drones. All these functions are highly important. In its hunch for perfecting miniaturised nuclear weapons for limited battlefield use, the department has reportedly accumulated an arsenal of between 100 and 120 nuclear weapons. This is supposed to preempt India’s offensive ‘Cold Start’ doctrine. The doctrine takes advantage of India’s much larger conventional forces to inflict a quick defeat on specific Pakistani forces or border regions before the GHQ can fully mobilise. Pakistan has concentrated on building miniaturized nuclear weapons that can be specifically targeted on invading Indian military formations. It has simultaneously concentrated on building delivery systems needed to target enemy positions.

The military expenditure has to be in line with the strength of a country’s economy. No war can be won without widespread public support. In a country where an alarmingly large number of citizens live below the poverty line and where social infrastructure is in shambles the government needs to increasingly look for new ways to resolve its disputes with neighbours giving primacy to diplomacy. Complicated issues like Kashmir have to be put on the back burner and business and trade relations expanded to create a peace lobby in India that can exert pressure on the Indian government to reduce military expenditures and abjure nuclear weapons. With the government enjoying massive mandate one expects it to take decisions on crucial defence related issues from an overall national perspective. War is too important an issue to be left to the generals alone.