Unnecessary delays
Two important matters related to the army are currently on the PM’s table. One, the investigation into the source of a story published in a local English daily about a civ-mil spat during a high level security meeting last month. Second, the selection of the next chief of army staff (COAS) after Raheel Sharif’s three year term ends on the 28th of this month.
As far as the investigation is concerned, the army is not satisfied with the government’s offering of its information minister Pervez Rashid who has been suspended until the investigation is complete on the grounds that he did not do enough to stop the story from being published. Chaudhry Nisar after having vowed to unveil the culprits very soon has so far been unable to produce any such person(s) in 20 days. That he has submitted an application for medical leave to the PM means that the investigation will be further delayed and the army further annoyed.
Apart from few news items that list names of the next possible COAS – something that can be found with a simple Wikipedia search – there is no concrete suggestion as to who the next top general will be. After having announced rather prematurely earlier this year that he will not take any extension, Raheel Sharif should have known who he would be handing over the mantle two months ago. Nawaz Sharif has made this decision four times before this so it is not rocket science to him.
The probe has to be concluded in a timely fashion as it was a breach of security. The next chief has some big shoes to fill and he will literally have no time to catch up as we are in an active state of war. With pressures from the opposition, protests on the street regarding corruption allegations which the judiciary has now taken up, economic woes and the massive undertaking of CPEC, it does not suit the government to drag its feet on issues related to the army.
