Would not be wise to take it
Those wishing to see the general in the office beyond the fortnight have a lot to support their argument
Hardly a fortnight is left in the expiration of the term of Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif but the federal capital is rife with influential people making claims of a full term extension being offered to the army chief again. Will he hang up his boots or will the government grant him an extension?
Those wishing to see the general in the office beyond the fortnight have a lot to support their argument and one of them is that the army chief has postponed all ceremonies arranged for his farewell.
Those making the claim say that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was unhappy with the idea but was being pressed by three friendly countries – Saudi Arabia, Qatar and China — to accord a full three-year term to the outgoing general.
Informed sources say that Saudi Arabia and Qatar wanted the general to stay to deal with the menace of terrorism and also support their ambitions in the Gulf. Moreover, they claim, China also wanted Gen Raheel Sharif to stay as Beijing saw him as a stability factor in Pakistan and the key to smooth and swift completion of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Now, since I am a frequent visitor to China and meet its leadership quite often, I don’t buy this argument at all. The Chinese leadership is prudent enough to pursue the policy of non-interference into affairs of sovereign states. China’s visionary core leader Xi Jinping has a special commitment to the policy of non-interference.
So Beijing would never advise the Pakistani leadership about its internal affairs. China only moves to help when Pakistan seeks its support economically, diplomatically or militarily. Otherwise, China wants Pakistan to grow on its own strength with indigenous planning.
One won’t wonder however on claims of interference from Arab monarchs. They have developed a habit of interfering in Pakistan’s internal affairs. From the mushroom growth of sectarian and extremist outfits to the meddling into affairs of our foreign policy vis-a-vis our neighbours, Arab monarchs always mess with Pakistan.
Starting from the request of pardoning Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to winning a safe exit for Nawaz Sharif and his family, Arab monarchs have always influenced Pakistan’s top leadership.
Let me put it straight that with strained civil, military relations, especially after the episode of publishing of a planted story in Dawn and the government’s reluctance to probe the matter effectively, there is a little or no vista for General Raheel Sharif to seek another term.
Now, an extension of the services of the army chief could be straw that broke the camel’s back
The way the federal government has been dragging its feet for a probe into the matter itself reflects that the top guns are involved and this further aggravates the civil-military tiff.
The army believes that Dawn’s story was a part of an international plot to label Pakistani armed forces as a ‘rogue army’. The story provided enough meat to adversaries to build up on this claim.
Hence, this story’s publication has created a huge gulf between the military establishment and the civilian leadership. The military leadership has serious doubts whether the ruling elite is a part of the problem? Now the conduct of the ruling family would determine the future of civil-military ties.
The friction between the civilian and military leadership has gone to the extent that the army chief had refused to visit the prime minister’s House recently on the pretext that conversation is not secure out there.
Resultantly, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had to visit the army house seeking a meeting with General Raheel Sharif.
The handout issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) about the meeting which took place between the civilian and military leadership did not use the word “leak”. Rather, it referred the leak as a “planted story” — a term also used by the civilian leadership in their successive handouts later.
In a recent conversation, Lt General (R) Amjad Shoaib said the army believes the only way to normalise civil-military relations is that the government should hand over all the suspects it has mentioned in its report presented to the prime minister. However, it never happened.
Since those responsible for the leak are found in the government’s lap, the army leadership would keep insisting for their handover so legal action can be taken by the army under the Official Secret Act. This is the only way to normalise tensions, says General Amjad Shoaib.
He also claimed that those found involved in the planted story would be tried under the Army Act for their involvement in a breach of a national security affair. The army chief, either the present or the future, would never compromise over this matter until those responsible are tried under the law, he maintained.
There is an urgent need for the review of the civil-military mechanism in place to thrash out issues. The lack of communication has badly impacted civilian control over the decision-making process. This has also resulted in increased suspicion, mistrust and trepidation on both sides.
Civil-military relations in Pakistan have a long history of doubts, mistrust and fears. Lust for more power, the absence of accountability, encroachment into each other’s domains and lack of communication have led to friction between state institutions.
Whether it was the most powerful prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto versus the most feeble-looking but cunning General Ziaul Haq or the power hungry Nawaz Sharif versus an adventurist commando General Pervez Musharraf, suspicions and fears never allowed smooth civil-military ties.
While the army, under General Raheel Sharif’s doctrine, has made enormous gains in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations on the ground, it has also considerably overhauled its image among the public at large.
Successive surveys have reflected unprecedented public approvals for the army chief – thanks to his achievements and his public posturing. Credit must also go to the propaganda arm of the armed forces – the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) — which under its dynamic leader General Asim Bajwa played a key role in the image building of Gen Raheel Sharif.
On the other hand, unlike the general, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has failed in proving himself a saviour of the nation. Starting from his first day in office, Mr Sharif, who is enjoying his third stint as the country’s chief executive, has not been up to the mark.
Mr Sharif, initially, tried to follow the model of accommodation, set by former President Asif Zardari, by letting all his friends and foes among politicians to get their share of the booty. From Altaf Hussain to Asfandyar Wali and from Zardari to Maulana Fazlur Rehman, nobody was held responsible for their wrongdoings in the past.
However, the prime minister could not handle Imran Khan who proves to be an irritant for all other politicians as well. Khan, a novice in this politics of loot and accommodation, could not fit in and hence has been at odds with everyone.
There is a growing feeling that the civilian leadership is not serious about taking Operation Zarbe Azb to its logical end. Moreover, most of the big fish arrested are being allowed to go home, the army is inching backwards from its stated position of taking the operation to its conclusion.
General Raheel Sharif, despite his successes in the war on terrorism, failed to materialise claims of “breaking the nexus between corruption and terrorism”. The last time General Raheel Sharif made this claim was on 1 October this year on the eve of a ceremony held to observe the National Day of Peoples Republic of China.
Later, it has been learnt that the general had been advised not to pursue the claim as the government was a major irritant in breaking this nexus. The following events proved the army chief right. Dr Asim Hussain, the only big fish arrested by Rangers with claims of obtaining enough evidence of supporting and financing the terrorists, has now been relieved after being awarded bail.
The general has also failed in launching an operation in Punjab as part of a longtime claim of the army to take the Operation Zarbe Azb to the urban centres of the country where the sleepers and facilitators of terrorists have taken refuge after fleeing from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
Now, an extension of the services of the army chief could be straw that broke the camel’s back. The good hard work done by General Raheel Sharif could go down the drain if he accepts any extension on one pretext or the other.
The soldier who has won hearts and minds of the people at large could damage all his gains if he does not go home per his announcement made around eight months back. Else, not only would he lose his charm, the institution may also suffer, as the civilian leadership, the army has to deal with, is too selfish and too shortsighted.
