Stop the egocentric war

The state structure of every country needs to be free from any disparity and the parameters of each organ need to be defined. Every organ within a state has a given mandate be it the executive, legislature, judiciary or the bureaucracy and each must respect the other’s prerogative, in order to, effectively run the country.

In most modern day democracies of the world, the legislature is considered the supreme law making body and not just a law making body but even the highest enforcer of law. Senate committees throughout the United States have the mandate to bring into question any subject matter of any given situation and even the most executive branches of the state structure are answerable when it comes to across the board accountability. The department of justice of USA is an autonomous body which can even bring into question the day to day activities of their commander in chief who is the President.

Despite having differences with certain individuals occupying a particular chair, everyone respects the chair for what it is and continues to preserve its sanctity. It is out of question to make the chair itself controversial. Millions might not agree with Donald Trump, regardless, they still haven’t stopped respecting the sanctity of the oval office.

Our country needs to adopt some of these measures in order to strengthen the overall state structure. Rather than a heightened confrontation between different legs of the state, we should pacify between the same and find common ground.

These tussles within take toll on the country as a whole. For a first, international players perceive this as a weak point and make repeated attempts to exploit the same. For the very reason even statements passed by any department individually should be strictly vetted and, ideally, be in the best interests of the country and not just the said department.

Just this past week an interesting but, at the same time, thought provoking development was witnessed. DG ISPR Gen. Asif Ghafoor passed a statement showing concern for the economic development of Pakistan. There is absolutely no harm in showing concern for the country after all the establishment is an integral part of the country. The question that arises is, how many times has the civilian government raised their concerns about a G3 missing bullets, or a mortar gun not greased properly. It’s not the statement itself which is the predicament, what unfolded as the bigger problem is the message generated to our foreign enemies. Within a stroke of one tweet, the world at large believes the establishment to be a separate entity.

As much as we sugarcoat an entire scenario, what isn’t right should never be justified and if for once the establishment has called the wrong shots then they must be corrected. Without living in fear, we the people should be able to call out the wrong people. If our elected officials can be made to answer for their actions then I find no reason to suggest that the establishment should be immune from the same. As citizens of Pakistan, the army is our army and not a separate entity. There is no state within a state and everyone should freely be able to comprehend it.

The establishment has no business commenting publicly on the economic conditions of the country without consulting the civilian government at least. As much as some people might dislike, the fact is that a head of the state is the head and all other functionaries are sub-ordinate to it. Like all other departments, the Chief of Army Staff is also notified on his post by a bureaucratic secretary of defense. Ideally, there shouldn’t be any difference between servants of the armed forces and other public servants.

On the other hand a certain degree of caution should be exercised by the civilian government as well. Irrespective of all political affiliations, the interior minister for once was right in saying that the army indeed has no business regarding the economic conditions of Pakistan. The only problem is he should have conveyed this very message behind closed doors, in order, to avoid a skirmish publically. What impression does this reflect to the world when two branches of the state structure are busy passing statements against each other in public? Both of the even have the audacity to make counter come backs again and again.

Rather than fighting an egotistical battle in the media and making a fool out of the country, it would have been wise enough for both members to sort out their difference of opinion behind closed doors and show the world a bold and most importantly unified front.

It doesn’t stop over there though. Economic debate aside, the civilian government without consulting the army beforehand doesn’t have the mandate to make offers of joint military operations on Pakistani soils. This is one topic which the establishment addressed rightfully as it falls within their scope of operation.

Another nonsensical move on part of the federal government was to offer joint military operations to the thankless Americans. The army by taking a bold stance, of no foreign boots on soil, made the right decision in all probabilities. It is the Army’s job to lay down the tactical measures that need to be adopted and civilians not qualified for the job cannot call the shots on their own.

For greater progress we need to limit the existing divide between these organs of the state. The last thing Pakistan needs at the moment is an internal conflict of this scale. If the rift between the civil-military bureaucracy is not sorted out, unfortunately there can be no prosperous future for our beloved motherland. For the sake of this soil, every department and organ of the state should remain within their defined parameters and should not exceed their mandate. As an optimist I hope to see the day when across the board accountability actually means across the board.