ISLAMABAD – Eminent political and defence analysts and intellectuals on Wednesday said establishing a constitutional equation of Civil-Military Relations in Pakistan required patience, maturity and continuation of democracy.
A discussion on “Civil Military Relation in Germany, Lessons for Pakistan”, was organised by PILDAT, a Pakistani think-tank that focuses on political and public policy research and legislative strengthening. The panelists who participated in the discussion included Shahid Hamid, Dr Syed Riffat Hussain, journalist Mujibur Rehman Shami, Abdul Qadir Baloch, Anja Minnaert and Ahmed Bilal Mehboob.
Shahid Hamid, who wrote a paper on the topic after his return from a study visit to Germany, said the German military operated completely under civilian and parliamentary command. “While there are many lessons to learn from that system, the two countries provide a contrast in practices than similarities.
The size and structure of the German armed forces is regulated on an annual basis through the annual budget. At what the Germans call the strategic level, the political leadership is provided by its defence minister, under whom the senior most armed forces’ officer is the Bundeswehr chief of staff,” Hamid said.
Dr Riffat Husssain said the maturity of democracy in Germany had resulted in a sound system of civilian oversight and control of the military, a condition that required maturing in Pakistan.
