Time for introspection

Never in the past has an election campaign in Azad Kashmir been as exciting as it was this time around. The weeks leading up to the polls being held today saw the PPP and the PML(N) take digs at each other but while they kept exchanging barbs little was heard from them about the problems of the electorate.

Mian Nawaz Sharif who spent the last few weeks touring and addressing public meetings across the AJK has been critical of the PPP’s corruption and its leadership’s defence of the military establishment. As his diatribe showed no sign of abating, it was met with President Asif Zardari’s scathing criticism of the PML(N) Chief’s attempt at “dividing the army and pitting the government against it”.

It was, however, interesting to see the kid brother’s sudden climb down after weeks of military bashing by Mian Nawaz. “Pakistan Army is the crown of our heads… its generals and jawans are our brothers who render sacrifices in the name of the country,” Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif told a public meeting in Dheer Kot on Friday.

The observation came in response to Mr Zardari’s advocacy of the armed forces in a speech he delivered at the birthday of his slain wife in Naudero a few days ago. There’s no doubt that, being the symbol of federation, it was unbecoming of the President to publicly defend his party or the security establishment against allegations. As for the offensive he had launched against his political rivals, it could have easily been left to one of his foot-in-mouth buddies; Babar Awan being a perfect choice for this purpose.

As Supreme Commander of the armed forces he should be more concerned about the two military fiascos since Osama Bin Laden’s killing on May 2 rather than accusing the PML(N) Chief of undermining the institution responsible for the defence of our homeland. By the way, how can Mian Nawaz or for that matter anyone else demanding a probe into the Abbottabad incident and subsequent attack on the Mehran base be blamed for pitting the government against the army?

The people of Pakistan can’t even think of showing any disrespect to our brave soldiers who have laid down their lives while fighting against militants in the ongoing war on terror. But this doesn’t take way from them their right to raise questions about the blunders committed by the military top brass or seek accountability of those who had compromised national security. The PPP leadership can’t escape the blame for according warm send-off to General Musharraf as a quid pro quo for paving the way for the party’s return to power.

This was also a case of complicity. Those who let the despot off the hook were obviously partners in his crimes. Mian Shahbaz was a bit harsh in calling the PPP leaders “real heirs” of Musharraf whom he has rightly accused of having surrendered our sovereignty “in return for a few dollars soaked in the blood of innocent citizens”, kidnapped and killed by shadowy intelligence operatives on the mere suspicion of their links with terror networks.

Just because Musharraf became instrumental in the late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s homecoming didn’t automatically entitle him to a blanket amnesty in the crimes he had committed against the state. The dictator who didn’t tire of preaching tolerance and moderation to the world at large had not learnt to live in peace with his own people. The killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti and the massacre of innocent women and children at Lal Masjid are reflective of a peculiar mindset that had unleashed a reign of terror in the country.

The biggest blunder for which Mian Nawaz may not pardon himself was his coming to the rescue of General Musharraf during the Kargil War which had turned out to be the greatest misadventure of our history. That was the time to prove that lack of civilian oversight can always increase the chances of the military strategist going astray. The PML(N) Chief was certainly not trying to undermine the institution of army by seeking the court martial of Musharraf and three other Generals responsible for the Kargil debacle.

Instead of acting as “army’s spokesman” as he has been branded by Ch Nisar Ali Khan, President Zardari should ensure that no state institution remains out of the purview of accountability. If the armed forces consume a sixth of the national budget, then the taxpayers are well within their right to ask how much of this money is being spent on our defence needs and what amount is being diverted to fund the military’s real estate projects.

The fact that both mainstream parties used the AJK elections as a vehicle to assess their popularity indicates that our politicians are still a long way from attaining maturity. They need to rethink the doctrine of the ‘continuity of command’ which had earlier seen General Musharraf playing havoc with this country. But for that, they will have to rise above their petty interests and focus on re-establishing the supremacy of parliament.

The writer is Executive Editor, Pakistan Today