- Looking ahead
DG ISPR Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor hit the nail on the head, during his interview with a private TV channel the other day, when he implied that change came through the ballot box and the military, therefore, should be a bystander at best in such processes. And given that the civilian and military establishments are finally on the same page, and the most significant institutions of the state are increasingly exercising their independence, there is no reason to worry about Pakistan’s future.
As for any fourth- or fifth-generation war designs that any enemy might harbour against the Islamic Republic, he was quick to remind everybody that no infringement of Pakistan’s sovereignty will be allowed to take place at all. But it was more important to talk about peace, as he did. At a time when Pakistan’s prime minister, as well as military chief, has repeatedly called for comprehensive negotiations to solve all outstanding problems, nobody can fault Pakistan for fighting against peace, so to speak. It is clearly New Delhi that is avoiding peaceful negotiations.
It goes without saying that in the age of 24-hour news and social media, the ISPR has evolved into a very effective communication platform for the army. And while it is true that as fake news has mushroomed, sadly all across the world, the need for popular media to exercise that much more responsibility has also arisen. Yet things and times have changed all around. And as such it is also important for the forces to exhibit more tolerance with regard to the social sphere. It is the media’s ability to ensure check and balance like never before that propelled it to the stature of fourth pillar of state, after all. The military’s public relations chief reaching out through a private network is in itself an indication of a changed landscape, where effective communication is going to lead the way towards progress. Hopefully the need to adapt will be appreciated all around.
