THIS refers to Defence Minister Khwaja Asif’s statement in parliament that the recent attack on the Pakistan Navy dockyard in Karachi was carried out with the help of inside help.

This confirms that there are elements of a militant mindset in our armed forces.

The attacks on former president Pervez Musharraf, GHQ and Mehran naval air base indicate inside assistance.

During Musharraf’s rule, when Pakistan had to change its policy after Sept 11, some of the religious extremists in the armed forces decided to go not only against their institutions, but against the state as well.

It is imperative for the high command of our armed forces not to brush aside this issue lightly. Every effort should be made to identify such individuals and the sources from where they are indoctrinated.

Akbar Jan Marwat

Islamabad

Published in Dawn, September 21th, 2014