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The writer is a member of staff.
IT’S silly season again. For some reason the week began with, the best there was, the best there is, the best there ever will be — King Raheel. May God save him and may he save the rest of us.
Then, because the gods like to play around with us, the Badaber hiccup happened. But, because he’s also Teflon Raheel, it didn’t matter.
A massive attack was thwarted. Thirty lives were lost, but tragedy was averted. The chief was on the ground and in charge. The terrorists will never win while Raheel is around.
It’s easy to forget that we’ve seen all of this before.
Back when Musharraf was king, back when Kayani was saviour. It’s pretty standard fare, a pretty standard arc. Luckily for Raheel, memories here are shorter than a chief’s tenure.
Go back to 2002. Musharraf had saved Pakistan. The court had given him three years; he had taken over with economic collapse beckoning and when Pakistan was an international pariah after the nuclear tests.
For good measure, the outside world had tired of dictators in Pakistan.
Three years in, Pakistan was in love with its commando. 9/11 may have helped rehabilitate him internationally, but his seven-point agenda had helped steady the ship domestically.
Corruption was down, professionalism was in, the country looked like it was set to go places — and the architect of the turnaround was the straight-talking patriot, Musharraf.
It’s easy to forget that we’ve seen all of this before.
It’s probably what convinced him to go for the fatal referendum. His court-mandated three years were up, but he was popular as hell. Pakistan needed him. How could he say no?
If he hadn’t rigged the referendum, he would probably have won it handily anyway. But rig he did and five more years he granted himself.
We all know how that turned out.
Turn to 2008. The military was being pummelled by public opinion and militancy. Soldiers were advised not to wear uniforms in public. Lal Masjid had produced an epic blowback. The lawyers’ movement had sapped military morale.
The country was going downhill and fast. Enter Kayani. Yes, Kayani.
There he was, the thinking general. The country had tired of the commando and his brashness; it wanted someone who could figure out what had gone wrong and come up with a plan to restore pride and right the balance.
Kayani was that man. He shuttered the ISI political cell and pulled spooks and soldiers out of politics. He made sure there was no meddling in the elections.
His real love was the army. He announced the Year of the Soldier. Service matters were attended to. Morale was boosted and pay increased.
And he would take the fight to the militants. He orchestrated Swat, first letting the politicians cut the Nizam-i-Adl deal and then expertly exploiting Fazlullah and Sufi Muhammad’s ambitions.
Months later, he took us into South Waziristan, promising to rid it of militants as part of a phased campaign to eventually recover all of Fata.
Times were still tough, but Kayani was the steady hand. He gave us the Kayani moment. Remember that?
Nawaz had threatened to march on Islamabad. Asif had panicked. Rehman Malik wanted to shoot at the protesters if they crossed Pindi. Ifitkhar Chaudhry was enjoying the attention and the storm around him.
But Kayani kept his cool. No, he wasn’t going to take over — he was too good for that. Instead, he had a word with Asif and gave his word to Nawaz and Chaudhry.
Crisis averted. The general had shown the pols how politics was meant to be done.
Come 2010, he was so good and so powerful he could do whatever the hell he liked. So he did — and gave himself a second term.
We all know how that turned out.
Now, it’s King Raheel’s turn. The same arc is there. We don’t need to go over what all he has done. The spin brigade doesn’t tire of telling us.
So, let’s try something else — figuring out how Nawaz helped him become King Raheel. Not wittingly, for Nawaz would surely like to be king himself.
But two fatal errors set the path for Raheel’s walk to glory.
The second one first — that catastrophic failure that was the Jan 2014 speech in parliament. Everything was set for the announcement of a military operation in North Waziristan.
The TTP was rampant again and had to be cut down to size. The military was itching to put the Kayani inertia behind it.
Nawaz could never be a warrior, but he could be a wartime PM. He had already shown decisiveness on Karachi.
Now, it was time to take on the TTP. But he blinked. He loved Punjab too much. Talks were to be given another chance, in the hope of winning a peace for Punjab.
The moment was gone. Five months later, after the Karachi airport attack and with the Chinese growing insistent, Raheel grabbed his chance. North Waziristan would be Raheel’s war.
As would the glory.
The other Nawaz mistake — Musharraf over India. A trade deal with India was on the table. It could have been a game-changer. But the boys didn’t like it.
And the boys were already miffed. Nawaz had vowed to put Musharraf on trial. It was as personal as it was unnecessary. The man who had made him miss his father’s funeral and put him in handcuffs would have to pay.
So Nawaz chose — and he chose wrong. He ended up getting neither — neither a trade deal with India nor Musharraf’s scalp. Counterfactuals are difficult things, but imagine if Nawaz had put his foot down on the right thing.
But that’s history. The man who would have been king helped pave the path for the man who is king. It’s Raheel’s kingdom now.
So all hail the king — and try and forget that you’ve seen all of this before.
The writer is a member of staff.
Twitter: @cyalm
Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2015
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Comments (241) Closed
he is the most courageous journalist of all
Sheer class. Truthful, objective, eloquent, insightful, out of the box and inciting. And we’ve seen all of this before. :)
Well done, Cyril. Bravo.
And has anyone learnt any lessons from all this? The exit strategy is the undoing of all kings. The present king has limited time: he better hurry and do what he has to do, and then think of something clever before the curtain falls.
Raheel is indeed a great man, a thinking general with his head firmly on his shoulders,Pakistan has never been blessed with a better man to lead the country than Raheel, may god bless him and grant him long life .
Raheel is a great leader of men, soldiers are inspired under his presence , morale of the nation and that of the army is high under his command , he will definitely take Pakistan to higher heights with good support from our all weather friend China, we need to give him so more time to achieve complete peace in pakistan, eliminate all hostiles both inside and outside pakistan, resolve kashmir ,siachen and other issues, bring peace on east and west borders, given time he will achieve this and lot more.
Lasting change can only come if we build institutions. CJ of SC retires as per schedule. Elections are held per schedule, COAS passes the charge to the next in line per schedule. If changes cannot survive the natural succession of individuals within these institutions, then they were never meant to be. We must believe the war being conducted by General Raheel, has the backing of the entire nation and military leadership, including those next in line to succeed him as COAS. If that is not the case, then any battle won now will not lead to winning the war against terrorism or corruption. To suggest that General Raheel is given an extension when his tenure ends, is the same as saying that we do not trust the Generals under him to carry the on the war to defend Pakistan, and restore peace. Stability means that change is brought as an outcome of a normal process. If Pakistan can achieve that, peace and prosperity would follow.
Everyone says it, but no one says it like Cyril does.
Nah, he's just the smartest.
The 15 mins of fame makes one think he is really a true savior whom the world should admire for ever - thus the consequent hubris and downfall. Raheeel is getting his 15 mins of fame, and is likely as his predecessors to think himself to be indispensable.
He is a professional soldier, a no-nonsense, straightforward, go-getter(boys are expected to be assertive go-getters), doer kind of person...and he is apolitical as well. Cleaning all the mess around is not that easy. Raheel almost did it...with surgical precision.
So all hail the King Cyril.
Pakistan has improved. Previously there were bomb attacks regularly. Now one hears about them much less. Hopefully, the terrorists will all be gone soon. It is easy to be cynical, but Pakistan's worst days seem to be over. Pakistan has also adroitly managed not to get sucked into the Yemen conflict. From USA
Keep it up. And, by the way,keep yourself safe! The boys have long arms.
Gen Raheel Sharif is smartly handling the affairs . He is brave and committed patriot and holds potential to win war against terrorism .
No Cyril. No, we have not seen such actions against extremism before
take good care of yourself sir! We would like to have you around for a long long time to come. God bless your sense of humor. Who was the comedian ..who had said words to the effect ....political comedy is easy ...just report the facts..just the facts. that will do.
So all hail the king — and try and forget that you’ve seen all of this before.
Glad to see someone telling the truth and getting away with it.
Whenever I tried to say this the Moderators expunged the comment.
Cyril you're a gem! Well done.
I will not agree to this , although some of this is true but I dont think one can compare Kayani in his early days with Raheel Sharif of now .
We are nation which believes in Kings. We always hope that new king will be better than the last one. Since king Bhutto, Zia, Sharif,Musharaf, kiyani and Now King Raheel has passed time giving us false hope with similar end results. We have to realise that it's we who have to change this country, no one else.
Greatest general that ever was, the greatest that ever will be , that's Raheel for you.
I love his style esp the "boys" terminology, so refreshing n so bold yet mild
Very informative and best peace over civil-military bickering in recent times. Thank you so much. Keep coming with stuff like that. God bless you.
Articulate and brilliantly written. I hope the ISPR reads this piece (in fact, they probably are). General Raheel Sharif has to personify his ideals and attitude in the form of his institution, so that it transcends his tenure.
@Amber Agree with you. Usually when you read a serious commentary, we all nod our heads gravely. But Cyril makes you smile while acknowledging he speaks of facts. Keep going Cyril!!
brilliant
Yesterday,today and tomorrow ! That was by vittorio This by you is excellent my dear .
Salute to you Sir for saying it so clear words. Please stay safe.
General Raheel is straight forward and has grabbed the bull by the horns. He does not play dark games like his predecessors.Best of Luck to him.
I hail your courage. Nice piece!
All I have to say is, that the stock Gen. Raheel comes from and the leadership character he has demonstrated, he will not ask nor accept a second term as COAS. In the interest of the country continuing its war on terror and corruption it would be nice to see him in an alternate role to support the efforts he has initiated.
The government should be stripped of the power to appoint military chiefs. Armed forces should have internal mechanism to appoint their own chiefs. This guarantees depoliticization of the Armed Forces.
It is really very easy to satire, ask the parents who have lost their children in the recent attack and all the previous ones. Lastly situations should not be generalized, there is a huge difference between Musharraf, Kiyani and Gen. Raheel.
You see the picture from a different view. Nice view from the above but should we still trust these politicians who treats the masses their "Mazare"
Thanks to raheel Sharif because hr is doing great work
At least somebody is talking sense during this silly season.
I have just one question for you Cyril before going on pointing out the obvious do you have another or better solution? Dont say democracy as you know our politician as well as all of us. If you did let democracy runs it course the corruption involved would only take you back and not only cost you economically but also with precious lives. I originally belonging from Karachi and thankful to General Raheel Sharif not the savior of Pakistan but a person who is getting the job done what was actually our Federal & Local government job. So lets not criticize someone if he is doing his job as well others.
A good article!!
The apparent truth is that, no matter what the circumstances at present, there is a flicker of hope around us. The holy mess (pun not intended) that has been created duly by our rulers ( all of them ) in the last five and a half decades, needs to be addressed on an urgent basis, and this is apparently being done. However, Omar Khayyam addressed the issue for us aptly when he said: " Pity the nation that is full of beliefs and empty of religion..." " Pity the nation whose statesman is a fox Whose philosopher is a juggler, And whose art is the art of patching and mimicking." AND " Pity the nation that welcomes its new ruler with trumpeting, And farewells him with hooting, Only to welcome another with trumpeting again." Yes, Cyril Almeida, we do need to keep our minds open and look upon our affairs dispassionately at times,in fact, at all times.
As usual "King Cyril" , when it comes to speaking unpalatable truths.
Such actions against terrorists and the corrupts. No, Mr. Cyril, we haven't seen anything like this in this country in the recent history.
Very well written column. Crux of the matter is our politicians are short of strategic vision,strength of character and effective decision making at the opportune moment.They themselves are to blame if our generals outsmart them!
May god save u, plyz write for my country India too. I admire ur writing .
nice article, well written and insightful. Will Pakistan will learn any lessons from history ?
great Cyril!!
We love you General Raheel! Pakistan needs you for ever!
Very well written piece..!
It is unfair assessment on your part to compare Gen.Rhaheel with his predecessors. He has personally been instrumental in fighting terrorism in its core.He is not only smart but Patriotic too. He comes from a family of Shaheeds and making his ambition to clear up the mess accumulated by the Politicians for the last six decades. The combination of Nawaz and Raheel is God sent and may be, our prayers have been answered. Pakistan Army is doing an excellent job at the moment and we should pray for them to succeed.
A man veteran by blood !! So definetly we could expect the best from him what he is doing now!! best of best, that's General Raheel :)
Highly objective analysis, the writer has a fair point. But this time, its different, King Raheel is in many ways different than his predecessors. Only time will tell whether we have seen all this before.
Musharaf made a blunder of NRO. Kiyani was a conspirator rather a General. He produced nothing against terrorism and wasted time. Every body knew about the links of MNAs and MPAs with dacoits and terrorists . General Raheel has proved his commitment against terrorism. Nation is feeling relief of peace.
Very well written analysis in easy to read style. Besides the refreshing style very well connected facts summarized in a smoothly flowing narrative. A very good commentary on the past 15 years or so of Pakistan's history. Well done Cyril!
Raheel is the rock on which castle Pakistan stands firmly for years to come.
All Generals are great and all politicians are rogues. The pendulum swings.
"King Raheel. May God save him and may he save the rest of us" . Yes indeed, the valiant armed forces of Pakistan have never failed the nation. Pakistan needs to get cleaned of all terrorism, corruption & like. Gen. Raheel Shareef has been chosen by GOD to do the work.
Yes! Eloquently spilled the beans..... Quite mindful Cyril ...!
The general public of the country clearly understand that politicians have no capacity to run the country and they are involved in boosting their personal business in the of so called democracy. They failed when they were tested since the inception of the country so general public always call army because military government performed so better then the incompetent and corrupt politicians.
Things are a bit different now. The Americans have left Afghanistan. But the crucial point is that the terrorists are being flushed out and not tolerated by the public or army. This time it is serious. Well done to the PM and the General.
And very sadly, no lessons have been learnt from the past!! people seem to have very short memories.
Your words are a work of art!
A gem of a writer. But, we have never seen such broad and comprehensive action before against terrorism. And, I think, this current boys plus pols style of ruling is what should be maintained over the next 20 years, for a country like Pakistan, with massive, diverse, complex problems both internally and around all borders.
Dear Cyril, For the first time I dont agree with you. Since every one in Pakistan is seeing the history not repeating itself. Raheel is not only a King he is our hero as well.
Jesus, Cyril stay safe.
There are two dangerous things. Dictatorship and popularism. Both seems to be unavoidable. God save Pakistan.
Lighting never strikes twice is something that doesn't work for us Pakistanis. We have been struck over & over again even before Musharaf. Story of Zia or Ayub is not different.. Saviors?.. It is us who are always waiting for super heroes, distributing sweets on their arriv, media tries to take lead in writing eulogies, rather then putting our actether and playing a role in cleansing political mess that would put an end to saviors. Till the time we decide to stand up, yes the lightining will continue to strike and we will continue to clap, cheer, cry and again..
No, Gen Raheel is different! he has done different, country's love runs in his fiber. Good article though nevertheless.
very objectively written story. Very few Pakistani journalists come out their story with such in-sight and that too with such conviction. Well done CYRIL.
This man give power to democratic Government to get Peace in Pakistan which is so much successful. Well Done Mr. Raheel Sharif.
Whatever you write, things are far better since Raheel Shareef took over. This has been widely acknowledged
very nicely written. There are soul in Pakinstan who still have courage to speak about Boys ;-), God bless u
There is nothing to be afraid of General Rahail, only if he does not fall to the illusion of being indispensable like most of Pakistanies
A classic peace written
Cyril My advice is EMIGRATE. You have talent, flair, acumen and a chutzpah presentation style. Remember at any time in life - you feel boxed in, threatened or commandeered by people half your calibre. Just Emigrate. Go to a country and an audience which puts a fair value on your writing Wish you happiness. You will of course remember me for a long time.
Hope Raheel has an exit strategy better than Musharaf or Kayani
Nothing mentioned about the viruses of the nation but talked about the doctors only. Such patients are required to be hospitalized, sooner the better.
Dear Cyril , You are joining the extraordinary league of gentleman with Hoodbhoy and NFP , brave piece of journalism be safe.............
Wow. What a way to softly whisper "Let the corrupt and murderers loot and plunder as many have come earlier and tried to correct the system but no one can be successful". Bro you so cleverly multiplied the efforts of some one with zero that no one was allowed to think about (1) what the decision of Jan 14 resulted into (2) was the trade deal with india for people of Pakistan or for leaders themselves? You are right we have seen it happen before also. Its nothing new. Bhutto did a lot was undone by zia. Musharraf did a lot, Zardari reversed it. Do you intend saying, Nawaz sharif has done wonders for third time and masses should stand against Raheel as he is undoing that all?
Cyril you are indeed great. I am sure many in Pakistan feel this way but only Dawn and people like you have the courage to say what you feel and see. The others are just getting on any bandwagon that seems to be promising on a given day. Be it a dictator, a foreign power with potential for giving a lot of money. Hoping to improve their lives with external help.
So, it seems the undoing of great Kings has been in their 2nd terms... and there is talk of granting King Raheel a 2nd term too... most vocally from none other than Musharraf, the guy who should know best
This nation will never able to thank Raheel Sharif. I my suggestion we should made sculpture of him, so the coming generations of civil and military will know that people like him still exit, so be aware of doing anything wrong.
He has realy been a great war hero,the man who possesses all the attributes of a leader in bettle zone
"Nawaz had vowed to put Musharraf on trial. So Nawaz chose — and he chose wrong". So, Nawaz bungled it as he does every time he comes to power. Some things never change!
I respect author's contribution to country's satirical publications, but I have reservation here. Does author think if Zarb e Azb makes any difference. If so, think of the man behind it and try not to mitigate his performance in a general set of perceptions. It seems that author has dementia in a state more than that rest of nation is suffering of. He forgets a mission initiated less than two years ago and satires that nation forgot a military ruler who left 7 years ago.
Loved your article. We Pakistanis love our saviours till the time comes to tear them down. Be prepared for the boys brigade and Gen. Raheel's fan club.
Gen Sharif unlike pas dictators is from a proud family of servicemen. From what I have seen he will not go for an extension unless God forbid war breaks out with India or something catastrophic at which point it is necessary to continue as is and not proceed with a change in command.
I bet None of Pakistani's would have understood the context !! Reality of Pakistan is what the deep state says that is ...
i always enjoy the way you express and explain. talk.done.well.
Another wonderful attempt to show mirror to bling nation, excellent article, at the same time fearing for your well being.
raheel best
Second attempt at a comment : a much softer version. Cyril lumping all three Generals in the same basket ....is a mistake.
@sana-1 Please ! Sure Raheel is a great general and a patriot and has served his nation well which precisely is his job and he deserves all commendation for that but for God's sake, he never is leading the country. The country, as thankfully, is being lead by a parliament and prime minister installed by the great people of this country-people who by sacrificing their lives and a lot more have dislodged military rule and established democracy in this lovely land. May God save Pakistan from another military dictatorship and a downside among civilized nations of the world and may God continue to provide our COAS to serve his country with exemplary courage and determination that he has so far displayed in eliminating terror, terrorism and sectarianism.
raheel is the best thing that happened to pakistan since 1947
Thanks Cyril , you have your unique style - MNS war time prime minister but not a warrior. The truth nothing but the truth.
Let's keep him Chief of the army. Let's not make him king. He is doing great job but Wazirstan operation could have started way early to save the lives of 40000 Pakistanis. Who is responsible for that loss PPP,Kyani or Nawaz or people of Pakistan. Why people property dislike Lal masjid khatib and madrassas more than ever before?
MNS , 'a war time prime minister but not a warrior ' , Cyril, well said, a businessman has no stomach for a war.
It is unfair to lump all Generals together. General Raheel is unlike a king but a true professional soldier and a patriot who has through his actions and leadership proven that he is indeed the best COAS we have ever had in our nation's history. The nation is proud of the impeccable job he is doing to protect us from internal and exterternal threats. Please do not compare him with retired General Musharraf who failed to deliver what he promised
@hanif Very well said. Agree with every single word. I hope that is the overall mind frame of the nation at large and all our institutions only then the democracy will not only survive but flourish. I also optimistically believe in General Shareef that he is not only an exemplary COAS but as well a noble man and a patriot who would serve his people and the constitution and forever occupy a place in the history of this nation as one who was not overwhelmed by greed or lust of power while his many predecessors chose otherwise and are eternally consigned to the dustbin of history. I wish him the very best in his ongoing mission to rid the country of scourge of terrorism.
@kam east fully agree
Strong democracy and leaders are required in Pakistan for the inclusive growth and peace in the region else we have to praise Generals only who can be local heroes only.
Nice one !
ridiculously funny. well done brave boy.
Marvellous, too good. Now lets see how king Raheel choses.
My friend Cyril, those who understand R Sharif know he is another Ayub in making. And my friend Ayub legacy as we all know is not rosy e.g. (1) interment of Fatima Jinnah and her death (2) failure of operation gibraltar + grand slam and bashing in 1965 and (3) Indus basin water accord and (4) Tashkant agreement
More important question is what should we do with King Sharif? Or for that matter what he should do at all?
@sana-1 No before him we had Ayub, Zia, Mushraf and Yayha. Every one of these lost a bit or two of the country. So get great for another great leader
@hanif Now it seems, Supreme Court CJ appointment on its path, but need to do in all: merits, appointing ambassador, chairman, etc. unfortunately even political parties are person centric except J. Islami: PTI- IK, Noon-Nawaz! PPP -Bhutto, unless person centeric persona is dismantled, hard for institutions to function properly and remain intact. Hope come November, new Gerernal in waiting wings to be chosen, extending tenure not a good omen.
what a spin and twist of words to narrate a story of our political and military circus...........
Very nice article. It shows apathy of our nation that we don't learn from history. We as a nation are herd of mob and have no sense to apply. He is presented as emancipator as all problems were created by civilian government and he is here to clean the Augustus stable.
"Corruption was down, ...." Hmm, Musharraf Times the corruption was down??? No it elevated to the next level; White Collar Level. Money was made through Stock Market manipulations and heavily favoring Banking Sector through Foreign Investors. So corruption was never went down, it just was done more sophistically. Thats the only way Shaukat Aziz knew it and Musharraf bought it.
Raheel Sharif is a totally different breed. History will tell.
I have not heard Raheel Sharif say that he is indispensable or act in such a way. People flattering him is another thing. Whatever he has done so far has paved the way to eradicate corruption. All of us should play our part. Its easy to be satirical and talk the talk.
Very true, Simply Great
This is called civil martial law. Behind the curtain all domestic and foreign policy by military. There is a puppet Nawaz to rubber stamp things.
I am sorry Cyril...the others could have been ambitious but no one was as aggressive as him....he is leading from the front & taking the war to the extremists.
Brilliant....wish your politicians and "the boys" in your country read this very useful piece of information.
There are attacks during Raheel era but only a blind man can don't see how curtailed terrorists activities are now..at least it's not 5 bomb blasts a week during kyani times. Kyani on the other hand was the most impotent general we had
All Hail Cyril!
Whats new,we have seen all of this before.
@hanif Good points but transitions remain a line in the sand even for countries like the US - Remember the US Defense Secretary Robert Gates - he was kept at the helm even when the entire US Government changed hands from the Republicans to the Democrats.
A good analysis, but good op-eds come up with solutions -- I find none here.
It is well writtten article congratulation.
When his term is over he must go
Many readers commenting without even getting the gist of the write up, or simply just skimmed it. Cyril actually praised Gen. Raheel here, more than once. Here are some instances.
"the best there is, the best there ever will be — King Raheel. May God save him and may he save the rest of us."
"The chief was on the ground and in charge. The terrorists will never win while Raheel is around."
Respect to the soldier. He's doing his duty very efficiently. - From an Indian
an amazing article, i've enjoyed everyline of it...
Wow article...this is called class writing..
Good summary but I find the title of the piece objectionable. Surely we can see the considerable difference between Gen Kayani and Gen Raheel Shareef's style of operation and also the apparent intent.
Fantastic
No one take on boys like Cyril does. Nawaz Sharif's two unforgivable blunders buying peace through talks and insistence on Musharaaf's trial gave opening to Raheel Sharif that he grabbed from both hands. Let's not forget the GHQ sponsored dharna was also orchestrated under the watch of this apolitical General too.
If we win the war on corruption which i believe is a major war then we have ninety percent of war on terrorism. Your comments please.
I lost all my words of appreciation. For me you are the "King" who indirectly telling public: please believe in yourself as collective responsibility for doing all good for a country than believing every time in a new individual. Public have to be rational and open in the thoughts and not allowing all the sins, directly or indirectly, around them.
Cyril. Give this man a chance. Do we have another choice? My mantra is 'good man with a big danda for a short time'. It is the third condition that is never fulfilled!
Musharaf made a blunder of NRO. Kiyani was a conspirator rather a General. He produced nothing against terrorism and wasted time. .General Raheel has lead by example and turn around the law and order situation in the country and accept all challenges and start fixing it ,he is a man of principle, the whole nation is proud of him.
We need strong institutions on every level of life, since Army can acheive short and long term goals they can provide help to civilians. Anyone who is sincere and love this piece of land can get these results in short span of time . We don't need who promise for moon and can't even get bright light.
WOW!!! Just great. All praise to the king. The best, that could have happened to Pakistan, is our new king, and the great savior. Why not give him the reign for life?
Regardless of what anyone says he is really sincere and doing great job. We should also do our part.
Cyril your analysis is spot on nine out of ten times but this time you got it wrong. this General has delivered results which can be seen on the grounds. my region, which by the way, is battle zone for the last over a decade suddenly feels calm from the time this guy took over. same story is repeated in Karachi and in Balochistan. if a layman like me can see a difference than i would expect you to see it better than anybody else.
One of the easiest ways of contributing is by criticizing without providing solutions. You risk very little and use another person's efforts to parade your brilliance. Alternatives are more risky fare, but castigating the efforts of a doer will get you applause from the doubters
@sana-1 : a better man to lead the country??Are you suggesting?
you are good cyril ... to keep your eyes open. wish you had written about the field marshal too, but I think you were probably too young then to have seen that movie unfold.
BadaBer was probably given to Americans during Ayub's time!
@Square
Your comment is surely a square peg in a round hole!
Cyril is the best commentator we have got and it takes courage in country like Pakistan to stand up and say the truth specially when you know that deep state does not like any criticism. List of Pakistani journalists who have been eliminated by the deep state is rather long.
For me Cyril is a real hero, generals come and go and we have seen all that before. Read a history book if you like and educate yourself.
Good article Cyril ...the other journalist should follow...Long live Raheel Sharif, Long live Pakistan Army and Long live Pakistan.
Cyril, you are indeed a very smart and a articulate guy - I am really impressed at the way you analyze things.
While I understand Cyril's cynicism, and I also believe that institutions should be strengthened rather than a person, under the current very difficult times that our country is facing, and the fact the institutions are not functioning at all as well the unwillingness of those in power, to confront these challenges (in particular terrorism, takfirism and all the players that are responsible for it i.e. laymen terrorists, their financiers and supporters, preachers who glorify terrorism etc.), there is no other alternative but to go for non-traditional ways. Unfortunately he is currently only head of an institution (I am sure he has support of his colleagues in Armed Forces) who is at-least trying to root out this menace, and if it was not for total lack of cooperation of other institutions of country, there would have been more success.
In short, while in principle I agree with most of Cyril's view, this is not the right time.
Good one Cyril once again. U r trying to swim against the tide. So be safe and hope u can keep ur style for time to come. Would love to read ur article on Mr modi, as we r also have a habit of hero worshipping blindly.
Sheer class. Truthful, objective, eloquent, insightful, out of the box and inciting. And we’ve seen all of this before. :)
Well done, Cyril. Bravo.
Great job done! This is the real problem of pak, every thing us individual centric, success and downfall depends on one person. Wr need structure so only good people are choosen.
@Adeel M Sheikh: I disagree with you completely. Yes, democracy is the only answer, though I know you are convinced otherwise. Democracy is not easy to adopt. Go do your research and you will find that even in countries like UK, it took ages before democracy properly took place. India is a democratic country on paper, but it still has long ways to go before it is at the level of UK/US/Canada. But they will be at that level, ultimately. It takes many, many, decades for democracy to properly take root. The sad part is that in Pakistan it never gets a chance to take hold.
Well done Almeida.
I like to read his comments , he can be very honest,and writes well.
I cannot understand why everybody thinks leading the country means only one thing, please guys we are living in another lifetime now, things have changed, maybe not too much but we are moving towards better times so why the insecurities. Yes he is leading the country but in the capacity of what his job demands are, and lastly he is leading the country towards peace and prosperity , I think that is what he is being paid for.
Musharraf is responsible for all the chaos and terrorism Pakistan is facing now. It was during his tenure that Indians and Americans were allowed to build their intelligence infrastructure in Pakistan unchecked. There are tens of thousands of moles in Pakistan. Indian and American money is flowing like water in Pakistan to support terrorism. Pakistan will be fighting terror for ever. They don't see the reality that their so called friends are the architects of terrorism nor they see the reality that Musharraf stabbed Pakistan in the back. Pakistan will go bankrupt fighting this war.
No one has ever taken decisive actions against terrorists in the Pakistan before Gen Raheel Sharif. For all his tough talk, Gen Musharraf was never nearly as clear in his thought process as Gen Musharraf is. Give credit where credit is due. Let the army do its job to clear Pakistan of terrorists. Politicians could never have mustered the courage to take on the terrorists like Gen Raheel Sharif. The Pakistani nation is with the army.
One would rather live under a competent king rather then a corrupt minister. Dare I say that despite their inexperience and different profession, Raheel and Musharraf have treated and respected Pak better then Benazir, Nawaz and Zardari. Why? I think deep down Raheel and Musharraf cared about PK and Pakistanis. While the former cared about themselves, their families, power and their bank accounts. Hence why Pak never ever progressed and will never until the people of PK kick them out once and for all. IMO that was Musharrafs biggest blunder, he let the cancer back and it metastasized.
The outfit of democracy in the present state of people's mindset doesn't fit. Only the politicians cry for democracy in the non-democratic rules for their vested interests. By and large, the people want good governance - this includes everything, security, jobs, basic necessities, rule of law and justice, etc. etc. while the politicians call for democracy to become richer and richer by corrupt means. General Raheel is people's General. Untiringly, he is doing what the politicians didn't. Hail Raheel, move forward we are with you.
You guys are too daring.
People love Army Chief and other armed forces simply because they care more of the country whereas Our PM and other government public office bearers plan and worry more of their seats, personal gains, personal name and personal future. Simple is that.
It is in national interest that Gen. Raheel Sharif, judiciary and the media continue to push Nawaz govt. to stand up to the two major challenges the country is facing: extremist insurrection and massive elite corruption. In order to fight both, the people in power will have to do what they have been avoiding--clean up their own political base of religious extremists and corrupt politicos.
After reading the above blog I remembered the book by the late retired Justice M.R. Kayani: "Not the Whole Truth".
Our PM immature approach in handling of Mr Musharraf's case and patronising of corruption has led to the glory of our General.Though Nawaz is lucky that international economy has been favourable including reduction in oil prices, otherwise, by this time he must be sitting in Saudi Arabia.Despite all the action worst democracy is better than the best dictatorship.
An article that misses the crux of the matter and of key issues and throws out the usual perception based analysis. Not impressed. Suggest you write about the weather.
@hanif interestingly you are putting forth a suggestion based on the fact that you feel we are living in peaceful times with a terrorist act here and there. We are actually in a war with hired extremists who are funded by our enemies, and the war has covert. When have you ever seen commands change in times of war, unless the GOC has botched up. We are winning hands down and Gen Raheel has shown the qualities and leadership to win this particular war. The enemy knows it has met its match. They are losing. As the saying goes, ' never change horses in mid stream'. Don't change the COAS in mid war. It's in Pakistan's interest.
Lets not forget the fun part; The incompetent prime minister has been reduced to what he is really capable of...No hike in school fees (a job normally done by a deputy commissioner of the area) plan metro buses ( Normally a job for town planners) setting up inquiry panels of corruption charges that he knows are true but the ever vigilant inquiry panel and subsequently mum is the word game must go on, and then yet again enter another massive corruption scandal with more inquiry panels, such my friends is the plight of prime minister.
Any man of dignity would have left long ago but these are scavengers who will stay for the last morsel...Long live westminster democracy with punjabi cuisine to argument it.
Both Pervez Musharraf and Pervez Kaiyani had not only the "Pervez" the Iranian kind common but were both equally aloof to their environments. Once conquering the heavy mandate the former indulged into his own exclusive mediation of writing English poetry while the later taking over from him became a yoga person slimming his kilos by grams daily. Thanks to the US diplomat and Hilary Clinton who dare awoke him so he became the liberator of SWAT.But during all that time we didn't witness no image building of both of them the way Gen: Raheil is attracting the common person.Who is behind it? All foes of Nawaz Sharif could be inviting him to let Nawaz under go once more the same fate that he had by the hands of all generals earlier.It can not be wise...
I love the end, "The man who would have been king helped pave the path for the man who is king. It’s Raheel’s kingdom now".
So in short, military men work real good but only in their first three-four years!
A lot of the commentators are missing the point of this article.
The point is that when the time comes for his retirement, Gen. Sharif should move on and let the next in line take charge and carry on the good work.
Imagine if Kayani had hung on for 3 more years. Hardly anybody here would have cared about the retirement of a Lt. Gen. Raheel Sharif in 2016.
These 'extensions' need to be stopped as they effectively block promotions. Find another 'Civilian Advisory' post for these retired generals
Hinting at incidents is not good journalism,better be concrete and definite.After all what is the harm in telling Nawaz & Musharaf that they acted foolishly when they were expected to show wisdom and save the country from chaos we are in.
As I agree the author and his views on our Generals, he is still short of branding them as failed. Our army chiefs have accountability problem and they hide their failures by same fake bravado and threats to the world.
@taimoor khan This is exactly what the people thought of other Military men. I don't think you read the article or may be you read but missed the whole point of the writer.
@sijaz Who are you referring to? Gen Raheel or Nawaz Sharif?
Cyril - the most brave and eloquent journalist - Another Cowasjee - brave and to the point. God Bless you.
Well written. Chasing a brainwave though. Analysis is more like a statistical observation. Without context I am afraid this just falls under speculation. I would have loved had the writer gone into the choices each of the main characters mentioned here faced at those crucial junctions. That is the level where we should be debating. Of course I understand this is light reading and news is entertainment by choice of the readers..
@Mohsin Waris Whatever these Military men do or jump in to do is not their job. They should focus on external threats and stay on borders and let the civilian settle their scores. This all unfortunately started with ge. Ayub Khan although Gen Akbar earlier tried but was caught.
@Abdulla Hussain Please read the history of Pakistan since 1955, you will be surprised to find the truth.
You have to give credit where its due. Raheel Sharif deserves it. He is the most charismatic personality on the Pakistani scene at the moment
@hanif Correct. Institutions are needed, BUT institutions don't run themselves. They are run by leaders. It is the responsibility of a leader to chose the right leaders for those institutions and to chose a right successor.
China's example is in front of everyone. China has prospered amazingly in the last 30 years; but that is not because of regular election s or democracy. Infact, none of the so called democratic governments have shown any serious sign of progress, if at all. Consistency of policy - any policy - is what matters most. And policies are formed and implemented by leaders.
The only reason China is successful because they have had practically the same command for the past 30 years. That commands also happens to be sincere to their country. And it makes sure that it develops the right leadership. The results of that steady and consistent policy are now beginning to show up.
Excellent write up
Excellent articulation. One missed point is Raheel is different. Through Mr. Bajwa, Raheel feeds Press at far higher frequency than all his predecessors, as well as all PMs. And Press too is far lenient on him in scrutiny, compared to politicians of all hues.
Journalists like Cyril are disappearing in India. Alas! We now deal with 'news traders' (a term Mr. Modi popularized-rightly so) tearing hair and vocal chords for a minute of the gullible viewers 1/2 minute attention span, with third rate gossip for prime time news. Cyril proves time an again that the wordsmith is alive and well and that the print media still the 'king' of journalism.
I don't fully agree with you. I see an evolution. It's not the same story, it's a story of improvement, moving forward, better people, better thoughts, better results.
The military leadership is moving forward and evolving. NS is the same, and so are most of the other pols. Which is what often leads to a coup. I sincerely hope NS and his kitchen cabinet play a healthy role and not let things get to a point that military stops the evolutionary steps forward and reverts to something that would send them back years.
It will be on NS.
Cyril, I am from India and read Dawn because of writers like you. I am sure you can come up with equally incisive , clever pieces if you Start covering Indian or US politics!!
Time for you to move to next level. ATB
Interesting piece but necessary the last word on the subject. Just one way to look at current affairs.
My Take: the article targets people who are looking for saviors. Ironically the people not understanding the intent are commenting in favor of gen. Raheel. It is the people tendency which is the laughable episode of the article. Nothing to do with Gen Raheel.
Cyril has missed the most important point. Ayub,Yehia,Zia,Aslam Baig,Kakar,Musharraf or Kayani, all of them were of different pedigree. Raheel is blue blood. From the very heart of Pakistan-Lahore.
DAWN has shown a lot of courage in printing this. Hearty Congrats.
Well written bold Article, Cyril deserves applause!
Marvelous ......
Perfect expression but extremely poor facts and correlations ...... writer definitely lacks exposure, by denying obvious facts
Sir; You are the best-- Narrating the facts; questions and answers, in such a simplistic way is indeed a genius. God bless you.
Gen Raheel comes from a family of martyers.
If Raheel does not get an extension then it would be the biggest tragedy for pakistan , all the looters and theifs will reign supreme agsin
Bravo !
I don't agree that the circumstances have been similar . Gen Raheel is a different man. He has a very strong foreign policy. He has taken a strong stance and managed to convince all the 'powers to be' like US, UK etc. and managed to get his country 's point of view across when other COAs have succumbed to the pressure and resigned to their fate as briefed by these countries. He has realized that in a changing world order; our priorities have changed too. He has managed to develop diplomatic ties with Russia and strengthened ties with China ; you can say it is a collaborative effort with the the government . So in short , the nation needs him. May he be able to serve the nation and be safe Ameen
@ralph - And smart and incisive and... lot more.
@sana-1 you didn't get the article then.
Great article… Thank you for giving Musharraf the respect he deserved..No one ever talks about how patriotic Musharraf is and how he saved the country after 9-11.. Give Musharraf the respect he deserves and allow him to travel as Nawaz must not forget that tomorrow will be his turn!!
Ask any Indian who is the Chief of Indian Forces, I am sure 90% of people won't know the answer
It is very true,. King Raheel is pushing all the right buttons. Very factual and very nicely put .
@Saturn: Only out of the world people, such as SATURN, can understand what Cyril wants to highlight ... :)
A powerful and thought provoking article
Since you are not a military man,you obviously can't tell the difference between Kayani and Raheel,and I'm not going to get into it in a public form,but I will say this,General Raheel is far more focused and decisive,more head strong than Kayani ever will be.Kayani just didn't have the drive General Raheel possesses.Just wait and see,General Raheel will bring back the glory
You are simply a gem Cyril ... Even General Raheel himself would love this piece ... God Bless You Dear ...
Though good, the language of this script is too cryptic. Meant for those who know,may be more.
@Ravi Reddy you stole my words ... :)
why don't you trace the history of the Politicians. Nawaz put in three terms i can totally understand the western consumerism and american way of life and standanrds (remember the ab originals were annahilated the worst genocide in History. Population reduced from over fifty million to 19000). Why don't we cry for democracy. Which is meaningless without it's grass root level no Local bodies election till now and these will be controlled by the respective provincial govts that is why they have been delayed where does the poor man without bread education or health have a voice so does it matter which king.
Its not exactly i agreed with but a enjoyable read.
no doubt General Raheel is excellent; he is pakistan's hope; we r desperate for a wise and honest leader
@sana-1 lollllllllllll
Facts aside, love the way you right.
for all raheel lovers, that is exactly what the author is trying to say. Keep calm
very well written article ,we must learn from past mistakes if we love our motherland
Be safe Cyril.
@ali Agreed 100 percent
Brilliant analysis. One could add another point here; the Pakistani nation will never be cured of its messiah complex.
Excellent ad brave, to say the least.
Cyril Most of the pakistani readers did not undersatnd your article. They are busy praising your King and will follow the same path you so describe.
With Sword one lives, with Sword one dies. That's it.
All critics are here while men are at doing what can be done.
Lovely!
@Siddiqui FJ Well said
Excellent article... however I do feel quite a few are having trouble understanding it ... Or maybe its their job to copy paste 'all hail the king' comments all over the internet.
Incorrect analysis!
General Raheel is the strong man in the country. Kiyani has never been that. It is only under Raheel that the terrorist acts have reduced so drastically and so quickly. None of the others ever came close. But Raheel needs to do more; there are lots of terrorists outside the KP and they need to be eliminated too. Time will tell whether Raheel eventually succeeds or not. But the damage inflicted on these terrorists has been immense and it is continuing. Inshallah the nation will prevail!
Gen Raheel Shareef is doing something waited by nation for years. We will not miss this chance. now.
Brilliant. A very beautiful reminder of the monotonous life of a Pakistani :)
Gen Raheel is doing a good job but so is PML N for now. If that changes I would the first to criticize. Lets give credit where it is due.
I do wish they build institutions and strengthen them with the force of the law for the country to run systematically and not depend on individuals for basic justice, accountability and development.
Every leader is initially evaluated based on the perceived weakness of his/her predecessor. So Gen. Raheel fares well on this count since Gen. Kayani appeared weak against terror. Soon he will be evaluated on absolute terms. That is when people get a more balanced view of his leadership.
In a democracy, institutions are more important than individuals. A functional institution will self-correct even if the individual at the helm is dysfunctional.
@Adeel M Sheikh Critisize?? Thought Raheel was being praised. Till we begin to see the general's follies, which we will.
@hanif sorry??? I see no mention of a democratically elected government in ur piece. Btw it is democratic, for I sure did cast my vote, and didn't just send a yes or no through office orders
@brr totally agreed
@sssj a Prime Minister is the one who works for the people. Hence jobs, education, roads, power plants. A general is the one who does what he is trained to do...play war games. And waste nation's money. A nation does not survive on generals' hunger to satisfy their past times.
Dude this is awesome. A fine example of news analysis, thoughtful but entertaining. Gripping like a novel yet telling an all familiar story.
Only time will tell
Brilliant
Great piece. Most commenters praising Raheel below the article did not get Cyril's point either! Lol
While Raheel Shareef has done a commendable job, the point Cyril is making is, it is because of our politicians not learning anything from their past mistakes, not taking the opportunities that come their way that allows the military to grab the glory and appear as 'saviours' or 'kings'
Also our nation's constant penchant to look for 'saviours' rather than trying to mend their own ways or improve themselves.
"Love from kashmir" I have never seen such a courageous, honest COAS for Pakistan army he is working as a caliber leading from the front for Pakistan Long live sir your country needs you
"Love from kashmir" I have never seen such a courageous, honest COAS for Pakistan army he is working as a caliber leading from the front for Pakistan Long live sir your country needs you
@Jamal You are right, we never look at the Generals for a messiah. But we never forgot the Generals who brought victories.
@Abdulla Hussain Strange. Generals are praised not for their military acumen, but for their work of political and internal policies and administration!!!! Entire population of a nation hopelessly surviving and always hoping for a messiah to come from the Army, once a while? Very strange.
Mr.Raheel is the great king .
Cyril misses the point, it is not the 'war against terror' which is the reason for Raheel's popularity, it is his 'war against corruption'; but then again the journos living in mansions with legions of servants and connected friends are either the beneficiaries of corruption and nepotism, or it does not affect them.