| February 23, 2008 | Saturday | Safar 15, 1429 |
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An open letter to General Kayani
DEAR General Kayani,
As a Pakistani, I have no doubt that you are as delighted with the way the recent elections were conducted as I am. Some of the credit must go to your officers and troops for having assisted in maintaining law and order. But of even greater significance was your decision not to involve the army in any other aspect of the elections. All of us remember all too well the negative role played by Military Intelligence (MI) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in past polls.
As democracy finally returns to our deeply troubled country, and a new government takes shape in Islamabad, I have a few suggestions on how you can help the political system find its feet, and to mix a metaphor, put down roots. I would also like to share a few thoughts on a new partnership between elected governments and the Pakistan Army.
You are well aware of the widespread perception that the army has meddled in politics long enough. Indeed, this feeling has been vociferously expressed by the public and the media over the last year, particularly during the crisis over the fate of the Chief Justice. A crisis, I might add, that was precipitated entirely by your predecessor, and one that brought great discredit to the service you now head.
You and your colleagues must have noted with concern and dismay the growing gulf between the people of Pakistan and their army. I am sure you will agree that this is a very unhealthy tendency, and one that should be corrected as soon as possible.
By and large, all Pakistanis are proud of their army, and have sacrificed much to support it over the years. But of late, a perception has developed that the army is an occupying force bent on plundering the country for its own benefit. Repeated coups against legitimate governments have only added to this perception.
I am sure that as a professional soldier, you would like to restore the army’s badly tarnished image. For the difficult tasks that lie ahead, you will need public support and a smooth working relationship with the new government.
Firstly, a consensus needs to be evolved within the army that henceforth, it will not intervene in politics. I know this is easier said than done as all too often, defeated politicians are prone to invite the army to help dismiss elected governments. This temptation needs to be resisted, and politicians discouraged from making a beeline to GHQ every time there is a political crisis.
Currently, I realise you are caught in a quandary as Mr Musharraf anointed you as his successor on the assumption that you would support him. But surely the oath you took on being inducted into the army to uphold the constitution must take precedence over personal and service loyalty. Given your predecessor’s determination to hang on to the presidency despite the humiliating defeat his PML-Q suffered in the recent elections, it would be in the national interest for him to step down rather than be at the centre of an unnecessary political battle. You can help to focus his mind, and encourage him to resign. Clearly, the major task before the army is to fight the scourge of Islamic terrorism that has made such deep inroads into our country under your predecessor’s watch. Presently, our army has been trained in conventional warfare, with India being seen as our biggest threat. But now, it is the Taliban and the many home-grown gangs of Islamic militants that are the source of the biggest danger to Pakistan.
Your task in fighting them has been made easier by the rejection of their allies in the MMA by the people of the NWFP. With a secular coalition government in Peshawar, the sanctuary enjoyed by these groups over the last five years will end. Indeed, this is one reason they have opposed the democratic process so violently. In the event, their biggest nightmare has come true, and at one stroke, they have lost their allies in the MMA and the PML-Q.
This is the power of the ballot, and is yet another reason for you to support the democratic process. It is true that all too often, democracy is a messy business. But in the end, it delivers far more effectively than any dictatorship can. You have only to look across the border to India. Despite its size and many divisions and problems, the system has helped to transform the country within a decade. Pakistan has the potential to do as well, provided there is a degree of stability.
One way you can help the regeneration of democracy in Pakistan is to end the political role that the ISI and MI have played. In fact, the political wings of both outfits could be disbanded to demonstrate your intentions. This would send out a clear signal to both your fellow officers and to politicians that the army is no longer a player in the game of power politics.
Any general’s worst nightmare is to have to fight on two fronts. Although tension over Kashmir has subsided, the peace process that was suspended during the recent political crisis needs to be resumed. The leaders of all the major parties now voted into Parliament support the normalisation of ties with our neighbour. You must assure them they have the army’s support. Earlier, your predecessors sabotaged attempts by both Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to build bridges with India.
Pakistan needs to rapidly upgrade its social infrastructure if it is to become competitive in an era of globalisation. Education and health have been long been neglected. Many of these problems are due to the paucity of resources available for education as well as other public welfare programmes. At the same time, the defence budget has been increasing over the years. I am sure you will take a hard look at the numbers, and cut some of the unnecessary expenditure being incurred by the army. In this context, the decision to build a vast new headquarters in Islamabad must be reviewed.
But these details pale into insignificance before the immediate task of building bridges with the people and their elected leaders. For far too long has our army been viewed as a necessary evil. You have it in your power to set a new direction and a new example. I wish you luck in your efforts to change the army’s orientation, and with it, the country’s fortunes.
Yours sincerely
