ALL state institutions, including the armed forces, the judiciary and parliament are respectable, and so is the case with media and civil society entities. Special constitutional provisions, however, provide protection to the armed forces and the judiciary, and these institutions should not be brought into disrepute because, unlike other entities, they don’t indulge in hurling allegations and counter-allegations.

In the present political milieu, it is arguably the ruling party that has opened the floodgates, and now the military leadership is being discussed publicly in various contexts.

When the party chief indulges in blame-games, his ministers, advisers and supporters follow suit, which, in turn, provides a mud-slinging opportunity to the opposition. And so the vicious cycle goes on.

The government and the opposition should both avoid criticising the military. The opposition should focus on people’s grievance and put direct pressure on the government to deliver.

Gulsher Panhwer
Johi

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2020