Friday, May 16, 2008
By Anil Datta

Karachi

“The longer the Army stays in power, the more it stunts the institutions; institutions being indispensable to the progress and flowering of a country and society”.

These views were expressed by Shuja Nawaz, a journalist based in the United States, while speaking as the chief guest at the launch of his book, “Crossed Swords: Pakistan, its Army, and the wars within”, at the Oxford University Press (Pakistan) head office, Thursday evening.

In a highly lucid and objective analysis of an issue that has been hotly debated by all segments of society for the last few decades, Nawaz highlighted the slips made by the Army but also enumerated the challenges it was inherently faced with.

Nawaz, brother of former chief of the Pakistan Army, General Asif Nawaz, said that, on account of the fluid political situation that had become more the norm than the exception in the country, the Army always got a chance to intervene, which had resulted in the force becoming less and less professional and more and more a corporate body, a state within a state. He lamented that the Army’s actual role had become mostly political, having ruled the country for almost half its life.

Pakistan, he said, occupied a very strategic location, and since, he said, ‘geography is destiny’, Pakistan could not escape trouble and would surely, willy-nilly, get embroiled in conflagrations.

The pattern of conflicts, according to him, had undergone a metamorphosis and today rather than external wars, the Pakistan Army was faced with the spectre of combating insurgency within the country on account of its geo-strategic location whereby all international forces were operating to precipitate a situation of conflagration. He dubbed it, “The war within”. He highlighted the ever-increasing global importance of Pakistan on account of which, he said, the attention of all major powers was being focused on Pakistan with their policies becoming Pakistan-specific. This, he said, found Pakistan confronted with fresh challenges.

Nawaz said that, unlike yesteryear, the role of the Army was undergoing another change, from that of fighting a purely conventional war, to safeguarding our nuclear assets. This, he said, was a massive challenge since it was now entrusted with the task of making sure that no irresponsible or treacherous quarters may misuse the nuclear deterrent, all to the detriment of the country, with grave ramifications even beyond.

Commenting on the tremendous power the Army had vested itself with, he quoted the Warrant of Precedence inherited from the erstwhile British rulers according to which, he said, the armed forces had been placed at number 16 in order of protocol while today it was among the top six, relegating other equally important offices to lower positions.

He welcomed the incumbent Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kiyani’s assurance to the effect that, from now on, the Army would keep itself totally detached from political and civilian affairs but then added, “But you never know what turn future political developments will assume. All we could do is hope that General Kiyani will be enabled to live up to his promise”.

Earlier, Ameena Saiyid, Managing Director, Oxford University Press (Pakistan), paid tributes to the author and highlighted his achievements in the field of journalism and gave a biographical sketch of the chief guest.

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=112824