ISLAMABAD: A few military leaders, who forged ‘unholy alliances’ with ‘a class of’ politicians, bureaucracy, judiciary and affluent members of civil society, have not allowed democracy to flourish in Pakistan, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Thursday.

“Above all a few — I repeat a few — among the military leadership, who made an unholy alliance with a class of politicians, bureaucracy, judiciary and affluent members of the civil society have not allowed the people of Pakistan to establish and consolidate a democratic structure,” said Gilani, addressing the National Defence University. .

The prime minister said Pakistan has paid a heavy price for this civil-military alliance and the army’s frequent intervention in politics.

Lack of respect for the constitution, the supremacy of parliament, democratic norms and the independence of the judiciary were the main factors behind the crises confronting the country today, said Gilani.

He also held responsible a certain breed of politicians who lacked integrity and sided with non-democratic forces, bureaucrats who compromised on principles and served unconstitutional entities, and members of the judiciary who provided cover to non-democratic acts “through laws of necessity”.

He said military rule was pyramidal in nature, with the military and its collaborators at the top, which led not only to its isolation but, ultimately, to it being blamed for ills besetting the country.

“Military rule also brings about further polarisation in the polity. New divisions ... between the civil and military bureaucracies; between those who collaborate with military rulers and those who oppose them; and the regions and minorities, who do not feel genuinely represented,” he added.

Gilani welcomed the new military leadership’s initiative to withdraw personnel from civil institutions. “It is highly encouraging that there is a strong realisation on the part of the current military high command about the ills that I have just highlighted.”

He said Pakistan’s people take pride in their armed forces but wanted to see them confined to defence, leaving other affairs to elected representatives.

Geo-political compulsions had driven Pakistan to a security-first over a development-first approach, said Gilani, but added that his government was striving to create a balance between the two.

However, he said his government’s first priority was restoring law and order and eliminating terrorism. “War against terrorism is our own battle,” he said; one in which the country had lost “countless innocent” lives.

Concluding, Gilani said his government would provide support necessary to enhance the armed forces. “Pakistan believes in maintaining minimum credible deterrence as a cornerstone of its national security policy.” He said the government was working on policies to address challenges confronting Pakistan, but these policies could not be implemented without co-operation from the civil and military bureaucracy.


Daily Times

In the midst of all kinds of opinion about the “sincerity” of the PPP government in pursuing the cause of the judges and its “concealed sympathy” with President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has spoken at the National Defence University in Islamabad, and explained the stance of the partisans of democracy in the country vis-à-vis military intervention. He told the class that Pakistan had a few officers in the army who got together with “a class of politicians, bureaucrats, judiciary and affluent members of the civil society” to block the process of establishing democratic institutions in Pakistan. According to Mr Gilani, Pakistan paid a heavy price for this “civil military alliance” which flouted the supremacy of parliament and other democratic institutions. It created polarisation in the country and made it difficult for the political parties to get together on one minimal plank. In fact, he said, the only politics Pakistan knew in the 1990s was the musical chairs of pushing each other down. He therefore welcomed the decision of the current army chief, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, to stop military institutions from interfering in civilian affairs.

The prime minister touched upon the central flaw in the state of Pakistan: geopolitical compulsions drove Pakistan to a “security-first approach as against a development-first approach” which the PPP has now pledged to reverse. He also made it plain that Pakistan had to fight against terrorism and restore law and order in the country, and that it was also committed to strengthening the army to face the new challenges.

To put in bluntly, the “security-first” approach had less to do with our geopolitical location — which was probably more relevant in the case of preventing the Soviet Union from reaching the “warm waters” of the Indian Ocean — than with India. Pakistani ideologues created the notion of the “other” to formulate its nationalism; and nationalism had to find its teleology of fighting a “just war”. But after losing many wars in pursuit this form of nationalism — which allowed supremacy to the army in the country — we want the army to tame itself. However, the question is whether we can do it without changing the nature of our nationalism?

Fortunately, both the mainstream parties forming the current coalition are in agreement over their policy projections towards India. Mr Nawaz Sharif and Mr Asif Ali Zardari have made it very clear to the residual jingoists in Pakistan that they will pursue normalisation with India to its logical conclusion. That is certain to curtail the tendency of the army to intervene in the system by pleading lack of attention to the “India factor and Kashmir”. The other important pillar that sustained military intervention in the past pertains to religious ideology. In this case too the country is threatened from within and religion can no longer be used to secure the country against India.

Prime Minister Gilani has corrected the misimpression that the government is leaning in favour of President Musharraf in the great drive led by the lawyers and the PMLN to get rid of the president by some means other than constitutional. A rumour in this respect was allowed to balloon out of all proportion and the PPP was challenged to join the crowd asking the president to leave. While the PPP has favoured Mr Musharraf’s voluntary decision to quit, and called for his impeachment if he doesn’t, it has also shown realism in not endorsing the rhetoric of trying the president for treason, knowing that the army will not allow that to happen.

Today, it should be appreciated that the army is clearly inclined to stay out of civilian affairs. It is worried about the challenges ahead posed by the presence of the Taliban in the Tribal Areas, and it is worried about the modality ultimately chosen by the politicians to tackle the problem. It is conscious of an increasingly unbridled public opinion nurtured by opinion-makers on TV channels and newspapers in favour of an isolationist future while no problem related to terrorism or the economy can be tackled without external assistance.

In today’s black and white “revolutionary” thinking, the PPP government is allegedly trapped in indecision. What everybody wants is a revolutionary decision to join battle on just one side; and resort to Constitution is ignored in favour of executive orders that effect summary change. But the only way problems can be resolved is the long constitutional view of things. What if President Musharraf refuses to go? The lawyers say they will agitate and hope that something will happen as a result. Thus a radicalised Pakistan is not in favour of doing things legally. Therefore it is good that the speech made by the prime minister sets the record straight on where the government stands with regard to the Pakistan army.


Daily Times

I wonder who was moronic enough to vote Yes to the poll?

What are our ills?

- Lack of democratic values
- Lack of Justice
- No Money
- Lack of development

Who is to blame?

- The top three political parties, PML-N, PPP, PML-Q are a family business. PML-N property of Sharif brothers, PPP of the Bhutto Family and PML-Q is the play thing of the Chaudries (who are cousins aren't they). To thier credit MMA and MQM don't quite run along the same vibes. Your entire political setup is undemocratic and every time it has had an opertunity it has p1ssed all over democratic principles. The last free elections you had were held by military men.

- Which army men run the police? Which ones run the Judges? When was the last time anyone in Pakistan had justice? Justice is a commodity that can bought and sold, the people responsible for that are the elitists who trade in justice, who today claim to be the backers of justice, the judges who take bribes and turn blind eyes and the civillian ran police force which is the dictionary definition of corruption and injustice. The army men have ignored laws and taken over control, but that is it, they have not traded in justice.

- Even the most stupid person can give you the answer to that, the figures don't lie, neither does consumer confidence or the levels of the stock market. Every time we have had military rule the economy has recovered and picked up pace. Today when there are rumours that Mushy is about to leave, the KSE falls, when they are quashed it rises. Who nearly finished Pakistan in the 90's? Who are the billionare family? Who's 18 year old son is in the Times 100 most influential list? Who bought our economy to the highest levels it has ever been? The military, not the politicans, or plunderers as it is more fitting to call them.

- Development falls in the same catergories. Nothing is developed without money, when the money is in private owned swiss bank accounts you have no development. Who is stopping Kalabagh dam? Under who's government have investors started to leave the country and under who's government did they come running in despite and on and off security situation?

you can choose to be blind to the facts, you are welcome too.

Don't be surprised Plat. Lots of Army haters here. We all know who they are. Won't take names.

**coughSairacough**
**coughlondomoralicoughh**
**coughspartencough**

well I dont think this statement by Messrs Gillani is incorrect.

More like " Corrupt political Parties" and their undemocratic leadrship is thwarting democracy

It's just unfortunate that some people are still voting these people into power

Memory span is short in Pakistan and hence these corrupt leaders always come back

O love the pakistan ARMY FRom My heard I would dead for it in a war !

PM SHOULD STOP TALKING ABT THE ARMY, PAST IS PASSED, LOOK FOR THE FUTURE AND TRY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS PAKISTAN IS FACING NOW.

I think it's Mr. 10% who is hindering the progress of democracy by manipulating the people with typical political tricks instead of working for the genuine wellbeing of the people.