There was a time I made a lot of topics, majority hypothetical based on ideas which can be implemented practically, mostly in Army and PAF sections. In fact, some changes were seen in PA that I had mentioned in those topics coz maybe they were practical however most was hypothetical though not a wish list.
Recently, I saw a change. The people who never came out on streets to protest against rising petrol prices had come out against electricity bills. So something finally pushed the people. I had expected the same when IK was jailed recently but it’s the electricity bills which gave pain to public more than anything else.
Similarly, What will make lawyers come out on streets against army just like in 07/08. Should the CJ be put in danger again ? Should the courts be made a mockery of by the public ? Should public come out against the courts ?
Lawyers are a notorious bunch. They vandalise the same courts where they earn money from. So courts are susceptible to be trashed anytime.
If public can come on the roads then so can lawyers as well as journalists. If they all join hands, then that’s a weapon which can be used to bring in retired senior officers through information leading to cases against them. Cases can be made in all cities where these officers have served during their tenure in military service.
Yeah I’ve seen your posts for a while. You do add a lot of knowledge and perspective to this discussion.
I try to mostly stay away from Pakistani internal affairs as they’re none of my damn business, mostly.
However, this subject and discussion- the military’s evolving role in Pakistani society - interests me from an intellectual standpoint, and I’m jumping in feet first
I don’t think that the strategy of going after generals or officers after they retire is a feasible one. It reeks too much of a witch hunt, plus no serving officer will support it, because they know it will be their turn to be thus targeted in a few years. It won’t happen.
What PA needs to understand- as a core principle and institutional memory (that is, systemic knowledge as opposed to just a few officers who get it) - is that the more the armed forces engages with the public, the less respect it gets. Period. And conversely the less PA comes out in the open, the more powerful it will get.
What’s the difference between the police and the army in today’s India? Why is the army respected (in most parts of the nation) and the police feared / hated / looked at with contempt everywhere? The answer is that one institution rarely interacts with the public, the other by nature is public facing.
In fact I’d argue that the typical class one police office in India (IPS or Indian Police Service) is far more educated, academically qualified and with a greater maturity than the army officer. But the IA officer is given huge natural respect and affection, while the IPS officer is feared and sometimes hated.
As soon as PA really gets this lesson and implements it by fading into the background, it will recover its preeminent position in Pakistani society. It just needs to get subtler.
Let the politicians, police and bureaucrats earn the abuses and gaalis. PA should bask in the background.
The other route - more and more public exposure and overt decision making - will make it worse for PA.
I’ll also say this - mark my words. The best thing for PA is that they allow IK to be PM, give him all the rope he wants.
I admire IK, but in six months in power everyone will be abusing him - because that’s what happens to politicians everywhere. In a year many Pakistanis will be saying that perhaps the PA wasnt as bad as they thought. This is how politics works, and PA is failing to understand the new ground realities.