Time to dismount
By Nazeer Ahmad Malik

The whole nation is passing through a period of extreme anguish and uncertainty. A press statement attributed to General Musharraf says that he filed a reference against the chief justice after getting convinced of its validity. If this is the case then he has definitely acted within the parameters of his responsibilities.

But the big question is: did he think regarding the position of his own validity or his legitimacy to rule the country? Who gave him this right? From which constitution or law does he derive his power except the barrel of the gun? He seems to be a very fervent follower of Chairman Mao who is believed to have said in his military writings that the political power emanates from the barrel of a gun. There was a time in history when such a hypothesis could have some validity.

It is beyond the comprehension of any sensible person that a nation can put up with a ruler for more than seven years just because he happens to be the chief of army — an institution loved and venerated by the whole nation – why should one person or a few of his cohorts be in a position to take such a large number of people for a long and happy ride. What has he done in these seven years? He and his prime minister keep on assuring people that prosperity is just round the corner and its “samrat” (fruits) are going to trickle down to the common man very soon. He may be genuinely convinced of this but has he ever seriously reflected how many people seriously believe in the utopia that he and his team of ministers are going to usher in? Who does not know that a number of these people have been involved in serious acts of downright dishonesty and corruption.

Having been in the Ehtesab Commission headed by late justice Mujaddid Mirza, I have personal and firsthand knowledge of their corruption. How can such people bring about a change for the better. It is known all over the world that the man in command, be he George W. Bush or Tony Blair, does not count as much as the people working with him. The times of Napoleon and Churchill are long gone. It is the concept of collective leadership that can deliver goods to the people. The time of saviours and iron men has been thrown into the dustbin of history since long. But who will benefit from the lessons of history except a person who has gone through history?

There is an extremely erroneous impression prevalent in certain circles that army professional courses are a good substitute for education. One of the major benefits of university education is that it brings flexibility to one’s mind and one is forced to think of different options. It is a total disaster if the matters of statecraft are left to people with very nominal education in humanities having regimented minds.

In a highly autocratic system of government, it is not only the civil society which goes through the process of putrefying degeneration, the best and most efficient institution of the country i.e. the armed forces also go through the process of deviation. Previously, there was a quota of army officers in the CSP and the PSP (Police Service of Pakistan). This too bred inefficiency and an inclination amongst the army officers to look for greener pastures, thus making the army lose some of its best officers — even some sword of honour winners. Now the situation has gone worse. There is hardly a government department where serving or retired army officers are not inducted en masse, postal department being no exception. How unfair it is to those toil day and night and some of their jobs go to the people who are in no way qualified to occupy these positions.

A cadre job of the PSP to which the service has legal right has gone to major generals, Brigadiers, colonels and even a major occupied this position for quite some time. Would the present rulers post an inspector general of police to command a corpse? If they do it will result in total disaster. Mass induction of army officers into civilian jobs is an act of the worst kind of favouritism. It is injustice to the civilians and a disservice to the army to deprive it of its cream. The rulers must seriously ponder over these issues and realise the harm that nation has to suffer. Particularly the filling of their offices of vice chancellors and chairmen of Public Service Commissions by the army Officers in Shakespearian terms is “the most unkindest cut of all”.

Foreign visits may bring us untold benefits but the first and foremost job is to conserve public money. How many times the prime minister or the presidents of our neighbouring country have made such extensive and meaningless foreign tours. If one trumpets day and night about extremism in the country, how can one convince the foreign investors to invest their money here. This is a totally counterproductive and I am sure this is done because of the paucity of other good options to propound. Like Satan in Paradise Lost, if you keep on repeating lies than a pathological state comes when you start believing in your own lies. This truth has to be told loud and clear so that the rulers do understand that they are not dealing with a herd of cattle.

Recent events in the country have amply proved that the time has come to dismount. This can be done in a very honourable manner by fixing a date for general elections, with an independent chief election commissioner and the handover of power to where it should be according to the constitution. Those who suggest that the man on the horseback be elected in uniform for 10 to 15 years are his worst enemies. They would rather see him pulled down than being provided with a chance to quit honourably, which is in the interest of the horseman as well as the whole nation. The time to honourably dismount has come.

The writer is a retired inspector-general of police.