In a country where political temperatures tend to soar through the roof every now and then, the top brass military leadership has had to repeatedly, albeit painstakingly, jump in front of the cameras to stop the rumour express. But this cultivation of relations with the masses is exactly what the media wing of the armed forces was established for. However, when the much-coveted branch of Inter-Services Intelligence steps beyond routine conventions, and joins DG Lt Gen Babar Iftikhar in a conversation, with the members of the media, to explosively break the vow of silence, the extraordinariness of the situation screams out to anyone who would listen. Instead of being mired in smoke and mirrors, Pakistan Army decided to fight the case for its integrity in the court of the masses with the same conviction and veracity shown in their resolve to guard the country against the onslaught of enemies. While the “defamatory” statements in the past have been reciprocated instantaneously, the leadership always tried to send a general message to all concerned quarters. However, the conformational narrative surrounding the untimely and barbaric murder of leading journalist Arshad Sharif and the consequent opening of the conspiratorial floodgates were probably too much to stomach, even for their nerves of steel. Putting down the speculations regarding the tenure of Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the two highly-respectable mouthpieces did not mince their words when it came to backdoor dealings or “false narratives.” The message is the same as always: do not involve the army to pursue your political agendas just because the institution “refuse(s) to bend to an unconstitutional and illegal act.” But the tenacity of the expression and the sharpness of the pointed daggers still come as a surprise to those used to splashing muddied waters in their direction. That a functional and constitutional democracy took over seven decades to realise all its institutions needed to act in accordance with the roles assigned by the blueprint reflects a tragedy but even more disheartening is the unwillingness of the political players to let the status quo sustain. Whether they do not trust the strength of their mandate or are hesitant in facing the disappointed voters, the writing on the wall is just as elusive: people in Pakistan have a while to go; yearning to breathe fully free. What went down with Mr Sharif needs to be brought before the public eye, but in the meantime, let’s refrain from sparking more kerosene cans in the way of the only institution determined to keep a credible reputation. *