Daily Times

On May 1, 2014, Daily Times published a banner headline on its front page that said. ‘Surrender or get ready for operation, army tells rebels’. The army chief in this statement spoke for all who hold this country dear and respect the state and its constitution. I must admit that General Raheel Sharif has successfully rebuilt the image of the armed forces as loyal, dedicated and honourable. If some previous examples of being browbeaten by aggressive politicians or subjugation due to temptations were continued, the men in uniform would have been reduced to little more than shoeshine boys. General Raheel Sharif’s statement says enough but means even more. It clearly reminds pro-Taliban terror groups of the no-nonsense attitude of the Pakistan army. This is significant enough support for the constitution and the state. It also supports democratic principles enshrined in the constitution. It is a warning to those sleeper cells of the terrorists who have found their way into the National Assembly, the civilian government, the media and elsewhere.

Recent months have painted a clear picture for how a social and media psychological war has been conducted by the ‘Goebbels’ of the terrorist set up. True Islamic values have been substituted by the aggressive ‘Islamists’. They have promoted neo-Islam theories and concepts to create sectarianism and to justify terror acts. Unfortunately, our politicians, including the current set up, do not understand the role of the armed forces in our country. They repeat, like parrots, that all the ills of today are because of some years of military-dominated rule in Pakistan. They condemn the ‘uniform’ and they condemn even the civil services. It is true that Yahya Khan’s ambition and incompetence resulted in a great loss but let us not fool ourselves by ignoring the reality that he was working on the ‘advice’ of some very, very, important politicians whose ambitions were served by severing a part of Pakistan. After Ziaul Haq, the country was thrown onto the road towards doom. Zia used religion and sectarian conflict to the hilt and destroyed the integrity of the country by entering a war that he should have stayed away from. However, here again, several familiar politicians were seen kissing Zia’s hands, leaving no stone unturned in praise of his policies. The majority of upstart civilian politicians, particularly those who were spoonfed by the two worst military tyrants, run hoarse praising their part and running down only the military men. The worst of them do so indiscriminately. They forget that General Musharraf pulled the country out from near bankruptcy. He returned the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) loans and showed us the road to self-dependence. He even enabled the country to give financial aid to some Central Asian Republics with Muslim majorities. He provided the masses with work opportunities, as well as a measure of dignity to overseas Pakistanis.

If our rulers with military background were not angels then the civilian rulers were no angels either. Let it not be forgotten that the judiciary validated every military takeover. Maturity demands a dispassionate analysis and not outright condemnation. Worst of all is the propaganda against the total institution of the defenders of the country. The majority of the people of this country hold the armed forces in high esteem and respect their resolve and sacrifices. The dignity of this institution must be upheld and this is one of the messages of General Raheel Sharif.

A message is also there for the media. Media men and women should not get carried away with scandalous material. They have a social responsibility that should not be sacrificed in the name of freedom of expression. Freedom must equate to the extent of responsibility exhibited. The measure of freedom relates to the measure of responsibility. If freedom is used for corruption, blackmail, distortion and sensationalism then it must be taken notice of. Some of our media persons have consistently indulged in these activities. Some have even been consistent spokespersons of terrorists. Is that in any way ‘responsible’? I do not believe that such media persons are unable to distinguish between the teachings of the Almighty and the version of Islam hailed by the terrorists! I am sure they know better and their support for terrorists is for other reasons. Such men and women mislead the people who trust the media and should be answerable for the misuse of their freedom.

General Raheel Sharif has actually supported democracy and has shown the way for a responsible democracy to earn institutional support. But do we have a true democracy? What kind of democracy do we have, when it is ridden with allegations of mass riggings in elections, where the names of some members of the election commission and the head of an interim government are in the headlines for their alleged involvement in massive rigging and where the judiciary ducks the question of investigation? National experts, technocrats, men of learning and overseas Pakistanis go unrepresented here. The lower and upper houses of parliament are filled by a large number of persons accused of holding false educational degrees, among other crimes! There is no educational requirement for being a ‘lawmaker’ while a peon cannot be recruited without basic education! What kind of ‘democratic’ Assembly has emerged in this situation?

The writer is the former CEO Pakistan National Council of the Arts; chairman Fruit Processing Industries; chairman UNESCO Theatre Institute Pakistan and COO ICTV, USA. He is the author of Melluhas of the Indus Valley 8000 BC to 500 BC. He can be reached at naeemtahir37@gmail.com