How much can the armed forces take? They are heaped with insults from politicians non-stop — sometimes mild, sometimes strong. Surprisingly, a mild response from the army chief was heard. We should give thanks to General Raheel Sharif, who showed sensitivity and reflected the sentiments of the troops and also of a large section of the public, and expressed his resolve to uphold the dignity of ‘institutions’. General Raheel Sharif’s statement was mild and decent as compared to the remarks of the two Khwajas, Asif and Rafiq. On top of it, the two Khwajas have not shown any remorse for what they said. For a long time all kinds of verbal attacks have been made on the armed forces. The large stomach for tolerance for these attacks in the last several years has made people feel that the armed forces have lost their respect in their own eyes, and therefore they swallow everything. Army men have seen their colleagues arrested, slaughtered and the skulls of the shaheeds (martyrs) used as footballs. Did their blood not boil? They have seen over 6,000 men lay down their lives in the line of duty and the killers freed. Would not there be resentment among them? The politicians have ignored all this and started to negotiate as a surrendering party. Their former chief is isolated and dragged into the courts. There has to be a limit to their patience. Is the Constitution of Pakistan not being violated? Is it ok for politicians to negotiate with the terrorists who do not recognise the constitution? Do members of the National Assembly who pass extremely objectionable comments on the armed forces not violate clauses of the constitution? Why is no action initiated against them? On the other hand, is it not the constitutional responsibility of the armed forces to protect the country from external and internal aggression against the nation? If it is so, then they are only doing their duty. In a recent TV talk show the seasoned analyst Mujibur Rehman Shami was asked the question whether parliament is the country’s supreme body? Mr Shami gave an appropriate answer. He said, “In principle it is true, but ground realities and the behaviour of the members of each entity make an institution respectable or not. The members of parliament at this time are ‘milking’ the nation while the members of the armed forces are giving their blood to the nation!” So far there is no sign of remorse or any admonishment from the prime minister. The anti-army sentiment is not new. Politicians take every opportunity to discredit them and sometime provide lip service in their favour. The same is happening now. There are a couple of statements by other ministers meant to be only anaesthetics to relieve the pain caused to the soldiers. But the pain is there. If the present government really respects the sacrifices and professional ability shown by the armed forces then nothing short of action against the violation of the constitution by some members of the reigning political party will be satisfactory reprisal for their comments. If General Raheel Sharif had not taken cognizance of his men’s sentiments, he would have failed in his duty and loyalty to the troops. He, in fact, reflected the sentiments of the majority of civilians as well. An opinion poll on a major TV network showed that 86 percent of the public felt that the armed forces were unduly criticised. Some politicos cry themselves hoarse praising the virtues of ‘democracy’. I wonder what true democracy is to their minds. I am sure it is not the kind of democracy that we are experiencing. Yes, democracy should be respectable and reflect the true wishes of the people. The strength of democracy comes from the support of the votes of the people. I do not agree that even the worst form of democracy is good. It is a self-serving statement of those who would perpetuate the worst form. The nation faces an emergency situation at this moment. The politicos have failed to understand the strategies of insurgent terrorists. Terrorists used the month of March and are now planning a takeover of Islamabad. They are now more organised. They failed at Lal Masjid and now have improved their plan. The government has been informed of this development by its own sources, and newspapers have made the public aware of it. If the insurgents and terrorists are ready to attack and take over the capital of the country, is it not an emergency? If this is not considered an emergency then the government is only waiting for surrender by consent. Maybe Sharmila Farooqui’s question, “Is Chaudhry Nisar Pakistan’s Interior Minister or the advisor of the Taliban?” is correct. It may be that a similar question needs to be asked about the whole government set up. 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