Daily Times

In any fully functional democracy, a rebuke to the army by its PM would not be worth more than a cursory read. Our democracy is also functional but, not fully so. And, therefore, a rebuke to the army was an event of note.

The entire saga has become increasingly unsavoury. The first report on the subject by Cyril Almeida, commented that the report was “orchestrated”. It certainly seemed very well timed.

Almeida’s report was based on very reliable leaks, from more than one, extremely well-placed and reliable sources. Like any responsible daily, the Dawn must have reconfirmed the report from numerous sources.

This implies numerous extremely reliable well-placed sources.

The period when this incident occurred was when Zarb e Azb was going full force in Karachi but was becoming increasingly conspicuous by its absence, in Punjab. And, the general impression was that the army had [reluctantly?] succumbed to governmental demands.

This incident, orchestrated or not, intended to imply that the ISI, on behalf of the army was “protecting its protégés”; non-state actors in Punjab; and that was a policy that the government disagreed with. A believable, if improbable possibility.

The army protested against the accusation but, the way the protest was made, it seemed more like a protest against the rebuke.

If the incident had occurred as Almeida reported it, the PM should have owned it and the matter would have ended there.

Instead, the Information Minister was sacked and an inquiry ordered to apportion blame.

Months later, the PM’s office announced that Mr Tariq Fatemi, Adviser to the PM and the Secretary Foreign Affairs was to be sacked. And Almeida’s role was to be judged by the APNS. Obviously scapegoats were on offer for sacrifice.

The military’s response was as quick as it was inappropriate. DG ISPR Tweeted that the army “rejected” the report.

When did any military, anywhere, acquire the authority to reject a government decision?

Since the time when it suited some countries to paint our military as a “rogue”, Pakistan’s army has been in the eye of the storm. Often by putting itself there. This incident is the most recent example of that.

It is to be hoped that the choice of words by the ISPR are a result of inexperience; not intentional.

The last thing Pakistan needs is another meltdown of civil-military relations.