Daily Times

Just like his predecessors, General Raheel Sharif, the former Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) has been drawn into controversy immediately after his retirement. Before him, General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kiyani was accused of nepotism and the abettor of the financial misdeeds of his brother, a private contractor, Kamran Kiyani. Before him, it was General Musharraf who abrogated the constitution twice and had to leave the country evading a trial. And before General Musharraf, General Jahangir Karamat had to resign in the middle of his tenure on a disagreement with the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The criticism started when he was offered to lead the combined military force of 39 Muslim countries to combat terrorism, a force that Pakistan declined to join. Amid the controversy about the true objectives of this detachment and the role he played to project himself as a suitable candidate while serving as the COAS, he has become a laughing stock on social media. Until retirement, he was considered as the saviour of Pakistan; the best COAS ever, the person who single-handedly restored peace throughout the country and defeated the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in his three-year tenure, Now the jokes calling him names and referring him as a Saudi agent fill up the Twitter pages. While some question his patriotism, others announce him a security risk, and many just consider him another greedy officer vying to get the financial perks from the oil-rich Kingdom.

Can you imagine how disheartening it must be for him and all the former chiefs; people who declare on a whim who is a patriot and who is not? As soon as they take an oath to command the powerful Pakistani military, a large group of sycophants pop up to seize their attention announcing them as the pride of Pakistan, brave and professional, the true leaders, the hope of the country, the reason for our survival. Friends start calling to reestablish contact. Uncles and aunts start bragging. Friends start reminding them of their old relationship. Distant relatives start approaching for minor favours. Even if the Generals doubt the intentions of the admirers in the beginning, how can they defy everyone for straight three years? Every day, they watch people standing in a queue for hours to get their nod of approval. Remember, the list of people who await this approval are not ordinary folks. Ordinary folks do not come anywhere close to the COAS. So are the junior officers: captains, majors and colonels. Instead, the list includes the members of the federal cabinet, the provincial chief ministers and the senior bureaucrats.

However, as soon as they step down at the end of their tenure, they are abandoned by almost everyone including family members. Old friends give up hope. Neighbours avoid association. The power that they once thought did not belong to the position and in fact emanated from the strength of their character evaporates in a matter of minutes. The attention which they get accustomed to now is diverted to the upcoming chief who again is welcomed as the new hope, the saviour, the professional soldier and so on.

The earth must feel slipping away under their feet with the sudden loss of support. This is what happened to General (retd) Pervaiz Musharraf when he returned to Pakistan in April 2011 and found the airport to be empty of people who were supposed to have received him in millions.

Can this unfortunate chain of events be avoided? Yes and no. Yes, because it can be done if someone is determined to avoid personal projection, unlike General Raheel Sharif who wholeheartedly focused on building up his image by using Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) as a tool to push forward his agenda. Many times, it felt as if he was acting more as a politician than as a military commander, rushing to get his pictures taken and distributed to the media way before any public servant could reach the site of incidence. His resolve to fight terrorism would also appear on the front pages more frequently than the civil administration.

And yes, once more, if someone understands the limits of his constitutional powers regardless of the ground realities. General Waheed Kakar, the Army Chief before General Jahangir Karamat and one of the Generals who avoided controversy at every cost is a good example to follow.

And again yes, if one does not have any ambition of serving more than one tenure or take up any other position post retirement.

But the real answer, the most pragmatic and likely response stays no. Why? Because of the unlimited powers in one hand. Until and unless, we develop a system where everyone is held accountable for their actions while they still serve, we will not be able to break this cycle. Think of real checks and balances for everyone. Are we ready to work on that? Probably not. Then let me tell you one thing: in the absence of the fear of retribution, nothing will change. Which is why, in the last forty years, starting from General Ziaul Haq every former Chief except one is deemed controversial, if not outright maligned as corrupt, conspirator or a dictator.

The writer is a US-based freelance columnist. He tweets at @KaamranHashmi and can be reached at skamranhashmi@gmail.com