Call it a manufacturing defect in our DNA or something that is somewhat unique about us, especially in the people of the Indian Subcontinent, we remain fixated to the individuals and tend to idolise them to the extent of obsession. Take the example of the recently retired General Raheel Sharif. The electronic and print media was singing his praises and rightly, up until perhaps last week. There was a concerted effort to convince him somehow to stay and seek an extension. As a thorough professional, he kept his word and retired on schedule as promised.
But as soon as he began his farewell meetings, there were mutterings about some of his goals that remain unaccomplished. Even a person with an average intellect like me could understand that a three-year term is a limited span of time to eradicate the deeply rooted menace of terrorism. The important thing to acknowledge is the significant advancement in that regard under his watch.
At one point, Late General Zia ul Haq was the mentor of our current Prime Minister. Now, our dear PM pretends total ignorance of him as if such a person never existed around him. The former General Pervez Musharraf, when in uniform, enjoyed the company of many yes men around him. It is quite a scene that a party called Pakistan Muslim League PML-Q that he once cobbled with his nod has completely ditched him when he has no power and clout. The former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry was a messiah to many, at his peak of the so-called Lawyers Movement. Today, he hardly gets any mention anywhere. As the saying very aptly goes, ‘for every high there is a low’.
We worship the people at their highs and quickly ditch them at their lows. This malaise runs deep within our social makeup. It truly exposes our real characters and demonstrates our lust for material things and affiliation with stature, power or influence. As I have stated here on multiple occasions in the past, we are far more materialistic than most western societies.
The electronic and print media was rife with anchors and writers who dedicated their segments and columns on singing endless praises of the former General. No stone was left unturned in creating some controversy or gossip about the relationship between the military and civilian branches of the government. We are a unique country where the most amount of air time and ink is spent on defining the status of these jagged relations. Every night people spent countless hours giving the latest on these relations and making every effort to undermine the civilian arm with a vengeance.
The debates are fierce, and certain panellists in the garb of defence analysts issue sweeping statements, pretending to be the mouthpieces of the General Head Quarters (GHQ). The TV anchors, in the “greater national interest, peddle the oft-repeated request of ‘intervention’ from the General in command. Not to mention, a clown from my city of birth, is brought in to seek the ‘inside scoop’.”
This pathetic reflection of our lunacies is also part of our genetic makeup. It runs deep within us as conspiracies and palace coups have a historical relationship with us, all the way back to dynasties that once ruled the United India.
Many experts have opined on the challenges for the incoming General and what he should and should not do. One has to sit and wonder, do people responsible for the security of this country pay any attention to these bunch of ribbiting frogs that never fail to make enough noise just to make their presence felt. It is safe to assume that no one in the arena of security establishment has time to read these lines, but if they do, I have a very humble request. Try to issue a stern directive to such people who mislead the nation in the guise of experts or the carriers of “inside scoops.”
I am a staunch proponent of free speech, but when it becomes a vehicle of cheap rumour mongering and speculations, it is counter-productive. The entire world witnesses the idiocies of our people who have no business discussing matters of our security and draw their inferences about our vulnerabilities.
This nonsense sends all the wrong signals to our neighbours and the rest of the world. It creates rifts and widens the gap between the two pillars of our government. One can sincerely hope that General Bajwa sends a message to the media to refrain from such juvenile antics in supreme national interest.
Perhaps what happened in the past has to be buried for good. It is time for a new beginning. When both pillars are strictly focused on their respective goals, both will be automatically seen and received as being on the same page.
The writer is a Pakistani-US mortgage banker. He can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @dasghar