Daily Times

We, the sorry citizens of Pakistan, have got used to event-based news. So when the army chief reiterated his view that the Operation Zarb-e-Azb, or another of its like, is unlikely to have a permanent effect unless corruption is uprooted and accountability is across the board, speculation had to be event based. He went on to add that in this context the army is prepared to contribute in any way required. If in his brief period of command, there is one thing that General Raheel Sharif has established about himself, it is that he not only says what he means but also means exactly what he says. As far as army is concerned, during his two-year and five-month period in office, over a dozen senior officers have been severely punished for corruption-related activities.

Needless to say, that all and sundry have concluded that coming in the wake of the Panama disclosures, this comment is directed solely at the ruling party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, and not the malaise that has spread its stench in the very air we breathe.

There is little doubt that the tenure of the last Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government witnessed, as some may say, the most inept and corrupt government in our history. The current one is certainly an improvement by comparison, but only by comparison. What is more is that the PPP had one saving grace: its declared opposition to terrorists. The current one prevaricates in
shameless cowardice.

Other political parties like the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Awami National Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema Islam, or the dozens of useless, incompetent, even unstable people whose collective wisdom could overflow the brain size of a mouse, are not much better. In this environment of hopelessness, Imran Khan offered a ray of hope to the gullible, but, regretfully, his balloon began losing gas within months of his arrival, and by now has lost most of its fizz.

Consequently, army was back as the sole ray of hope and, fortunately, General Sharif proved himself to be the kind of person to inspire hope. His performance, by any standards, has been and continues to be, outstanding. On the other hand, having started slowly, General Sharif picked up momentum so quickly that his popularity is unparalleled. Soft spoken but firm, he stayed away from media but continued to make news. Perhaps because of this prevalent environment, public expectations of General Sharif scaled new heights. And perhaps these expectations were too high for him to fill. Starting a few months back, it seemed he began to lose momentum.

In Karachi, operations slowed down, and Dr Asim Hussain disappeared from centrestage, as the PPP desired. Quietly, the row between the central and provincial government on employment of Rangers seems to have reached an amicable (for the provincial government) solution.

While military operations in the FATA were going fine, despite hue and cry by army, the government continued to slow-march in the matter of the rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons. Having threatened to commence serious operations in Punjab, it seemed that only in Punjab army agreed to take a backseat to the police until Rajanpur became a fiasco. Balochistan is beginning to show signs of recovering but the jury is still out for a verdict.

Meanwhile, time was running out for General Sharif, and every passing day made it increasingly apparent that it is highly unlikely that he would be able to complete his self-assigned task in the seven months that are left of his tenure. Admiration is more fickle than love because, more often than not, it has an element of envy in it. Many of General Sharif’s admirers turned accusers, and began to wonder if he had struck a compromise with the political leadership. It’s a possibility. Or maybe he began to tire; he has been burning his candle at both ends. Whatever the reasons, to the critical viewer, his performance had begun to flag. But perhaps he realised something else. I was always of the view that his announcement that he would refuse an extension was premature and offered the political leaders an ‘out’. They merely needed to bide their time to find a more pliable successor to him. Perhaps he too realised that.

I have frequently commented to my American friends that our two countries share a common woe. On the current political horizon of our countries we have mules and Americans have burros. Consequently, both are forced to seek a mule if available, and both end up with the healthiest, one-eyed, partially deaf and lame mule available.

I think that, slowly, this fact has been brought home to General Sharif and that coupled with his realisation that he is likely to leave the job half-done is what has forced him to voice his concern again. If there is another fact that army has realised over time, it is that army is not capable of running a country and, therefore, will not take over. If we put all the foregoing facts together, the army’s options are limited. But there are options left. I think General Sharif has again exercised the foremost one available to him.

There are others. To his doubters and denigrators I say: don’t give up on him yet.

The writer is a retired brigadier. He is also former vice president and founder of the Islamabad Policy Research Institute