Gone are the days when military encroachments used to be a taboo affair. By coming down hard on the institution of armed forces, the honourable gavel of the Islamabad High Court has done the unthinkable. The seemingly endless saga of Margalla Hills National Park is a dark, dark blot on the credibility of a pillar known for its professionalism, indeed. To top it off, the bench hit the bull’s eye when it reminded all quarters involved how “the urge of state institutions to act as a state within the state is obvious.” From the illegal construction of the Navy Sailing Club on the banks of Rawal Lake to controversial Askari Park to the heated row over shuttering Monal to now this, there appears no shortage of landmark verdicts, which have sadly been repeatedly brushed under the rug—far, far away from public attention. Whatever became of making Islamabad’s master plan accessible to the public eye to scrutinise the extent of illegal plunder is hidden in a well-kept-away folder in a dusty cupboard. The unpleasant optics of one branch arm-twisting the other to ensure the rule of law aside, the judgement has clearly opened a can of worms by pointing to the implications of tainted priorities. The unwavering commitment of our soldiers to protect their motherland with blood and sweat can never be doubted but when their senior leadership starts pursuing commercial agendas as viable extracurricular activities, the subjugation of the state becomes an unsaid reality. Why is it that strong democracies do now give their defence forces the leeway to perform any duties other than their original mandate? The notable cases of Indian and Bangladeshi armies spell out the golden rules loud and clear and this rubberstamping of boundaries is what is needed to make Islamabad and Rawalpindi true members of a symbiotic relationship. Isn’t the fact that Pakistan would soon cross its phenomenal 75th mark reason enough to part ways from the twisted leg-pulling of history? *