The command fund (a.k.a private fund) is a fund kept by a military unit for spending on heads not covered by government. However over a period of time this has become the biggest issue in our military units. How?
The command fund is generated by unit’s private means. Like a bakery, Plaza etc. The problem has started since generation of command fund has taken centre stage in our routine military activity rather than training. These days the pride of an outgoing commander is not that he got the firing standard from 70% to 80% but he added twenty million rupees to the command fund.
Now this practice has opened another can of worms. Any illegal means to generate command fund are considered right till the times money goes not into the pockets of commanders and staff officers but in the fund which is audited internally but not externally. People have been sent home on embezzlment from the fund. But this transparency does not stop our units from turning into higly inefficient business ventures.
The question which arises after this is that can the government just disburse some money for this head (for the legitimate needs of a military unit) and put the energies of commanders away from conducting buisnesses. The command fund in some units runs in tens of millions e.g. The unit in lahore which owns the fortress stadium is probably the richest.
I think the government should confiscate the funds and scrutinize the legitimate requirements and start a fund with commanders for this purpose. Also take over all these money making ventures and give them on lease. This private fund generation is one big cause which has transformed military mentality of a soldier to be a buisness man and precisely the reason that so many military men are proving to be so good at business unlike the soldiers of the past who faded out at their farms alloted to them by the government to spend the retirement days in a purposeful manner.
P.S: My heart burns once i see a soldier selling vegetables or selling clothes to ladies in a shop run by some unit to make command fund. Should’nt we stop this practice before it is too late.
this happens when you do business that is not your business! it becomes tempting and deals under the tables become so possible for personal gains. no wonder how fleet of most expensive cars and homes spring up for officers move to brig. or maj general and upwards. sad but true.
this has reminded me ISI officer words, "fauji bhai are also pakistanis and they tend to do what they can if they get the oppertunity and eveyone avails this".
and its also true for all departments of Govt though.
This thing has been realized by few senior officers as well and in Lahore now all the private enterprises are taken from units and a special committe runs them all and all the money is pooled up and distributed to units but units have to spend it only on welfare of jawans.
I was happy to hear this thing and i hope very soon all the army will get rid of this command fund generation menance.
P.S: well correct me, now no unit owns incomes of fortress stadium directly. All the members of the committe are retired army people and people running the shops are ex servicemen. I suppose that is a very good arrangement as a soldier retires somewhere at the age of 37-40 years so he needs some way to earn decent money and it is a very good welfare measure
The command fund (a.k.a private fund) is a fund kept by a military unit for spending on heads not covered by government. However over a period of time this has become the biggest issue in our military units. How?
The command fund is generated by unit's private means. Like a bakery, Plaza etc. The problem has started since generation of command fund has taken centre stage in our routine military activity rather than training. These days the pride of an outgoing commander is not that he got the firing standard from 70% to 80% but he added twenty million rupees to the command fund.
Now this practice has opened another can of worms. Any illegal means to generate command fund are considered right till the times money goes not into the pockets of commanders and staff officers but in the fund which is audited internally but not externally. People have been sent home on embezzlment from the fund. But this transparency does not stop our units from turning into higly inefficient business ventures.
The question which arises after this is that can the government just disburse some money for this head (for the legitimate needs of a military unit) and put the energies of commanders away from conducting buisnesses. The command fund in some units runs in tens of millions e.g. The unit in lahore which owns the fortress stadium is probably the richest.
I think the government should confiscate the funds and scrutinize the legitimate requirements and start a fund with commanders for this purpose. Also take over all these money making ventures and give them on lease. This private fund generation is one big cause which has transformed military mentality of a soldier to be a buisness man and precisely the reason that so many military men are proving to be so good at business unlike the soldiers of the past who faded out at their farms alloted to them by the government to spend the retirement days in a purposeful manner.
P.S: My heart burns once i see a soldier selling vegetables or selling clothes to ladies in a shop run by some unit to make command fund. Should'nt we stop this practice before it is too late.
I am amazed. This kind of information is supposed to be known to the military personnels only. And if the originator of this thread is a military person then he should refrain from giving such information in the open forum.
I am also astonished at the moderators of this forum. Mr HZ never spent time to issue me 75 warnings in just 3 minutes when I gave a rejoinder to the racist remarks of one of the member and here he is not playing his role.
P.S: My heart burns once i see a soldier selling vegetables or selling clothes to ladies in a shop run by some unit to make command fund. Should'nt we stop this practice before it is too late.
are those same place where a non-army related person can go and buy stuff??
If they are then from someoen from egneral public's POV, those stores (called COD i believe) provide great relief to people as prices on those stores is very compatitve and its more like all items under one roof kindaa place
I am amazed. This kind of information is supposed to be known to the military personnels only. And if the originator of this thread is a military person then he should refrain from giving such information in the open forum.
I am also astonished at the moderators of this forum. Mr HZ never spent time to issue me 75 warnings in just 3 minutes when I gave a rejoinder to the racist remarks of one of the member and here he is not playing his role.
Khushaal
this is not classified information by any means. Units have various funds (granted or generated) and that is common knowledge for anyone slightly familiar with military life/service. Other observations can be based on individual analysis or particular perspective and are not necessarily the final word or ultimate truth.
And, there is no comparison here with warnings issued over racist/offensive remarks.
khushaal, there is nothing secret in this information. Auditor General of Pakistan last year raised an objection for use of A-1 military lands for commercial purposes by army without passing the benefit to government. The objection is not settled but merely pending. This is no secret military planning which may not be known outside a very few circles but i believe it should be told to all.
The moment someone told me that last year in lahore General Shahid Aziz took this remarkable step, i immediately informed all of you with it. I think there is no reason we civilians cannot discuss it. This is no attack plan of Pakistan Army into India or location of our nuclear secrets.
^^^^ I agree, but when you discuss the drawbacks and weaknesses of your army in a forum where information is equally shared with our adversary then it becomes confidential information. Army involvement in business may not be a secret information but the way you discuss it was definitely restricted one. If you tell your adversary that our army personnels run civil shops and involved in corruption, it may not do any good for the members of this forum but it will be valuable information for our enemy.
They probably know it that is why in 2002 an indian general commented that how can you compare indian army with an army which runs bakeries and shops (or words to that effect)
