Re: New political , social , organizational and regional contract
1:** As a nation, we are passing through a defining phase. We are critically looking at the mistakes made in the past and trying to set the course for a better future. **
We grew up listening to this and now literally sick of it. It's a tag whose shelf life has expired long ago and it does not ring any alarms anymore.
2: **No individual or institution has the monopoly to decide what is right or wrong in defining the ultimate national interest. It should emerge only through a consensus, and all Pakistanis have a right to express their opinions. The constitution provides a clear mechanism for it.**
There has to be someone to oversee what's going on. We cannot hold a referendum on every issue to forge a consensus on a particular issue of national interest. People have given their verdict and their representatives are sitting in the parliament, if they cannot decide about the importance of national issue, than the ultmiate charge of incompetence should be laid on those who select politicians to represent them. it's fine If the general did not want to name the addressee of this statement, which is court, but the general cannot be given a free hand to let its people do whatever they want in Balochistan in the name of national interest. The general has clearly failed in safeguarding its people against the internal threat. He has no business with interfering in political or constitutional matters of the country. He is also a nobody when it comes to the functioning of the superior courts. The general should not become an attorney for ex-generals in case if they have complained to him for being drubbed in a court of law.
3: **We all have a great responsibility to shoulder. We should learn from our past, try to build the present and keep our eyes set on a better future.**
Thanx for revealing the divine verses on us. We did not know that.
4: **Weakening of the institutions and trying to assume more than one's due role will set us back. We owe it to the future of Pakistan, to lay correct foundations, today. We should not be carried away by short term considerations which may have greater negative consequences in the future. **
That's what we have been saying: Weakening of the institution of democray and trying to assume more than army's due role has set us tremendously back. This was perhaps intended for the internal reading which has been let out by mistake
5: **Armed Forces draw their strength from the bedrock of the public support. National security is meaningless without it. Therefore, any effort which wittingly or unwittingly draws a wedge between the people and Armed Forces of Pakistan undermines the larger national interest. **
The nation has been feeding its forces by cutting its own necessities in a number of ways and has always been there to support our men. We have always been and will continue to be on your back. And we would also like to assure you that no one can change nation's love affair with its armed forces.
6: **While constructive criticism is well understood, conspiracy theories based on rumours which create doubts about the very intent, are unacceptable. **
It seems pretty political. I hope you know if you are mandated to make political statements. Destructive and constructive criticism and consipiracy theories routinely take place in a third world country like ours. We thought a general would be least borthered about them.
7: **The integrity and cohesion of the Armed Forces is essentially based on the trust... Equally important is the trust between the leaders and the led of the Armed Forces. Any effort to create a distinction between the two, undermines the very basis of this concept and is not tolerated. **
The maintenance of the the internal cohesion is clearly your own job. No court, no religious scholar and no politician lecture "the lead of the Armed Forces." They look up to you and get their orders and inspiration from you. We as civilians and being outsiders ipso facto, would like to know if you are taking good care of our boys. It's the duty of the services chiefs to maintain discipline, harmony and cohesion in their respective ranks and lead them by example.
8: **While individual mistakes might have been made by all of us in the Country, these should be best left to the due process of law. As we all are striving for the rule of law, the fundamental principle; that no one is guilty until proven, should not be forgotten. Let us not pre judge anyone, be it a civilian or a military person and extend it, unnecessarily, to undermine respective institutions.**
Individual mistakes have definitely been made by all of us and if someone is trying to fix the responsibilities and bring those erring individuals to justice so that the country does not appear to be an open and free experimental ground for the whims of any adventurer, why should it be bothering anyone? The Supreme Court of the country has stated it on record both in the missing persons' case and in the Asghar Khan case that the whole nation holds the armed forces of its country in the highest esteeem and value their sacrifices for the country. But let us set the course of the nation right. Let it be established for once and all that no one would be able to walk scot-free, even if one belongs to as noble an institution as yours.
9: **All systems in Pakistan appear to be in a haste to achieve something, which can have both positive and negative implications. Let us take a pause and examine the two fundamental questions; One, are we promoting the rule of law and the Constitution? Two, are we strengthening or weakening the institutions?**
The haste you see maybe a norm elsewhere. Since we are not used to justice getting dispensed speedily, we sometimes find it hard to stomach. Asghar Khan case has been in courts for 16 long years. Is it being heard in a haste? If promotion of rule of law and the Consitution amounts to be a check on ISI's freewheeling in Balochistan, than so be it. How can we even think of undermining an institution which we foster on our blood? Having said that, we understand that the civilian government has been clearly told to stay off Balochistan's affairs as you want to deal with the issue in your own way. We do not want any repeat of East Pakistan debacle. Let the political leadership take full charge of the situation and let them deal with the issue politically. We trust them and you will have to trust us. Trust the people who are truly, deeply and madly in love with you!!!