Musharraff, the safarshi

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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Re: Musharraff, the safarshi

Well put Zakk.

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Re: Musharraff, the safarshi

Actually this beard issue has just come up during the past 2 years or so. There was never any discrimination of any such sort before. But, having said that I'd also like to point out that the discrimination isn't any where as serious as some believe. Yes, shorter beards and clean shaves are encouraged, but Ive come across officers in all 3 forces with beards, even religious mustache-less beards even now. Even a few cadets have beards and one of the recently promoted Brigadiers who's now a Div Cdr as a Maj Gen has a religious beard with no mustache. I cant recall his name or appointment. He was shown a lot on TV during the Fmn Cdrs conference last month.
Plus, undeserving officers technically never reach these high ranks and the diff between their ACRs and files is almost what one calls 19/20, and in that diff between 19-20 the slight politicizing comes in, and that too not always! Plus promotions to Lt Gen are no more than a handful each year, and anyone competitive enough is selected from amongst a pool of others who are almost equally competent no matter Pathan, Mohajir, Punjabi, Sindhi, Balochi, Memon, Bohri, Parsi, Shia, Sunni etc because those officers are all soldiers of Pakistan.

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Re: Musharraff, the safarshi

Prime Minister is not involved in promotion from Brigadier to Major General as there are too many, their involvement was only for the chief and nobody followed merit in our history, Zia had a team of the most corrupt Generals which he called his " rufaqa". Nawaz Shareef paid the price for not following merit but he still doesn't admit to it. Benazir is just trying to get political mileage from Musharraf's cozy relations with MQM who has earned th wrath of all sensible people of pakistan

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Re: Musharraff, the safarshi

nstar,
Actually the promotion system is quite scientific, foolproof and competitive overall.

2/Lt to Captain> The service tenure and various technical courses relevant to the parent commissioning arm eg. Armour, Gunnery, Air Defence, Signals, Tactics etc and performance therein.

Captain to Major> Service tenure, performance and courses. As well as the Cap to Maj exam which is a competitive and comprehensive exam in few parts dealing with military, strategic as well as social and scientific subjects.

**Maj to Lt Col> **This is the most crucial as at this stage the officers file and ACRs are considered for promtion for the first time by the Promotions Board. The board considers service tenure, medical and physical health, conduct, bearing, professional competence, courses, performance, personality, relations with seniors and juniors, effectiveness of command and leadership and so on. And the most crucial point that counts at this stage is the Command & Staff College qualification. Majors to the Command Staff College for the 1 yr course which awards a MSc degree and prepares officers for future and higher command and the progress report issued there plays a key part.

Lt Col to Col> Basically performance and career pattern based.

Col to Brig> Again based on the officer quality, courses, ACRs, board recommendations as well as further high level command courses at the NDC. The reports there count alot.

Brig to Maj Gen> Officers not having qualified upto a good level of mental, physical and medical health are sidelined usually. Officer not having qualified Staff College are not considered for promotion. Officer having NDC level courses are upto the mark and have very good chnaces of promotion. Overall ACRs, command perfomance, intelligence reports etc all matter.

Maj Gen to Lt Gen> All the competitive elements like the courses, fitness, good ACRs, intelligence reports, command experience, junior-senior relations etc are all present in all officers that reach this far. Now comes in the best of the best part as promotion to Lt Gen is for very few positions. A better fit officer may be overlooked for an officer with a better or addnl course. or vice versa. Slight doubt in intelligence reports or any reports of misconduct or dubious behavior or connections with any group etc could also give one a negative point. The best few are chosen. And perhaps yes there could be slight favourtism/politicizing too for any reason. It has happened in all sections of society and at all high offices at all times. regrettable but not exclusive to army.

Lt Gen to Gen> Only 2-3 selected at a time at most. Many factors count, the politics, the PM/President the retiring COAS and so on, and above all fate.

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Re: Musharraff, the safarshi

I don't want to get into this discussion too much; but a few final points

  • The Military promotion like any system in Pakistan suffers from some inherent flaws..the excessive use of discretionary power, interviews, subjective questions and vivas are given too much weightage.

  • It's recruitment system was till recently dominated by several assumptions, was the martial race concept, which came from the British...which meant people like the Bengalis were considered poor fighters. (the hamood ur rehman report confirms this)

  • The intelligence agencies often vet higher ranking appointments..mostly from colonel and upwards. So if you have certain links, to political parties it can be dicey (PML yes, MMA yes, PPP no, ANP or PONM absolutely no), you could also lose out (in the past ) if you drank.

*Those who make sweeping statements that it's purely politicians fault we have dictators, don't understand some basics.. this is not exclusive to politicians..Ayub khans promotion was done by ghulam Mohammed and Iskandier Mirza..dyed in blue establishment people. Similarly dictators have done far bigger changes in the Army hierarchy once they came to power..again purely on political grounds. Ayub Khan targetted the Navy almost as soon as he took over, similarly Zia and Musharraf targetted PAF.

Those who oppose political control of the Armed forces in entirety I suggest they remember the axiom "War is too important to be left to the generals," and read up how people like Lincoln and Churchill kept their generals on a short leash.

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Re: Musharraff, the safarshi

The real problem with us that we dont want dictator.....

but even more real problem is that out of 16 crore..we have not even a single genuine politician to lead....

all are either Bhogara...looter...qatil...munafiq ..etc etc....

only imran khan is like a bandai ka pootar...but he has no party and money...wo baichara akaila kai kai karai....

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Re: Musharraff, the safarshi

^Well put dawa.

But i think even Imran Khan is way off the mark, he's either disoriented or still too naive. His efforts against this govt will only prepare him for more such efforts against any future govt after this...

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Re: Musharraff, the safarshi

Zakk, actually well put points.

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Re: Musharraff, the safarshi

He is raising the slogans ofindependent courts ..fair and free elections..and democracy...

i have seen him on Capital Talk...PJ MIR program...etc...This is the only man who dares to speak openly against USA policies..even not PML-N ..leaders do that...not to ask PPPP..they are already in USA feet....

i think..he is "Andho mai kana raja...."

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Re: Musharraff, the safarshi

Imran Khan is not bandey ka putter either. He actually is angry on being dumped by Mushy. If you would like to see, search for news & pictures from Musharraf's referendum era and his early days and see who Khan sahab and his party were supporting :)

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Re: Musharraff, the safarshi

I disagree DC6. Imran Khan was offered the post of federal minister by Zia as early as 1988 but he rejected it.

It has more to do with Musharraf going back on several of his earlier promises on holding free and fair elections - the same lotas and corrupt people and complete ullu kay pathay like Shaikh Rasheed (jo chapraasi banne kay bhi laiq nahin), Faisal Saleh Hayat, Ch. Shujaat etc. form the bulk of his cabinet - and leaving the COAS post.

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Re: Musharraff, the safarshi

my dear..he has said sorry infinetly for that...he is not angel..ghaltia insano sai hee hoti hai ....

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Re: Musharraff, the safarshi

Imran Khan was offered the prime ministership too according to some sources. He was waiting for the RIGHT moment to accept these offers but that right moment may never come. If he wants to fix things he should take the risk and jump in.

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Re: Musharraff, the safarshi

Imran was offered a Federal Ministry by Zia-Ul-Haq and he refused, then Musharaff also offered him goodies for his support and he said no, the reumor about him being offered to become PM is also something that may have happened, yet Imran did not take any of those offers. He was also the first person to openly go after Bhutto and Sharif and their corruption, while they were both in power.

Sure, Imran may drink, sleep around, whatever - thats his own personal life and not anyone else's business. He is not a sifarashi like Musharaff.

Aslam Beg obviously wanted his fellow MQM buddy Musharaff to be promoted, which is nothing new, however the fact that he was promoted despite major concerns about his character and political loyalties, shows how weak Benazir Bhutto was, or incompetent - because as PM she should have been strong enough to follow her instinct and the correct advice, instead of letting herself fall prey to Beg's sifarsish for his fellow crook, Musharaff.