Once again the Army
It is indeed ironic that the PPP has called for the Army to supervise the bye-elections in Karachi. After shouting itself hoarse that the Army should remain at the borders or ‘go back to the barracks’, this newly found ‘confidence’ in the Army is intriguing. Political parties and armchair pundits have made it their central theme to criticize the army which they constantly blame for ‘de-railing’ democracy.
To recollect briefly, the 1958 Martial Law was imposed after the sitting Speaker of the National Assembly was beaten to death by members of the ‘supreme’ Parliament. A Prime Minister who was on a visit to London refused to return to Pakistan fearing for his life. The 1969 the Army came in when the country was being ransacked by the political parties. In 1977, following the mass rigging by the then government, the Army once again stepped in when the country was on the verge of a civil war, and all the opposition parties begged the Army to take over. When Musharraf deposed the Nawaz Government, all segments of the society distributed sweets. Remarks like, ‘he (Nawaz) has gone to hell and now Pakistan is safe, now there is hope’ were made by the politicians and public. The PPP and all other political parties were overjoyed with the intervention of the Army. Benazir, sitting abroad had claimed that there was civil war in the country
Yet the political parties and spin doctors try to fool the public by blaming the Army for what they call as ‘derailing the democratic process’. It may be pertinent to point out a few more incidents which have taken place in our country during ‘democratic rule’.
1). We had the first civilian Martial Law Administrator.
2). The Supreme Court was attacked by the government party during democratic rule.
3). Surrey Palace, Diamond Necklace, Mayfair Mansions, Personal Swiss Accounts were some of the products of ‘Democratic Rule’.
4). The Army was sent in Balochistan by a civilian Prime Minister, but was later withdrawn by a ‘Military Dictator’.
5). A parallel force to the Army was created by a civilian Prime Minister, in contravention to the Constitution which he himself made.
“No private organization capable of functioning as a military organization shall be formed, and any such organization shall be illegal”
The Constitution, Article 256
The Army has always been called whenever there is any natural or man made calamity. Yet
they say that the only place for the Army is either at the borders or in the barracks.
At this juncture I venture to make a prediction. If the Army does supervise the bye
Elections as requested by the PPP, it will be the first to blame the Army if it loses.
abdul hameed tshombe,
Karachi.