The question should not be if Pakistan needs an army. The question should be: Does Pakistan need the self serving army it has right now?
Simply put, Pakistan's army is the worst thing that has happened to the country. They meddle in politics. They disrupt free enterprise. They make up imaginary battles. They fuel ethnic divide. They splurge on personal luxuries (cars, plots, servant). Pakistan's army is essentially a backyard bully with nothing better to do than push around Pakistan.
Pakistan needs an army, but the army needs to be accountable. The army we have today might have flashy toys to play with but it is nothing to be proud of.
Pakistani politicians are far worse - if they had done their jobs properly, the army wouldn't need to interfere every now & then.
Pakistani politicians are far worse - if they had done their jobs properly, the army wouldn't need to interfere every now & then.
Lets not wag the tail. Pakistani politicians only sit in office if and when the army is happily appeased. The moment pocket politicians disobey their military master is the moment the self serving army swoops in to regain control.
If the army stormed in to cut military spending and increase development, you can mark my word that I'd be all for them. Heck, I might even join. Problem is we've learnt time and again that corrupt politicians only get kicked out of office when they threaten the army. You can hate them politicians as they come and go, but please dont be oblivious of the puppet master behind the show.
Lets not wag the tail. Pakistani politicians only sit in office if and when the army is happily appeased. The moment pocket politicians disobey their military master is the moment the self serving army swoops in to regain control.
I'd be all for them (politicians) if the governments stayed stable for a long time (1-2 decades without mass-corruption or disorders). Until then, the Army is needed to keep the country from splitting up (further).
If the army stormed in to cut military spending and increase development, you can mark my word that I'd be all for them. Heck, I might even join. Problem is we've learnt time and again that corrupt politicians only get kicked out of office when they threaten the army. You can hate them politicians as they come and go, but please dont be oblivious of the puppet master behind the show.
And why would a politican threaten the army, unless ofcourse he has an agenda to indirectly cause civil unrest or split up the country. Its the Army that is keeping Pakistan united, because idiotic politicians cannot do their jobs properly.
And the day the Army cuts its military spending, Pakistan will start to split up - weak satellite states of India and/or another colony of USA.
There are too many external threats to Pakistan as it plays a vital role in "The Great Game".