Pakistan Army’s determination to stay apolitical will defend it from ‘vagaries of politics’, says Gen Bajwa

Pakistan’s Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa stated that the nation’s Army’s determination to stay apolitical will defend it from ‘vagaries of politics’.

Bajwa was appointed as the military chief in 2016 and his three-year time period was prolonged in 2019 by then Prime Minister Imran Khan. (Photo: AP)

By Press Trust of India: A day forward of his retirement, Pakistan’s Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has stated that his determination to maintain the army institution “apolitical” will defend it from the “vagaries of politics” within the coup-prone nation.

Gen Bajwa, 61, will retire on November 29 after six years in what is generally a three-year submit. The Pakistan authorities on Thursday appointed Gen Asim Munir, a former ISI chief, because the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to succeed Gen Bajwa.

General Bajwa admitted that the “Pakistan Army has always remained a dominant player in national decision-making. Due to its historic role in the country’s politics, the military drew severe criticism from public and politicians alike.”

“We have restricted the military’s function to its constitutionally mandated activity solely by deciding to make it ‘apolitical’. This determination, although being considered negatively by a section of society and led to private criticism, will facilitate reinvigorating and strengthening democratic tradition, and help in supporting state organs to successfully carry out and ship,” Gen Bajwa said in an interview with the Gulf News.

Above all, this decision will help enhance the Army’s prestige in the long term,” he told the UAE-based newspaper.

On Wednesday, in his final public address as Pakistan’s Army chief, Gen Bajwa said the military establishment’s “unconstitutional” interference in politics over the past 70 years was the reason why it drew criticism from the general masses and politicians.

Gen Bajwa opined that public support and affinity towards the armed forces tended to erode when the military was seen to be involved in political affairs.

“Therefore, I thought of it prudent to defend [the] Pakistan Army from the vagaries of politics in Pakistan,” he said. Since Pakistan was created 75 years ago, the Army has seized power three times and directly ruled the country for almost four decades.

During his final public address on November 23, Gen Bajwa extended an olive branch to those targeting the Pakistan Army, saying that “I wish to transfer ahead by forgetting it”. He also urged all stakeholders to move ahead by learning lessons from the past mistakes.

“This is why in February final 12 months the Army, after nice deliberation, determined that it could by no means intervene in any political matter. I guarantee you we’re strictly adamant on this and can stay so,” he defined.

In the interview, Gen Bajwa acknowledged that whereas terrorism had abated in Pakistan, “we continue to make meaningful efforts to overcome the menace of extremism and residue of terrorism”. He, nevertheless, cautioned towards “streaks of political intolerance in our society is a worrisome new trend.” “We will keep striving for a society which is tolerant, rational and does not discriminate on the basis of political orientation, faith, ethnicity or creed,” he said.

He also termed Pakistan’s “economic frailty” as a cause for concern, saying it tended to “exacerbate other issues concerning human security such as health, education, access to food and clean water and mitigating threats posed by climate change”.

The outgoing Army chief spoke about the “delicate position” that Pakistan found itself in amid “the ever-sharpening global power contestation” between the United States and China.

“Pakistan is attempting to steer itself prudently on this more and more contested strategic atmosphere and make sure that we aren’t pulled into any future iteration of [the] Cold War,” he noted. The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) said the “perpetual battle and instability” in South Asia has made the region “least built-in” despite its economic potential.

He noted that the region had been referred to as a “strategic chessboard” due to its role in great power rivalries in the past — the recent being the two decade-long ‘war on terror’ in Afghanistan.

“Pakistan’s western border has subsequently seen an excessive amount of instability as a result of battle in Afghanistan. Post-US withdrawal, a modicum of stability has been seen within the nation with a discount in violence. However, the state of affairs stays unstable,” he added.

Pakistan, a nation of 220 million, has been dominated by 4 completely different army rulers and seen three army coups because it was based. No prime minister has ever accomplished a full five-year time period below the current structure of 1973. Bajwa was appointed as the military chief in 2016 and his three-year time period was prolonged in 2019 by then Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has turned out to be the highest critic of the Army.

Posted By:

Manisha Pandey

Published On:

Nov 29, 2022