ARMY Chief General Syed Asim Munir has a point when he says his institution was well aware of its constitutional limits and expected others to abide by them too. Speaking at the passing out parade of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in Risalpur, he referred to Article-19 of the Constitution, which defines the boundaries within which the freedom of expression and opinions exist, he underlined that those who disregard the explicit constraints outlined in the Constitution have no grounds to criticize others.
This reiteration is a welcome development as it comes in the wake of a flurry of criticism by some political parties and vested interests that virtually aim at maligning national institutions. In fact, it has become a fashion to target the military and its leadership for all the ills of the system which is nothing but an attempt to shift the blame without carrying out much-needed soul-searching. It would not be an exaggeration to say that some political parties and their leaders target institutions just to remain relevant in politics despite the fact that such tendencies are in stark violation of healthy politics and responsible democracy. The latest statement of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) is in line with repeated pledges made by the top leadership of the institution expressing a commitment to uphold democracy and remain apolitical. His remarks about constitutional limits of his institution and the need for others to adhere to the constitutional limits need to be understood in proper perspective and hopefully other stakeholders – whether institutional or individuals – would also not only express similar commitments but also demonstrate their love for and supremacy of the Constitution through their policies and actions. Apart from this, the Army Chief also reminded the passing out officers about the need for mastering specific technologies, including artificial intelligence; robotics and quantum computing that were expanding the scope and transforming the use of air power. He also rightly emphasized that a strong air force was essential to prevent the country from being at the mercy of external aggressors. This is what we have been urging in these columns for long to make necessary investment in modernization of the country’s air force and navy in view of their crucial roles in modern warfare and their relevance in securing the nation’s economic and commercial interests.
