CARETAKER Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar has stated that his government has an ‘excellent working relationship’ with the Pakistan Army. In an interview, he said the government has an open communication channel with the Army and get not only honest institutional input but also coordination and cooperation in the enforcement part. According to Arab News, the Prime Minister also acknowledged that the incumbent Director-General, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt General Nadeem Anjum has been given extension in tenure to preserve “continuity” of policy at a time the country faces increasing militant attacks.
What the Prime Minister has said is the ground reality and there is a general impression among people of Pakistan that the interim government has been able to deliver on fronts where others could not and the credit for this surely goes to the right institutional input from the Army and its fullest possible support in implementation of the agreed policies and plans. For the first time, in many years, visible progress has been made towards the lofty goal of good governance and this is mainly because of the ‘excellent’ relationship between the interim set-up and the Army. No doubt, some circles keep on complaining about the role of the Army, especially in relation to the areas, which are, otherwise, considered to be the domain of the civilians but an honest appraisal shows these are mostly politically motivated. Pakistan Army is a national institution with an impeccable record of contributing its share to promotion and preservation of national interests and there is absolutely no harm if its services are utilized to improve performance of various departments, agencies and ministries as ultimately this would benefit the country and its masses. Notwithstanding motives and reasons behind such propaganda campaigns, it is an undeniable reality that action taken by the Caretaker Government against different mafias is serving as a ray of hope for the masses, who were disappointed because of the inability of the State to ensure rule of law and safeguard their genuine interests. Sufferings of the people have started mitigating after initiation of the Army-supported campaigns against illegal practices by vested interests. As for extension in the tenure of the incumbent DG, ISI, the country is in the midst of a counter-terrorism operation and repatriation of illegal immigrants and the continuity becomes the need of the hour.
