It could have only happened in Pakistan’s upside down, tail wagging the dog, topsy turvy polity. Ex-servicemen, supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan, claimed at a press conference in Islamabad the other day that the army chief had assured them of conducting polls in 90 days’ time.
We are a praetorian state, yes, and we know how the cookie crumbles here. But here are ex-servicemen proudly claiming that the army chief had promised them to do something that is otherwise the function of, first, the civil government and then, that of the election commission. There is no love lost between them and the present army chief, but this wasn’t some sort of expose that they were trying to pull off. No, here their objection is to him not doing so despite claiming he would.
The retired servicemen are, by definition, civilians. Technically, the military has no control over them and they should be allowed to say their piece. But the ISPR should certainly clarify its position on this issue. If several retired two and three-star officers are making some claims, these would gain some traction in the marketplace of ideas. The ISPR should clarify the position of the army chief.
Lastly, some amusing footage and videos coming out from the protest of the former military officers outside the press club in Islamabad. When reporters started questioning them about their careers and the political role that they had played during it, they were turtles on their backs. What twisted the knife was these were very targeted, individualised questions by reporters who had done their research about individual generals. The retired generals couldn’t face any of the questions that even novice politicians would have handled with ease.
None of the generals had seen battle, it would appear.
