Ahsan Waheed
The Bush administration’s emphasis on the democracy in Pakistan is not misplaced. Democracy is the anti-thesis of terrorism, which seeks political ascendency through the barrel of a gun -- and well the public in this country is aware of it today.
However, US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice asserting at Air University at an Air Force base in the state of Alabama “Pakistan now will need to find a way to have find a way to have very solid control of the armed forces”, could be misconstrued.
In this connection, Pakistan’s new Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Kayani, has already taken the important step of move serving military personnel from civilian posts, along with personally distancing himself from the political theatre.
But the way Dr. Rice has elected to give voice to her thoughts suggests that Pakistan’s newly elected government will have a problem to persuade the military to embark on the mission of combating terrorism, despite it having become the prime victim of more recent time.
As a developing nation with as yet untapped natural resources, Pakistan is greatly beholden the US for all the financial support it has provided, not least the $300 million annually for health, education and structural reform. It also, cannot but be grateful for all the military assistance it has conferred to bolster the armed forces and particularly to combat terrorism.
But in this hour of extreme trial, it would be suicidal for Pakistan not to have on board all the institutions, including the military and sensitive agencies, if it is to move towards becoming an asset to the international community.
Dr Rice might have taken pains to emphasize this.