Now the ball is in the government's court. How it proceeds from here on in this sensitive matter could either salvage something from the wreckage of its foolish and incompetent performance or reinforce the image of it being not quite up to the task of governance. One can understand (and there are statements on record by Imran Khan) the anxiety of the government in wanting General Bajwa to stay till near the end of its term. The PM and the COAS enjoy a rare mutual confidence of which we have been constantly reminded by the mantra of 'being on the same page'. It is therefore doubly baffling how the government made such a mess of an issue so close to its heart and in its own perception critical to its continuation in office. The handling of the issue has proved a perfectly avoidable embarrassment to the government, the army, and even the superior judiciary. The post-verdict situation does warrant introspection from the civilian-military leadership. As to the superior judiciary being dragged by Indian media and other inimical sources onto the terrain of 'fifth generation warfare', there is no escape from the duty enjoined by the law and constitution and the now seemingly critical need to pronounce on the matter of COASs' extension in tenure in the light of our history, laws and rules. Clarification of these matters is now an urgent and inescapable need. As to the government, while it reportedly seeks scapegoats to blame for its debacle, it should perhaps return to the drawing board and introspect on the glaring inadequacies and incompetency this entire episode has so startlingly thrown up.
The situation presents a sardonic comment on the way of governance in the country of 208 million people: how unfortunate it is that a government that has failed to honour its pledge of creating 10 million new jobs jeopardized the job of an army chief - perhaps the most secure government post. The upside of this episode, however, clearly indicates country's struggle towards attaining high levels of democracy.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019