Civil-military unity

The propaganda about creating hype between civil-military relations and showing wrong picture of the military establishment gives a wrong impression about the Army’s role in the decisions on bringing under control the situation in Punjab. Intelligence agencies with the Army and Rangers carried out five operations in Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan. On this, when the Punjab law minister was confronted by the media, he said the army was acting on its own without the consultation or approval of provincial government. It was the provincial government’s prerogative to decide which force and how much of it would be required to act against any terrorist group.

When NAP was made, an operation was decided to be taken against terrorists, their sleeper cells, hideouts, anywhere in the province using whatever force required. Civil-military relations are being discussed ever since the operation started. Instead of highlighting it in a negative way, there must be cooperation amongst all state organs and between the civilian population and the military so that the menace of terrorism can be dealt with effectively. Remember that enemy is one but we are divided going in different ways. CPEC is another example of being nation and army on the same page as we are witnessing best of the collaboration and coordination. The route is not possible unless China has confidence on all of us. Guarding well the Indian and Afghan borders, fighting the successfully the long war on terror and staying strong in the eyes of nation and world is what we need the most. United we stand and divided we fall.