News
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Army more than happy if peace with Taliban comes through talksKayani for need to bridge civil-militray ‘trust deficit’
* Army chief says military leadership must work for strengthening democracy
* Process for confidence-building among state institutions has started, should continue in future
ABBOTTABAD: Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Saturday stressed the need for further improving civil-military relations.
Addressing a passing out parade of cadets, he said it was imperative for the military leadership to work for strengthening the democratic system in the country. For the purpose, more confidence among state institutions is needed, he said, adding, “This process has started and it should continue in the future.”According to the army chief, confidence and relations among state institutions were “not exemplary anywhere in the world”. He said that some mistakes were committed during the process of governing system’s evolution elsewhere in the world and same was the case in Pakistan. But society has a key role to correct these mistakes through constructive criticism, he added.
General Kayani said that the army supports the government’s policy of dialogue with the Taliban. He said that terrorism was a big challenge and the national leadership and nation had to decide ways and means of the dialogue process.
“The military will be more than happy if a solution to the problem is found through dialogue,” he said.
The army chief said that it was imperative that the dialogue process should forge unity among the nation instead of creating any division and it must be within the constitutional parameters.
He said that the impression that the course of dialogue had been adopted after the failure of military operations was totally wrong. The Pakistan Army has given matchless sacrifices in the war against terrorism and achieved major successes against the menace, he added.
General Kayani said that the use of power would be the last resort. “If needed, the army is fully prepared for its effective use. There is no confusion among the army to understand and play its role in both the situations.”
Pakistan, he said, was passing through a critical and difficult phase and the military leadership must play its role for strengthening the democratic system. The entire nation has to play its role for the resolution of the country’s problems, he added. Terming terrorism a big challenge for the nation, he said it was not only contrary to the country’s ideology but also the teachings of Islam.
General Kayani said that the Pakistan Army had played its role against terrorism in a very difficult situation. “We should remember those days when armed groups were just 100 kilometres away from Islamabad. When men and women were being slaughtered in the bazaars and the Green Chowk of Mingora was called ‘Khooni Chowk’. Roads were deserted while business, houses and economy went into hands of criminals.”
In this situation, the efforts and sacrifices rendered by the Pakistan Army have no parallel in the present war history, he added. Quoting the example of Swat to understand the reality, he said that more than two million people were made homeless but the army took them back to their houses.
He said that Pakistan’s ideology was based on democracy. The elements who were busy in working against this ideology should understand that the country’s future was linked with democracy.
“On the basis of that ideology, Pakistan’s creation was a history. It came into being in the name of Islam, which reflected the best democratic thoughts,” he added.
He said that the Quaid-e-Azam while addressing the Constituent Assembly had set the direction for the countrymen. “All the people enjoy equal rights in an Islamic welfare state. Any negative approach, which hampers basic democratic rights, has no place in our national life. People’s welfare, tolerance, and acceptance of the constitution can make the democratic system a complete success,” he added. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk