Not Keeping up the Military Tradition

By Col Riaz Jafri (Retd.)
Westridge-1, Rawalpindi

Retired military officers under the Army Regulations (Rules) 658 and Army Dress Regulations are allowed to wear uniform on special occasions like Durbars, Rallies (military in nature like Veterans’ Day Parade etc.), Reunions (Regimental and Corps), Ceremonials (Independence Day, Pakistan Day, Defence of Pakistan Day, Passing out Parades, etc.) and other days of national and military importance celebrated officially. All veterans take lot of pride in wearing their uniforms fully bedecked with the medals and honours earned by them. Some of the uniforms are ill fitting because of the extra flesh put on by the veterans over the years while some look worn out and out of style from the uniforms in vogue.
To my mind the swearing in ceremony of the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan falls in the category of the days of national importance. General Syed Pervez Musharraf (Retd.) should have been, therefore, in his military uniform with full medals on this occasion. I am disappointed for his not keeping up the military tradition on the very first day of his retirement from service. As a senior retired army officer – 7th PMA Long Course – I expect this 29th PMA officer to be mindful of it in future.

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Street Lights

Whenever it rains a little, most of the streetlights in the Westridge, Rawalpindi Cantonment area go out. The same might be happening in other areas too. The water at the loosely wrapped wire connection causes sparking at the joint which in turn results in the deposition of carbon on the surface of the wires. Carbon acts as the villain and stops the flow of the electricity at the joint.
Lead thimbles are to be used at these joints to make them firm and not to spark. This is a standard practice all over the world except in WAPDA and other government electricity departments. This fact was brought to the attention of the maintenance staff as well as the Cantonment Executive Officer of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board to use lead thimbles at all such joints but to no avail.
It is a matter of surprise and concern that such simple repetitive faults do not catch the eye of our officials which can easily be rectified once and for all. Every now and then a maintenance vehicle has to be sent out which causes the exchequer huge amounts in fuel, vehicle wear and tear and staff time, apart from the inconvenience for days to the general public. No private commercial concern can afford such ‘luxury’ but who cares for such avoidable expenditure in the RCB and WAPDA?

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