1. If shoving out of homes that require excessive maintenance and upkeep is applicable to the Prime minister, I believe it can be done to all public employees including military officers; security considerations can be applied as they do to the PM and other public employees.
2. Military has no business running resorts. They can be allocated to ptdc and can be run in a similar fashion with similar access levels/privileges and scrutiny as given currently.
3. Monetary bonuses are common in the civillian sector as well. Whether for duration of service or achievements
Only answering where I have a divergence below.
4. A 1000cc car will have the same result as a local procured 1300cc one.
The family use car is the one objected to, or do you wish for me to outline exactly how many and what cars belong to each 2& 3
star?
I wonder if having 5 3200cc land cruisers that arent bulletproof or have mine resistant protection but do ferry the family around with allocated drivers and motor pool maintenance is security or luxury?
The officer may be allocated a bullet proof car that ensures his safety, but it makes no sense to waste resources to buy a car for each of his family members.
Agreed but this trend is not universal within the military. However if the PM's office had 500 cars allocated to it, then one can imagine that this trend has seeped in elsewhere as well. As I mentioned, there is nothing in the Army books that calls of allocation of conveyance to the extended family of senior officers, but certain liberties are being taken.
7. Agree on this, idiotic.
8. Prime allocation of DHA plots even in supposed “random” lotteries makes all allotments suspect and furher enforces an elite class image of the military.
My point was not about allocation. Secondly the original point about diverting funding to the dams is quite idiotic. Leaving that aside, allocation of DHA plots means serving/retired military officers get to own property. This leads to general development of the area to a point where it becomes a desirable location for others. This trend in itself is not a bad thing. If people have heartburn over the allocation of plots, fix the process. But the reason for DHAs existing is that there is a problem with housing for many that are coming out of service and have to find accommodations for their families.
9. Difference between posting moves and having non-essentials moved through transportation should be clear. This policy is enforced much along the lower and mid ranks but felters out higher up,
Not as a general rule. If a few abuse the privilege as an exception, it does not mean it is the rule for the rest. Exceptions exists all over but we should avoid generalization. The Army moves on the basis of this facility. When the Army moves, the families have to be extended this facility. This goes on in India, BD and as far as the military in the United States.
10. Electricity is subsidized for military installations either way. However if the officer has chosen to waive military accommodations for their own, then no subsidy should be provided other than a measured allowance reflecting the cost of living in the military housing.
The measured allowance would suffice. At the end of the day, it is a benefit for being in uniform. Your point about living in or outside of cantonment housing does not pass muster given all the situations faced. First of all, there is NEVER enough housing in most cases. Secondly, each time you are posted somewhere, it is not feasible or possible to uproot the entire family and take them in tow. As such, these benefits are essential and important to keep the military focused on its job and not having to worry about getting in the line at a local bank to pay the monthly charges. Some things that work in the civilian life just don't work as simply for those in uniform while serving.
Constructive criticism is only useful when the audience isn’t a knee jerk defense. The issue is not with those serving on the front lines or in proactive roles. However as is widely experienced and reported, the hardship endured during the pre-star period for military personnel does not always translate to a humble nature and living at the top. The lifestyles and usage of national funds for elitist living by the brass is well known, well documented(even in google maps) and is always the object of contention.
Appreciation of service does not equate to excessive usage and abuse of national funds especially when those same funds can be translated into austere measures. A colonial mindset requires mansions otherwise there is no problems with either two stars or three stars living within 4000sqft of living space.
A higher quality of life is synonymous with ones progression up the ranks. This is not unique to the Pakistani military or our nation. It happens in private, corporate and public spheres. Yes the Army leadership has become status-conscious and could do with some trimming, but our civvies are more extravagant. The sitting PM of Pakistan is talking about what he will do with a 500 car fleet in the PM's house? Collectively, all of the 13 Corps Commanders, all the PSOs and their Chief do not have 500 cars at their disposal. So let's put things into proper perspective. Fat can be cut, no denying but what personally irks me is the way the whipping cane is used against purported military extravagance without taking into consideration the mass wastage happening with all of the civilian sectors of the government.
The service and sacrifice for the nation is NOT exclusive to the Pakistan Army nor is continuous combat and deployments. What is common to them and other Junta nations is the standard of living accorded to the higher brass on national expenses that then leaves no difference or “exception” in career to that of bureaucrats or ministerial appointments engaging in excessive lifestyles and corruption(better left to another thread).
Here I have to diverge by stating that it is unequivocally exclusive for the armed forces! There is NO service in Pakistan that is similar in terms of the challenges faced by members of the armed forces. I am not saying others are not "at risk or at danger" but the challenges faced by those in uniform (specially the Army and the Air Force, Navy much less given its concentrated in Karachi and its environs mostly) are in a different league and this is not something specific to Pakistan (where our military is far more actively deployed than many others across the world) rather it is a general case with militaries all around the world. The lifestyle neccessitated is very different from any other job. People do get transferred around in other government departments but on a much smaller scale than in the armed forces. The stress of these moves on the personnel/families and support structure is unlike any other (exceptions always exist).
