LAHOREPOST BLOG WikiLeaks Update : Gen. Kayani And His World Rating
WikiLeaks Update : Gen. Kayani And His World Rating
Pakistans most influential man must maintain a distance from the political nexus of the country to bridge the civil-military trust deficit and to gain the goodwill of the masses, according to experts.
General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, the most powerful man of Pakistan as cited by Forbes influential people list occupied the 29th rank on the countdown. He has been vociferously lauded for carrying out successful operations in the Malakand Division and Swat and for ousting out terrorists and extremists who had become a fatal national security threat for Pakistan. The nation unanimously stood in support of the General while launching crucial military operations like Operation Rah-e-Raast in Swat valley and Operation Labbaik for the flood relief nationwide.
Pakistans military image before Kayanis takeover as COAS was severely tarnished and a huge gap of trust existed between the military, the civilian leadership and the masses, consequential to the repeated impositions of martial laws and a history of military dynasties in the country. Military representatives were cited as a big threat to the existence of democracy in the country as they single-handedly ostracized civilian governments on account of a wide variety of charges. Gen. Kayani has been viewed as a revolutionary beginning of a harmonious mutualism between the military and civilian leaderships, however the WikiLeaks cables highlight some important premonitions about the possible military takeover.
President Asif Ali Zardaris growing fears of being banished out by the Army Chief and the silent yet vehement confession made by the General himself about taking the reins of the government in his hands if the political situations worsens during the long march had raised fingers on what was previously believed as a symbiotic union between democracy and the most authoritative institution of the country. Consequential statements mentioning a respectful democratic rule in the country made by Kayani after the exposures, however did a great deal of repair to the wear and tear made by the secret cables revelations.
The Chief of Army Staff suffered no obsolete damage done to his nationwide appreciative and illustrious image. He is highly revered inside the patriotic circles for being the only force inside USAs contact yet not being entirely submissive to Washington. His resistance on critical issues posing a threat to Pakistans national security such as violation of border restrictions, launching of ground operations on Pakistani lands by the US, extending drone network and increased US influence in state matters is being highly welcomed.
In the present political turmoil of fission and fusion of different political parties and forming up and dismantlement of alliances, the COAS is expected to turn an official deaf ear to the political happenings of the country. His prime focus is terrorism threat and a soon-to-be-launched military operative inside Waziristan. Besides, the ISPR is busy test firing missiles and nuke weapons multiple times a week, skyrocketing the Pakistans nuclear weapons treasury.
Maintaining a safe and meaningful distance from the ravaged Pakistani politics is in the best interest of the Pakistan Army which would not only earn goodwill and trust-worthiness but would also increase military capability in more critical missions than the Pakistani moral crisis of politics by stopping it from being diluted.