It seems like you ignored my post which has already answered your concerns.
I’ve not ignored it, in fact, for your sake I’ve just read through our whole convo again. Including this post for anything explicitly you might state that I’ve ignored or missed. I think you are misunderstanding my opposed viewpoint as somehow ignoring your arguments, but you can clarify where you think I’ve been ignoring that would be helpful. It seems to me we had two streams of debate, one on ex-military preference/reservation. I already conceded that some form of this does exist in varying degrees abroad, perhaps more so where you are in the US, but I still contend that the scale anywhere is nowhere comparable to Pakistan. And again, I’ll belabor the point that living in countries abroad and having been around, Pakistan is indeed a big exception.
The second and larger stream of debate is about the broader context of army's role in politics and economics, along with statecraft. Then I responded on the discussion of civilian competency used as a cover for army excess, I’ve already shared my opinions of this concept. So please tell me what exactly has been missed? This isn’t confrontational, I'd genuinely want to know, since we are both taking time and courtesy to write lengthy replies, so that I can address it. Thanks.
You have to admit that government, top industrial, and economic sectors have been raped by civilians. All your major sugar, wheat, poultry, petroleum etc are run by mafias who have full support of corrupt politicians who themselves are running on foreign agendas to destroy this nation from within. This is not a conspiracy theory anymore but a FACT!
Sure, I admit it. Plenty of corrupt and elite civilians are busy capturing abnormal returns from all markets. But this is a reflection of Pakistan as a country, it’s not as if Pak fauj somehow is a force we recruit from Mars and not our own people. History is full of examples of corrupt dictators, and I already gave you a plethora of industries and enterprises run directly or indirectly by the army and ex-army. As for corruption, every single acre of land acquired for real estate at public expense can be considered an excess. But surely it verges on blatant corruption on the scale it has been in Pakistan. And I’ve already mentioned the scale of Pakistan army’s commercial footprint, if we’re saying that our economy suffers corruption broadly speaking, a significant chunk of said economy is commercially linked to the army and its enterprises. I already gave you examples of blatant corruption in awarding contracts to army enterprises despite no prior experience and with no process. Other examples exist of poor farmers being forcibly evicted from land, it happens with civilians like Malik Riaz, but also happens with army projects. There was also a recent case in Okara where it was the army. Then there’s Faziya scheme, investors were basically defrauded, no land was purchased but investors lost money all the same. etc. etc. Examples are endless and there are hundreds of cases against officers. As for history, I don’t need to wax lyrical about the corruption of the army during Ayub era. He was a general, but he raped Pakistan financially as much as any civilian could manage, the difference is, he also destroyed the polity in the process, causing irreparable damage, and did so without no legitimacy
Note: I am not arguing that army is more corrupt than civilians. If anything, some of them are less corrupt due to altruistic ideals and code of conduct, internal accountability. But that’s not to say that this should be used as an excuse for their own excesses, corruption and it should no be used as a part of a narrative against civilians to justify the perks they've built up for themsleves.
The only reason why Bajwa has been appointed by PTI is because only this party understands importance of Pakistan army for Pakistan which is a very special situation. Out of all government or civil sectors in Pakistan only military chooses competent civilians who turn out to be great asset where as in civil or other gov sectors employees are chosen on nepotism and not merit.
SO my friend, their is nothing wrong in Bajwa's posting.
Incorrect assessment in my opinion, you don't have to take my word for it of course as I can't offer any evidence. But Bajwa's prior appointment both as chairman of the CPEC authority, and now SAPM, these were GHQ's wishes, not IK's. I know this for a fact. And on the latter, like I said, PM much prefers one of his own spokespersons to give the party narrative and to defend the government/return fire on opposition, this job is being carried out well by PTI's own Shibli Faraz. Meanwhile GHQ has now got one of their own guys sitting in cabinet meetings now. Plus one to them for knowing better than anyone in Pakistan how to pull the levers of the state.
Even here in US 29 out of 45 Presidents have served in US military! I bet after IK if PTI wins elections again and they are to bring ex military member for PM position all opposition parties are going ape $hit along with India and Pakistani libturds and NGO crooks where as in US ex-military members are highly regarded when they serve in civil sector. Only in thankless Pakistan are ex-military members in civil sector looked upon in negative way.
There's a big difference between influencing politics, capturing large portions of industry, building the largest army run conglomerate in the country, running dictatorships post-overthrowing governments and... on the other hand just having a strong military presence and identity in culture in the political arena. In the US, the latter takes a legitimate and constitutional route. You know being an American how Americans love their constitution, especially military vets. Meanwhile our army leaders have said in the past that our constitution is just a piece of paper, to be torn up at a whim, or thrown in the dustbin.
And I won't go to deep into the assessing the failings of civilians, they're a complex group, they're not some borg like entity rank incompetents and corrupt people. This idea that they are all a bunch of useless, jaahil, corrupt and incompetents that can't run their own affairs, and they need army to come capture enterprise, win government contracts, build colonies on public prime real estate etc. I disagree with this sentiment. You obviously think highly of American civilians and their ability to self-govern and run industry. Why this belittling of Pakistanis? I like you, live abroad. And let me tell you, I have the utmost faith in my countrymen, army or civilian.