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.
Tell me where in Pakistan are military spouses being given 1000s of job on
non-competitive bases like in US?
Are their any laws made in Pakistan like in US where retired military members are hired on priority bases in civilian sectors? You do know that here in US in addition to "non-competitive" jobs for its vets, EVERY COMPANY gives its veterans priority if they meet qualification. And do you know that their is ABSOLUTELY no discrimination towards hiring a vet if he meets qualification!
And I am not even talking about defence corporations which is dominated by vets.
Please know your facts before you make an absurd comparison, and kindly back it up with evidences, statistics etc.
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.
This concept of "only civilians" must rule or govern a land is a new modern world concept. Even in Muslim's history 500 - 1700s which was Musim's prime time leaders were not only involved in politics but also led their army in battle.
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.
Pakistan army is perhaps the only army that recruits the best of the best from its populations so yes they are special breed. Each year thousands apply and only few are selected. This is not the same concept in civil or other government sector where positions are filled on parchi or political bases. Take PIA for example. When it was once dominated by Air force it once used to be one of the best air lines in the world and ever since zardari and nawa"j" came in power they not only filled positions with incompetent losers but even so much so pilots were recruited through fraud!
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.
Like I said, NO ONE is stopping any civilians from starting their own companies and if Pakistan army is involved in stopping them then please provide me any links instead of throwing some suni sunahi kahani.
Where is Pakistani automotive industry? Heard of any indigenous cars like TATA that can compete in the region? Is army preventing anyone? Where is Pakistan aerospace industry? Is army stopping anyone from developing rockets and satellites? Where is agriculture industry? any innovative concepts being created by civilian sector to modernize agriculture in fact they still use same old equipment that were once introduced during Ayub's era (bit exaggeration but could be true).
Where ever civilians have laid their hands they have only FCKED IT UP! In fact recently I was in Pakistan and went to a hobby shop and had a discussion with the owner. I asked him why doesnt Pakistan make balsa wood model airplane for export market like China Vietnam, Philippines since military has pretty decent aircraft manufacturing capabilities. He replied their was a local company that had some contract but they had NO attention to details and customers were not satisfied so the company closed. this summarizes the work ethics of Pakistani public! They dont want to do anything but when they see someone successful they play victim mazlum card. Sorry but this is the reality of Pakistan, people dont want to work smart or hard for a good cause. just point fingers at someone's success.
Tell me where in civilian sector has their been any successful project in parallel to what military has achieve with their projects such as Al-khalid JF-17 Mushshak ICBM regardless if its a stolen or TOT.
When military needs to get its work done it has to be done according to their needs and if civilians can not deliver it then "unfortunate" for you people, Army has to take matters in their own hands and manufacture nappies toilet paper cloths shoes cement what not to generate revenue so they can purchase new weapons to defend this thankless awam.
Other examples exist of poor farmers being forcibly evicted from land, it happens with civilians like Malik Riaz,
In case of Pakistan or any other poor nations, im in favor of future development over mud house as long as effected people are being relocated regardless they like it or not. The other question is, did those people accquire land the proper way like rest of people in the city or did they just put few bricks and hut and claimed this is our house for ever now? In case of Malik. I highly dislike him but at the same time like him because not only has he contributed in development of Pakistan but at the same time did alot of unethical things like grabbing land unlawfully without compensating the poor or grabbing land from government.
but also happens with army projects. There was also a recent case in Okara where it was the army.
Did those people acquire land from government? If yes then were they compensated and if they were not compensated/relocated then army are in the wrong however if those people made their own settlement or
were pawn of land grabber mafia which then blackmail government with media and political support then they deserve every single of their house to be bulldozed.
This victimhood BS needs to stop!
Then there’s Faziya scheme, investors were basically defrauded, no land was purchased but investors lost money all the same. etc. etc.
Kiyani brother was invloved in such a fraud scheme and you also mentioned Faziya which is a legitimate reason to charge the individual involved instead of the whole organization.
Examples are endless and there are hundreds of cases against officers.
If 10% of PK military is corrupt then dont forget 90% of civilian other government sectors are corrupt.
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
Lol, 1960s was the best era in Pakistani history. Infact pakistanis still benefits from his achievement prime example being capital Islamabad other wise pakistan would have been stuck with same old cities that were developed by British masters.
And btw the political system left by British masters was nothing to be proud of. infact todays mess leads all the way back to colonial corrupt system that today corrupt politicians worship.
The only thing i dislike about Ayub is he did not exterminate that corrupt political system.
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.
At the end of the day I would chose lesser of the evil then support pure evil in hopes of chasing wet dreams.
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.
Whats wrong with that? If bajwa has retired and CPEC has been contaminated with filth by civilians then why shouldnt the rescuers be called?
Regardless if GHQ asked IK to appoint Bajwa he was still approved by IK which is a civil government and their is no harm if IK has good ties with GHQ. and had their been no discriminatory law against veterans then GHQ would not have asked IK to apoint Bajwa but instead any civil gov would have welcome him just like here in US.
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.
US knows how to respect their military and vets. In Pakistan they are considered colonist but had their been equal opportunity law then they would not resort to grabbing positions. and rest of this has already been answered.
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.
Again, please do let me know Pakistan civilian contribution in IT, science, automotive industry, agriculture or anything that is competitive in world market. Even Vietnam exceeds in quality of work!
And do compare Pakistan military contribution in development of foreign nations such as Bosnia which no Pakistani civil entity has ever accomplished or Pk military achievement in development or successful production of latest defense equipment which has no parallel in civil sector.
Look at PIA what it has become under civil rule. Nothing less then a wagon ka adda.
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.
Because American society in general is a competent hard working society with endless achievements and their is not must disparity in civil and military where as in Pakistan its military is gifted with fine men who are turned into hardworking servants and this resource should not go to waist when they retire because civil sector in pakistan is useless.
You also talk about accountability please let me know how many Pakistani military has charged its soldiers from lowest rank to generals for espionage and treason against the nation compared to civil government against its own party and then talk about equal accountability.