According to lexicon, establishment means a settled arrangement, especially a code of laws or a permanent civil and military organization including bureaucracy. This means the civil and military hierarchy including intelligence agencies and police, and at times judiciary is also included. Going by this definition, learned writer and a former DG, FIA Tariq Khosa was part of the establishment and still member of the elitist club. In his article captioned ‘Power of the establishment’ he wrote: “No one had the courage to ask military elite some tough questions…It was the same army chief during whose tenure US Navy SEALS conducted a raid in May 2011 in Abbottabad – near a military academy and garrison stationed nearby – and reportedly found and killed Osama bin Laden.” However, he had the ‘gumption to ask questions from Raymond Davis to Attack on Abbottabad compound and Memogate.
He referred to the court order he received seeking his consent with respect to performing national duty as head of the Memogate commission, and wrote: “What was Nawaz Sharif doing in court looking like an advocate? What happened to the Charter of Democracy? Was he being used by the establishment? Why was I being dragged into political intrigue or a case in which I might have questioned the motives of the clandestine meetings between the former ISI chief and a man with alleged links to Washington?” He concluded his article in these words: “The establishment has acquired the art of turning its strategic follies to triumphs. It is this deep state that has curtailed and trimmed democracy, ensuring that the country stays rigged in favor of a small but self-aggrandizing elite. And until that changes, democracy in Pakistan will remain imperiled.”
Anyone with the little common sense could infer from his words ‘establishment’, ‘deep state’ ‘small but self-aggrandizing elite’ that he meant military. There are many self-righteous analysts, commentriat and panelists who have been using the freedom expression showing utter disregard to sacrosanct limits that are widely regarded in civilized polities. Those universally accepted norms and limits have to be adhered to under all circumstances and conditions. But all those niceties were thrown out of the window by the chattering classes. They in fact take a particular pride in an uninhibited expression, holding it up boastfully as a manifest of their independent mind. They have picked on our military and its intelligence agencies vituperative onslaught, castigating them for everything wrong or ill in the country. Since security establishment rarely responds to the vilification and pillory, they feel safe in their minds of not being contradicted or challenged.
Of course, the country had three Martial Laws, but it was not only due to adventures of military dictators, but also because the elected governments had failed to deliver. Secondly, political parties remained embroiled in internecine conflicts, and the party in power filed cases of corruption against its opponents. However, since the time transition started with 2008 elections, military had vowed to remain neutral. Despite the fact, former president Pervez Musharraf was at the helm, and then COAS General Ashafaq Pervez Kayani had taken practical steps to ensure that there would be no interference in elections. It is an irrefutable fact that military has not interfered in politics or supported its favourites since 2008 elections. Before elections, COAS Ashfaq Pervez Kayani in a letter written to officers and commanding officers had issued instructions that officers should not call any politician in their offices.
He pointed out that the role of the Armed Forces had already been defined in country’s laws and Constitution. He further advised the officers that they should not indulge in any profit-making venture other than their salary and perks as per their ranks. Almost all army officers on deputation in civil departments were recalled to their units. Even today, military establishment does not interfere in politics. However, it would not allow the enemy agents disguised as members of political parties, in bureaucracy or elsewhere to have their way. It should be remembered that after 2008, elections the PPP-led government was the only government that completed its term, despite the fact that the entire term of the government was marred by mega financial scandals and also Memo-gate Scandal to which military had taken exception to the plans and efforts made to denigrate and demonize armed forces.
After 2013 elections, governments were formed in the centre and provinces that are functioning to-date. The problem is that when the governments fails to deliver, and people show anxiety that their elected representatives do not address the problems faced by them. It should be borne in mind that when army chief or chief justice or a sane voice suggests to the government to ensure good governance to change its image, it does not mean that they want to destabilize the government rather to strengthen it. It is not criticism but a suggestion or advice to ensure good governance to win hearts and minds of the people. All politicians on both sides of the political divide should realize that their image is tarnished in the street. The government should therefore take measures to improve the living conditions of the impoverished people, without which democracy is not even conceivable.
Nor any democracy worth the name is to be visualized without the uplift of the disempowered and the disenfranchised. In fact it is not real democracy, but a plutocracy – the government of the rich, by the rich and for the rich. This is the reason that the people are losing faith in the system, which does not address their problems. They seem to be fed up with the present electoral process that sends opulent classes to the assemblies. MQM claims to be a party of the middle class; but its members did amass wealth when it was a coalition partner with other parties; hence it has become part of the ruling elite. Having that said, corruption is the biggest challenge, even bigger than terrorism. The government should therefore should stopped thinking of clipping the wings of the NAB or other institutions, and should rather support the efforts to eliminate corruption from the society.