General Kayani has succeeded in rescuing the image of army to a great extent but such incidents can cause much damage.
JHELUM: The arrest of Brigadier Ali Khan for having links to extremist organisation Hizbut Tahrir came as a shock. The dust of the Abbottabad raid and the PNS Mehran base attack has barely settled, and him being detained for questioning is most disturbing.
The military has shown its commitment to the war against terror; it has sacrificed more than 3,500 precious lives. But the alleged links of a few individuals with extremist organisations will certainly undermine and sabotage these efforts. The international community, especially India, has scored one more opportunity to point fingers at Pakistan. No doubt, the army is a reflection of the society and the prevailing circumstances.
General Kayani has succeeded in rescuing the image of the army to a great extent but such incidents can cause much damage. The army drives its strength from discipline which is the single most important factor that distinguishes it from other institutions. Those responsible for breach of discipline, if proven guilty, should be taken to task, so that a precedence is set for others.
Junaid Tayyeb,
Published in The Express Tribune, June 25th, 2011.
