Sifarish and Musharraf
Let us join hands to rid this country of sifarish and develop a culture of respecting the merit-based system.
The writer served as director general of the ISI from 1998-99
Sifarish is a big scourge in Pakistan. The most impossible of purposes can be achieved through sifarish. In the English language, there is no similar word for sifarish as this menace does not exist in English-speaking nations. The closest synonym in English could be “unmerited recommendation” but it does not convey the whole meaning and connotation of sifarish.
The rise of General Ayub Khan, General Ziaul Haq and General (retd) Pervez Musharraf can be attributed to this one factor. Had there been a selection of army chiefs based on merit, there is no way these pygmies could become commander-in-chiefs. It is always a mediocre army chief who brings about a coup as he does not have the vision to see things in their true perspective. General (retd) Pervez Musharraf was mediocre at his best and could not have made it to a Lt-Col rank based on his career record. He has earned several red entries, which meant that he had been punished several times for misdemeanour and other offences. Musharraf’s biggest asset was his capacity for public relations.
Now that the nation is hell-bent on trying him for his crimes against the state, he must be pulling strings all over the world to save his skin, and to find refuge in any country. No country should give him asylum as he must be brought to justice by the people of Pakistan. Any leniency towards him, by any state, will not augur well for diplomatic relations with that state. In their own national interest, it is advisable that no state should harbour a dictator. Sifarish and bribery must be treated as an offence and legislation made to ensure heavy punishment for its commission. Unless we clean this country of this affliction, we shall continue to have the likes of Ayub, Zia and Musharraf derail democracy and carry out loot and plunder during their reign.
In 1987, my wife met with an accident in Gujranwala cantonment and she and the two children, whom she was taking to school, got grievously injured. I was a brigadier then, commanding an engineer brigade. My father-in-law, who was a retired colonel of the army, was badly shaken by this incident and wished that I be posted from Gujranwala to Lahore so that he could look after his injured daughter and grandchildren. He wrote a demi-official letter to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Mirza Aslam Beg, requesting him to post me to Lahore on compassionate grounds. General Beg had been his junior officer in the infantry battalion and had a great regard for him. Colonel Hassan Kadir, my father-in-law, gave that letter to me in an open envelope and asked me to send it to the chief’s personal secretary for putting up to the COAS. I had never used sifarish for my postings or for any other favour in the army and I felt extremely uneasy about this move. I, therefore, decided not to deliver this letter to the GHQ. Colonel Hassan Kadir understood my hesitation and did not press for it.
As luck would have it, I landed as private secretary to the same army chief in 1989 and worked with him till my promotion to major general, in 1991. When I reported to him on the first day, he said, “you have been selected by the system as the best brigadier of the Pakistan Army. I do not know you personally but I have seen your record of service, which is excellent. While you are serving in this secretariat, there is no room for an error. One mistake and you will be shown the door.”
Let us all join hands to rid this country of the menace of sifarish and develop a culture of respecting the merit-based system.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 29th, 2013.
The rise of General Ayub Khan, General Ziaul Haq and General (retd) Pervez Musharraf can be attributed to this one factor. Had there been a selection of army chiefs based on merit, there is no way these pygmies could become commander-in-chiefs. It is always a mediocre army chief who brings about a coup as he does not have the vision to see things in their true perspective. General (retd) Pervez Musharraf was mediocre at his best and could not have made it to a Lt-Col rank based on his career record. He has earned several red entries, which meant that he had been punished several times for misdemeanour and other offences. Musharraf’s biggest asset was his capacity for public relations.
Now that the nation is hell-bent on trying him for his crimes against the state, he must be pulling strings all over the world to save his skin, and to find refuge in any country. No country should give him asylum as he must be brought to justice by the people of Pakistan. Any leniency towards him, by any state, will not augur well for diplomatic relations with that state. In their own national interest, it is advisable that no state should harbour a dictator. Sifarish and bribery must be treated as an offence and legislation made to ensure heavy punishment for its commission. Unless we clean this country of this affliction, we shall continue to have the likes of Ayub, Zia and Musharraf derail democracy and carry out loot and plunder during their reign.
In 1987, my wife met with an accident in Gujranwala cantonment and she and the two children, whom she was taking to school, got grievously injured. I was a brigadier then, commanding an engineer brigade. My father-in-law, who was a retired colonel of the army, was badly shaken by this incident and wished that I be posted from Gujranwala to Lahore so that he could look after his injured daughter and grandchildren. He wrote a demi-official letter to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Mirza Aslam Beg, requesting him to post me to Lahore on compassionate grounds. General Beg had been his junior officer in the infantry battalion and had a great regard for him. Colonel Hassan Kadir, my father-in-law, gave that letter to me in an open envelope and asked me to send it to the chief’s personal secretary for putting up to the COAS. I had never used sifarish for my postings or for any other favour in the army and I felt extremely uneasy about this move. I, therefore, decided not to deliver this letter to the GHQ. Colonel Hassan Kadir understood my hesitation and did not press for it.
As luck would have it, I landed as private secretary to the same army chief in 1989 and worked with him till my promotion to major general, in 1991. When I reported to him on the first day, he said, “you have been selected by the system as the best brigadier of the Pakistan Army. I do not know you personally but I have seen your record of service, which is excellent. While you are serving in this secretariat, there is no room for an error. One mistake and you will be shown the door.”
Let us all join hands to rid this country of the menace of sifarish and develop a culture of respecting the merit-based system.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 29th, 2013.