Changing of the guard

As the army chief’s date of retirement approaches, a host of rumours are doing rounds in the capital. The first is related to our dear general’s own person. Second is about the new army chief. And then there is the one about the post of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) that falls vacant in a day. Regarding the last one, there is a chance that by the time these lines reach you, an announcement might already have been made. But this discussion will still remain relevant as a future case study.

General Kayani’s retirement comes when the nation is deeply engrossed in debating the vices and virtues of negotiating with the terrorists. Experience matters at such a critical juncture. That and the army chief’s recent meeting with the chief minister of Punjab, who happens to be the prime minister’s (PM) brother, ergo an important stakeholder, sparked the rumour that the COAS may get a one-year extension. While we all know that the PM usually keeps his cards close to his chest and his final decision often proves many such speculations wrong, just like in the case of cabinet formation, we are told that this option is still under consideration. Of course if he is given another extension, the post of vice-chief of staff committee might be revived with another four-star general in charge.

The second option is that after his retirement, General Kayani be appointed Pakistan’s ambassador to the US. There, of course, is the third option that sees him being elevated to the mostly ceremonial post of CJCSC with three years in office. And finally, there is another, engaging him in some advisery capacity with the government. There seems less doubt that his experience is being considered too important to lose at this stage.

Apart from him, there, of course, are two main contenders for the post of army chief, namely the current Chief of Logistics Staff Lt General Haroon Aslam and the current Chief of General Staff Lt General Rashad Mahmood. While the former is said to be senior most on the list, seniority in this case is a mere technicality for both joined commissions on the same day. The prime minister and his kitchen cabinet have already indicated that they favour the appointment on the basis of seniority. Perhaps, owing to his stint as GOC SSG and his role in the counterterrorism operation Rah-e-Rast, Lt General Haroon commands a lot of respect among the army rank and file. Lt General Rashad has, however, been considered a frontrunner for considerable time.

Of course, General Haroon is also a candidate for the post of CJCSC. The other name for the post is of the current Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Asif Sandila. His nomination is rationalised on the basis of the almost defunct principle of rotation where the post has to be rotated between the three forces. The trouble is that, being the largest force, the army considers it has the best claim over the post. Interestingly, if General Haroon is chosen for this post, General Rashad’s appointment as COAS or at the very least, VCOAS will become most certain. Of course, the PM can choose a junior general for the post too, but it seems that the PML-N has learnt a lesson from past experiences and does not want to meddle with the seniority principle.

Now, if you promise not to question my right to give an opinion, here are my two cents: it is imperative for the officer corps that further extensions be avoided at all costs. The army is a well-disciplined force which banks on fresh blood to inspire generations of leaders. The second important point is that it is unwise to be wary of popularity, charisma and initiative out of the fear of another coup. A force led by its favourite leader is more content than the one that is not. General Musharraf wasn’t exactly the most popular general at the time of his appointment and see where it got us. Third, regardless of who is appointed, if the fight against terror is such big consideration for us, we better own it properly. We can begin with awarding the Nishan-e-Haider to the heroes of this war.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2013.

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