Honest appraisal.

The Army Chief shared his heart with the nation. Days before his superannuation, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, in a televised address, regretted that the glorious services of the armed forces are often not seen in the right spirit, and criticised for wrong reasons. Though he welcomed criticism of the institution, he was quite mindful of the expressive and unbecoming language. He had a valid point as, of late, it had become a trend to initiate vilification campaigns, and subsequently drag the army and its leadership unnecessarily to serve vested interests. This is an anathema of national conscience, and must come to an end.

Gen Bajwa, in fact, made an honest appraisal as he admitted that the ill-will against the military is owing to its role in politics. For the last seven decades, for one reason or the other, the army had been seen either as a saviour or an interventionist force. This has done more damage to its institutional reputation than any service. This is why the outgoing General reiterated the resolve taken by the army since February 2022 to stay aloof from politics, and not to become a party in its turbulent...