General Kayani’s remarks…

Apparently, it is equal to barking up the wrong tree if one signals out the media for bringing under critical focus the role of the army and the intelligence agencies.

No one, even the decontrol media, would ever express concerns with the army if it sticks to its mission of defending the country, and the intelligence agencies if they incarcerate their activities to avert the conspiracies hatched by the external factors.

The powerful institutions, which claim themselves guards of national sovereignty, has to think why the parliament and judiciary are expressing concerns over what they think as blazing misconducts by the military-controlled secret agencies.

The National Assembly, on Wednesday, issued a call for formulating a law to tame the intelligence departments.

The Senate, the Upper House of the Parliament, has already passed a unanimous resolution decrying forced disappearances and abductions.

At the same time, the Supreme Court, in number of cases, expressed annoyance over the agencies for exceeding their mandate. On the part of the military leadership, there is needed to take cognizance of the elephant in the room, under the circumstances.

Sorry, but taking up the Mehrangate scandal is not fighting with history. Despite General Kayani’s latest commitment to remain apolitical, the interference by the agencies in politics continues to be a live issue.

Scores of people across the country, particularly from Balochistan, approached the Supreme Court with complaints of their relatives having been abducted by the intelligence departments and kept undercover.

There is no relief to forced disappearances despite the intervention by the apex court. Bearing sign of tortures, dead bodies of those forcibly taken away continue to appear in Balochistan.

Journalists have accused the powerful institutions of threatening of abducting and torturing them. Fingers were clearly raised when the dead body of Syed Saleem Shahzad was discovered from a canal, in Punjab.

International Human Rights organizations continue to challenge the decision despite an inquiry commission acquitted the secret agencies.

Like most Pakistanis, none can accuse the highly decorated war hero Air Marshal (Retd) Asghar Khan of trying to weaken his own institution. He only wants an end to the role of the agencies in politics.

It is widely believed that that exposure of errors fortifies the institutions. Concealing, on the other hand, generate risks over time that can be lethal.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=16013

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Mar 16 2012. Filed under National, Opinion, Pakistan, Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.