Chaos With the Third Horn (Daniel 8:8)

Red Zone mob — a challenge for N-Pakistan

Wednesday, September 10, 2014
From Print Edition

PTI-PAT Mob in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The writ of the government has been seriously compromised by the rule of mob, which has made the nuclear Pakistan a joke across the world but underscores the need for a comprehensive review of the situation by the civil-military leadership.

While a government source said that the government was considering convening a meeting of the cabinet’s committee on national security, the opposition demands an in-camera dialogue between the civilian-political leadership and the representatives of the Establishment for a complete review of the relationship between them.

The postponement of the visit of Chinese president because of the complete control of country’s nerve centre — Red Zone — by PTI-PAT mob, has been a great embarrassment for the country.

The images of PTI-PAT violent mob storming PTV headquarters, breaking into parliament as well as cabinet block compounds, trying to remove the gates of the Presidency, controlling and commanding all movements on the constitutional avenues and even in the federal secretariat, ignoring Supreme Court’s directions, unabated daily attacks on Geo building, etc. all this has seriously damaged the image of Pakistan across the world and raised serious questions about the national security of the country.

As has been highlighted by several parliamentarians during the ongoing session of the joint sitting of the two Houses, there is a lack of coordination between the civilian and the military sides as the mob hits police but salutes the army personnel deployed there.

Several parliamentarians also criticised the outcome of the Corps Commanders meeting which, according to the ISPR press release, though had advised the government not to use force against the PTI-PAT protesters, had no warning for the violent mob.

According to a government source, it is being considered to call a meeting of the cabinet committee on national security to deliberate on the issue which has serious security aspects. In view of the loss of Pakistan’s image, the cancellation of the Chinese president’s visit, the serious dent to Pakistan’s economy by these sit-ins, the violent behaviour of PTI-PAT workers and the continuing rule of mob on Red Zone are believed to be so serious that they collectively hurt Pakistan and should be a matter of concern for both the civilian and military establishments.It is said that government is now waiting for the outcome of the ongoing dialogue process to end the present impasse.

As against the government, the opposition, particularly the PPP, wants a comprehensive review of the civil-military relationship. Senator Raza Rabbani and Senator Farhatullah Babar have already raised this issue in the joint sitting of the parliament.

Raza Rabbani was already pursuing this goal and had even issued an open letter. Farhatullah Babar, however, told the parliament to hold a face to face, in-camera dialogue between the civilian-political leadership and the representatives of the Establishment to address the simmering issues in the perennial tussle between the two since the creation of Pakistan.

He suggested, let the committee of defence of National Assembly and the Senate hold such dialogue away from the media in which both sides placed on the table their respective concerns about each other with a view to finding a negotiated settlement. He proposed that this committee be headed by Senator Mushahid or Senator Raza Rabbani who previously headed the parliament’s committee on national security.

Many believe that the PTI-PAT show was a scripted affair but it is hard to understand how such a move with such serious consequences for Pakistan could be conceptualized and executed.