The principle is that, a political party and a television channel with doubtful credentials and loyalties cannot collude to destroy the most important security institutions of Pakistan.

The Armed forces are the backbone of any country. To deride them is an act of treason. To humiliate them is an act of schizophrenic mindset .To make money and gain political power at their expense is an act of Fascist and mafiostic Perversion.
To assault the Armed forces merely to settle past scores and for satisfaction of egos is a dastardly and gravely delinquent manifestation of immature and undeveloped leadership. Such a leadership cannot take the country forward.

One just has to scan the past track record of the current PM who is apparently once again showing signs of psychopathic disorders. Himself a product of Gen Ziaul Haq and Gen Jilani, In the first instance  he targeted Benazir Bhutto.
In the second episode, he targeted Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,  Justice Sajjad Ali Shah just because the CJP was determined to hear Nawaz Sharif’s cases of alleged corruption. Subsequently, under the direction of Nawaz Sharif, the PML-N goons attacked the Supreme Court and  physically humiliated the judges.

Not quite satisfied Nawaz Sharif engaged in quarrels with Gen Asif Nawaz Janjua and later with Gen. Jehangir Karamat,  who had merely proposed the formation of a NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL which had been the need of the hour and is the norm in most countries.

As if this was not enough, instead, of putting a stop to rampant corruption, Nawaz landed himself in a tussle with President Ghulam Ishaq khan,who had earlier advised him to improve governance. Not willing to look inwards and because of his arrogance, the relationship became worse and  could not be resolved.
The  Army at this point of time could have taken over but did not. As a compromise it was decided and both the President and Prime Minister had to go.

In his next tenure, he needlessly criticized the Army for it’s conduct of a tactical cum strategic operation in KARGIL. Rather than exercising good management techniques to understand the dynamics behind the sincerely meant effort to regain the advantage of the heights, lost through the illegal occupation of SIACHIN by India, Nawaz lambasted the COAS and the Army. KARGIL could at best be termed controversial but certainly not completely without underlying professional motivation and compulsion.

Strangely Nawaz Sharif, apologized to Vajpayee and said “We have stabbed you in the back”. India rejoiced .Vajpayee was delighted. Nawaz Sharif overnight became India’s hero .The Army became the VILLAIN. Remains so till today in India.
NS’s utterances vilifying his own Army are a subject of discussion in Indian media till today.

To cap it all; in an act of brazen madness, he ordered the diversion of Gen Musharraf’s plane “ONLY BECA– — USE HE WANTED TO SACK HIM WHILE HE WAS AWAY”. Call it hijacking or by any other name, this was a desperate and unwanted act, seemingly a result of a very inferior, conniving, insecure and visionless person who could easily have achieved the objective In a legally and morally convincing way. He thus stood on a very weak wicket and gave cause for turbulence and dissatisfaction. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by one of the most honest judges  Rehmatullah Jaffery whose integrity remains unquestioned even by Nawaz Sharif himself.

In his current tenure as PM, Nawaz Sharif started off, reasonably well; declaring that he would leave the past behind, he will not be vindictive, he will respect Institutions and so on. People trusted him and voted for him including my own son. Much as we thought that he would, he backtracked.

Even if one were to give him allowance for seeking revenge and having a cause against Gen Musharraf, his responses and attitude in the Hamid Mir case belies logic, rational analysis and justification. His interior minister has done better than him. His brother is meaningfully quiet.

The two KHWAJAS have apparently a profound hold on him and he is falling into the trap laid by warring egoistical maniacs, who want to settle personal scores at the expense of national interest and people’s welfare.

In backing a media channel and allowing his courtiers to bash the Pakistan Armed Forces, in needlessly launching vendetta trials, in trying to dominate, subjugate, coerce and humiliate the Armed forces directly or indirectly through henchmen, he is sowing the seeds of the ultimate discord and division in society.
The people are with the Armed forces. Fortunately the PTI, PML Q, ANP, MQM and even PPP is against the approach adopted by Nawaz and his cronies. Fortunately there are opposing voices within the PML-N. I think there is a need for PML-N  to look inwards. There is a total failure at the top leadership level. The deficiency existed all along but we kep giving concessions thinking that repairs and corrections will be made the next time round. But it is patently clear that Nawaz  Sharif lacks the qualities of head and heart which makes good leaders.

As a shrewd businessman, he is a good wheeler dealer and has compromised with his erstwhile enemy Zardari, but when it comes to the Army (previously it was the judiciary), whether right or wrong, he has an obsession to win.and to be revered, saluted, accepted as the AMEER UL MOMINEEN.  

 It is time to think if this man is Indeed capable to lead a nuclear nation state..
It is time to think that the consequences of his actions whether it is talks with the TTP or alliance with one channel against the Army, can lead to instability and destabilization of the country.

At a time when the Army wants to stay away from politics, this is an  opportunity for an In-house change within the PML-N. Perhaps Shahbaz Sharif at the top could do better. He is a democratically elected leader, generally more intelligent and wiser than his elder brother. Being from the present PML N  dispensation, this could be a way forward.

But is this asking too much from the PML-N?  Is there any visionary in the party leadership to think. A thrice tried Nawaz Sharif has time and again proved to be extremely erratic and destructively rigid.

It is time for change…………

Shams Z Abbas, Lahore