This letter refers to the article ‘A letter to the Pakistan Army’ (May 16, 2023) by Faryal Leghari. Having crossed the age of 84, I have seen Pakistan right from the beginning and have observed the perpetual decay which has brought us to this despicable state. Responsibility for all this lies not just with the politicians, the dictator-generals and the bureaucrats, but the people too. Divided on the basis of ethnicity and other sectarian categories, we have failed to develop into a nation that speaks with one voice and can hold its rulers to account. The writer mentioned the double standards of the state when it comes to the Baloch and Pashtuns, but it is also worth mentioning that we cannot even conduct a proper census in our business capital. It is encouraging that the army’s top brass has vowed to bring those responsible for the chaos on May 9 to account and it is hoped that this crackdown will be expanded to remove the venal top leadership of the main political parties. Furthermore, it would be highly prudent for the institution to correct some of its past mistakes.
SRH Hashmi
Karachi