Retirement was perhaps an easiest decision for someone like army chief, General Raheel Sharif, but it becomes such a big news for two reasons; because of its premature timing and due to his popularity graph. Many thought he would be an automatic choice for extension like in the case of his predecessor Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. Can this historic decision become an institutional one for all civil and military institutions?
General Raheel wants to finish his tenure on a winning note in operation Zarb-e-Azb, Karachi operation, and to set a new direction in Balochistan. He also wants to ease the burden for his successor in war against terrorism by the end of this year, but the sudden announcement at a time when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was abroad unless he had taken him into confidence surprised many.
The move has certainly put the government in a difficult position. So far, there is no comment from the premier on this issue while the top ministers gave a guarded welcome, saying there is still 10 months period to his retirement. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on his return would be meeting the army chief and it would be interesting to see the possible outcome.
All political parties have welcomed this decision including those who have been earlier demanding or supporting his extension and those who in their tenure given extension to the former chief. General Raheel has now set the tone that the best time for retirement is when it is due, without seeking any extension. By all standards, it was a professional decision, the one expected from General Raheel, as it can go a long way in building institutions, though one is not sure whether it was the right time.
Some believe that it should have been better if the general had waited for a few months as it came only weeks after the general's bold pledge of declaring 2016 as the year to defeat terrorism. It appeared as the premature debate in the media, either by design of certain quarters or from more loyal than the king forced him to make an early decision and also let it be known to everyone.
There are a lot of positive things in this decision. (1) It has closed the debate as far as extension or no extension is concerned, though people would still guess why he makes the decision public so early. (2) The general can now go all-out to finish the job and leave the challenge much easier for his successor. (3) It also dispels the impression that the general ever has any ambition to prolong his tenure and that is why he declared 2016 a year of peace. (4) It will increase confidence of his field commanders and the core team. (5) He gave a message to all that institution building is more important than building image of an individual. (6) He gave fruit of thought to politicians to give space to others and democratize their parties.
So, there are lessons to learn from this historic decision. Unfortunately, we are a nation which forgets history and hardly learns it. Why is General Raheel different from some of his predecessors including those who still wanted his extension?
Army chiefs appointment, retirement or extension are always a major story and it always led debate in the media and in political circles. General Raheel's announcement in many ways is quite unusual, particularly the timing. Never before in the recent history of Pakistan army chief's retirement is made ten months before, apparently to end all speculations about extension.
When Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointed General Raheel Sharif, as army chief, some of his colleagues had said unlike his predecessors, he would not go beyond his tenure, come what may, described him as thorough professional, but even they never expected the kind of reputation, image and impression he will leave in his tenure. "It’s simply remarkable," one of ex-colleagues told this scribe.
It was never an easy journey for him and took some difficult decisions during which differences also emerged between civil and military leaderships. The issue of the trial of former army chief, retired general Pervez Musharraf was one such issue while the government decision to hold talks with the Taliban was another.
Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan was also a tough decision because of the possible fallout in other cities. He first managed national consensus for which he had even requested the prime minister to take Imran Khan onboard, who at that time was against the operation.
During all this period, General Raheel proved that he never had any political ambitions, something which ease the tension between civil and military, at crucial time particularly during 2014 dharna politics. Thus, the general proved many political pundits wrong, some of whom even talking about political change, in January 2016. These were the same people who had even given date for change during Imran's dharna. Not to speak of "political pundits," Imran and Dr Tahirul Qadri were anxiously waiting for the general's intervention.
It was a historic role played by the General, which was something close to what ex-army chief, General Abdul Waheed Kakar took in 1993, when despite Supreme Court decision, restoring Sharif's government the then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan did not restored him. Kakar was even advised to impose martial law, but a source close to him said, "Let the politicians learn from their mistakes and confrontations.”
Unlike General Raheel, retired General Pervez Musharraf even deviated from his own commitment to retire in December 2004, made with Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal. Similarly, General Kayani, who had earnt goodwill for his role in 2008 elections and later during Swat operation disappointed many when he got extension and that too for a full term. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif must extend all-out support to the General and ensure success by the end of this year, as 2017 will be the year of election campaign for 2018 election and thus there will be lot of political issues.
Unless something dramatic happened, the General wants to be remembered in history as the person who finished his job with grace and set good precedent, not only for the Generals to come but also for politicians. It is another thing that we have hardly learnt lesson from history and our hero.
The writer is senior analyst and columnist of Geo, The News and Jang.