One on one

The one-on-one meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif on Tuesday can be taken to indicate that the government and the military remain committed to working in harmony to resolve the problems of the country and are determined to do so through the joint effort that is required to achieve a successful outcome in what is a Herculean task. The united strategy for this purpose has paid off in the past; we hope it will pay off again. The meeting between the PM and the army chief came after a wider meeting on security which was attended by the interior minister, the Punjab CM and others. It is likely – as sections of the media are highlighting, citing undisclosed sources – that the Panama leaks problem was discussed at this unusual session. There may be nothing wrong in matters of all kinds being discussed between those entrusted to run the state. But speculations that the prime minister was urged by the army chief to resolve the issue of the Panama leaks at the earliest have raised the question if this urging should have been made at all – if we keep in mind the respective role of the different organs of the state. This has been debated in various circles in terms of the democratic state norms and the constitution. We certainly need to find a way to achieve greater transparency at all levels and in all organs and departments. Noting, and hoping, that there was no direct or visible indication of hostility or distrust during the meeting, we see speculations to the contrary as a rather unfortunate development. Certainly we do not wish for any misunderstandings to create further waves within a country that badly needs continuity and also good governance. The primary task of all state institutions must be to work towards this ideal of better governance and greater calm. In the past, institutions have too often worked against each other. This has been extremely damaging for all of us. It is a good thing that the past few years have not been without signs of a sincere desire to work together. We hope that the meeting under question turns out to be an illustration of this fact. This will also aid in the bid to eliminate terrorism and violence. What we need is a collective effort and hope that such an effort will continue into the future, moving closer to the goal of preventing the elements that seek to disrupt the smooth working of national affairs.