A new chapter

The retiring COAS, Gen Raheel Sharif, is leaving behind a powerful legacy. Now that the new army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, has been appointed; it is hoped that the new chief’s vision and objectives on defense, national security and foreign policy fronts for the next 3 years will be aggressively implemented by the entire military command in cooperation with their civilian brethren. Further, the PM, federal government and armed forces, deserve a round of applause for the smooth transition which has taken place in the two key defense services positions of the COAS and CJCSC. All eyes are now inevitably focused upon 2018; the performance of the federal government, elected assemblies and the coming general elections.

The present government and the one which will fill its place after the next elections is advised to have greater focus on ‘economic, national security, education, accountability and demographic control policies’, without which we cannot properly embrace modernity, which has already arrived in Greater Asia, and claim our rightful accolade as an ‘emerging modern economic power in Greater Asia’. The country has already spent too much time on ‘putsches’, ‘sit-ins’, the Panama Papers and other non-productive tasks. Please let’s now begin to focus on the issues being faced by the country.

Abbas R Siddiqi

Lahore