Right to comment

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that the chief of army chief has the right to comment on the country’s economic situation. Of course the COAS has every right to speak not only on the deteriorating state of the economy, but also on other aspects which directly affect the security of the country for which he is wholly responsible and answerable to the nation.

If we wish to talk about civilian supremacy and elected representatives, who else in the country has a vote bank larger than that of the COAS, with nine large constituencies (Corps) each comprising nearly a hundred thousand of Pakistani NIC holding soldiers with the right to vote. These constituencies are spread all over Pakistan from Chitral to Gwadar and Torkham to Dalbandin. Who represents such a great number of Pakistanis and could speak to protect their interests and rights? The answer is the COAS.

Col (r) Riaz Jafri (Rawalpindi)