Amidst the country’s growing political turmoil and worsening economic situation, Qamar Javed Bajwa is set to retire this week, leaving behind what analysts describe as a divided Pakistan.
“Bajwa is leaving the country deeply divided with Imran Khan stoking up political ire over the army at every given opportunity-rarely has been the most powerful institution in the country riddled with criticism and humiliation since the 1971 war,” Dr Sakariya Kareem, was quoted as saying by Asian Lite International.
Bajwa is leaving a nation and its army divided, a division he is equally responsible for since he took over as the Chief of Army Staff in 2016, the publication added.
While addressing the Defence and Martyrs Day ceremony, Bajwa in his last address, struck a confessional note, saying that armies around the world are seldom criticized “but our army is often subjected to criticism.”
He admitted that much of the public ire against the army was due to its political role. “I think the reason for that is the army’s involvement in politics,” he was quoted as saying by Dawn.
The outgoing chief said the army had initiated its process of “catharsis” and expected that political parties would follow suit as well and reflect on their behaviour. Bajwa said that lessons should be learned from such mistakes so the nation could move forward.
“The biggest takeaways from Pakistan Army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s Nov 23 farewell speech are a virtual admission of failure of GHQ experiment of imposing Imran Khan as its ‘proxy’ prime minister in 2018, and an announcement that the army would henceforth keep away from such political engineering,” according to think tank Policy Research Group (POREG).
In an editorial, Dawn report said that Bajwa’s successor, has his work cut out for him.
“While the military is professing that it is apolitical — something we have heard in the past as well — the next chief will quickly realise that remaining apolitical is easier said than done,” it added.