Military Leadership is Not Booty and Spoils
(Translated)

News:

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif named General Asim Munir as Pakistan’s next army chief, a choice that could harden former premier Imran Khan’s opposition to the government and stoke his high-stakes clash with the military. Khan, who as prime minister had removed Munir from the role of intelligence chief, would see the appointment as a possible obstacle to his attempt to force early elections... Munir is currently serving at the army headquarters as quartermaster general, overseeing supplies for all military units. Apart from the ISI, he has also led the military intelligence department. He has served under Bajwa’s direct command in the often-troubled northern areas that border Afghanistan, China and India.” (Bloomberg)

Comment:

There was a bitter struggle over the leadership of the Pakistan Army. It took place between two opposing military camps. The first camp was led by the outgoing army chief, General Qamar Bajwa. The other faction was led by the then Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, alongside Imran Khan, the ousted prime minister. It seems that the camp of General Bajwa has settled the conflict in its favor. It has ensured that General Munir succeeds General Bajwa as army chief. This was after Faiz Hamid was sidelined, whilst Imran Khan was wounded and threatened with death, if he did not stop squabbling in favor of Hameed. That then, practically, occurred.

The significance of Munir’s appointment as the army chief heralds the political mold within which the Pakistani state will now be cast, as well as the role it will play regionally. The appointment of Munir, who has an intelligence background, including internal intelligence, is consistent with America’s policy and strategy in the region. American policy focuses on marginalizing Pakistan’s role regionally and weakening it militarily, whilst giving India a free hand in the region, especially in Afghanistan and in confronting China.

As for the role of the Pakistani state, its focus will be on internal aspects, specifically the weakening of the army, including striving to dismantle strategic nuclear weapons, which no longer have any use, in the view of Americans. This is in the context of continuous restraint before India, and Pakistan’s surrender of Occupied Kashmir in favor of India, whilst seeking to normalize relations with India, in the manner of concluding a comprehensive and permanent peace.

The post of army chief has become a coveted booty and spoil, for amassing wealth and satisfying the desire for greatness among a group of generals, who fight over posts, for the sake of personal interests. The price of acquiring these posts is to sell off the public interests and vital issues of the Ummah. The condition for appointment in sensitive posts is the implementation of America’s agendas in the country itself, and in the region. These are always destructive agendas for both the country and the people. All this obliges the sincere in the Pakistani military establishment to seize the corrupt with ranks, bank accounts, real estate and vast lands. If they do not do so, then they will perish and perish together with them.

The Prophet (saw) said,

«مَثَلُ الْقَائِمِ عَلَى حُدُودِ اللَّهِ وَالْوَاقِعِ فِيهَا كَمَثَلِ قَوْمٍ اسْتَهَمُوا عَلَى سَفِينَةٍ فَأَصَابَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَعْلَاهَا وَبَعْضُهُمْ أَسْفَلَهَا فَكَانَ الَّذِينَ فِي أَسْفَلِهَا إِذَا اسْتَقَوْا مِنْ الْمَاءِ مَرُّوا عَلَى مَنْ فَوْقَهُمْ فَقَالُوا لَوْ أَنَّا خَرَقْنَا فِي نَصِيبِنَا خَرْقًا وَلَمْ نُؤْذِ مَنْ فَوْقَنَا فَإِنْ يَتْرُكُوهُمْ وَمَا أَرَادُوا هَلَكُوا جَمِيعًا وَإِنْ أَخَذُوا عَلَى أَيْدِيهِمْ نَجَوْا وَنَجَوْا جَمِيعًا»

“The example of the person abiding by Allah’s order and restrictions, in comparison to those who violate them, is like the example of those persons who drew lots for their seats in a boat. Some of them got seats in the upper part, and the others in the lower. When the latter needed water, they had to go up to bring water (and that troubled the others), so they said, ‘Let us make a hole in our share of the ship (and get water) saving those who are above us from troubling them.’ So, if the people in the upper part left the others do what they had suggested, all the people of the ship would be destroyed, but if they prevented them, both parties would be safe.” [Bukhari]

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Bilal al-Muhajir – Wilayah Pakistan