Monitor on Civil-Military Relations in Pakistan |December 2017

This monitor is meant to identify key developments during

the month on Civil Military Relations in Pakistan with selected high-profile

international developments included occasionally.

In this Issue:

On December 30, Federal Minister of Defence, Engr. Khurram

Dastgir Khan, MNA, made highly significant pronouncements on civil-military

relations and the role of Minister of Defence.

Talking to Mr. Saleem Safi in his talk show Jirga,

Mr. Khan said that there is indeed ‘tanao‘ or tension in civil military

relations in Pakistan. He also said that Defence Minister is not the boss or

in-charge of Defence Organization, as is the diktat of the Constitution; that

Defence Minister is merely a facilitator at best and most of the time even marginalised

at that, while Prime Minister directly deals with leadership of the Armed Forces.

Some of the key excerpts paraphrased below from his interview are:

It is difficult to recall a more candid interview by a Pakistani

Defence minister on the subject of civil-military relations. This is a sensitive

and serious matter, seldom discussed in the open by a sitting Defence Minister

in the past, leading the country to an almost definitive but discomforting conclusion

that civil-military relations may be moving towards an era of ‘open warfare’.

No country can allow such tensions between State institutions or between popular

political parties and the security establishment, especially given the prevailing

tense relations with a superpower and some neighbouring countries.

COAS attends meeting

of the Senate Committee of the Whole

On December 19, in an in-camera session of the Senate Committee

of the Whole, DG MO Major General Sair Shamshad Mirza, briefed the Senate upon

the invitation extended by the Chairman Senate, while the COAS answered queries

of the Senators.[1] According

to the Senate of Pakistan, the in-camera meeting was held ” to prepare

policy guidelines in the light of the emerging regional realities ” as

well as ” to deliberate upon the emerging national security paradigm for

Pakistan specially with respect to the recent foreign visits of the Chief of

Army Staff and other recent developments in this regard .” The briefing

was attended by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) along with the DG MO, DG MI,

DG ISI and DG ISPR. [2]

While the briefing was in-camera, news media reported details

through various quotes from the DG ISPR as well as a number of Senators who

were part of the briefing. The meeting, we are told, lasted for over three hours,

in which first the COAS “gave an overview which was followed by a detailed presentation

by Major General Sair Shamshad Mirza, DG MO.” After the presentation, the COAS

“personally answered the questions asked by the Members which touched upon all

areas of national interest and security,” as per the Senate website.

In recent history, Gen. Bajwa is the second COAS to have come

to Parliament for a briefing following such a briefing by the erstwhile COAS

Kayani and then-DG ISI Lt. Gen. Pasha who briefed joint session of the Parliament

in May 2011 after the killing of Osama bin Ladin in the Abbottabad operation.

In terms of personally answering the questions of the parliamentarians or any

of its committee, Gen. Bajwa’s may be regarded as the first of its kind.

That the COAS briefed a house of the Parliament is both a

good development and also brings home the stark reality of the miles Pakistan’s

democratic oversight of defence have to travel to follow the norm in other developed

democracies. The fanfare with which the COAS was received was almost similar

to a head of a State opening the Parliament in Pakistan or in other democracies.

Such appearances are common and usual occurrence in democracies such as UK [3]and

next-door India[4] where heads

and representatives of respective defence forces regularly appear before their

relevant Parliamentary committees to both brief them and answer their questions.

The Parliament and Pakistan’s democratic order need to efficiently and speedily

evolve in a manner that such briefings should be a normal and regular occurrence

by the relevant Parliamentary Committees and not at the level of Joint Session

or one house of Parliament.

In an awkward though familiar pattern, as experienced after

previous in-camera sessions of the Parliament, instantly, after the meeting,

various quotes and information from the session flashed on the media, thus proving

the age-old wariness of the security leadership towards politicians that they

can not be trusted with sensitive national security information. This breach

formed the basis of the Dawn Leaks story and its investigation. Parliament and

Parliamentary committees must win and maintain trust of security establishments,

in order to carry out an effective and efficient oversight of defence and security

sector, an advice that comes from established democracies including the British

Parliament. Similar advice was given to a Pakistani delegation, that included

Honourable Senator and now Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani, as well as Senator

Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Defence, by Rt.

Hon. Sir Malcom Rifkind, chair of the UK Intelligence and Security Committee,

during a PILDAT facilitated Study Visit to UK. Mr. Rifkind

said that winning and maintaining trust is extremely important

irrespective of what the law says adding that since its formation, there has

never been any ‘leak’ from the ISC with regard to information provided by the

intelligence services to the Committee. While it is important for Security establishment

to know that it has to answer questions asked by the Parliament and its Committees,

“a relationship based on mutual trust” also has to be cultivated. [5]

It is, therefore, commendable that Senator Rabbani has taken the leaks from

the in-camera session seriously and has referred the matter to the House Business

Advisory Committee for probe. [6]

Khawaja Saad Rafique’s

Statement and Response by DG ISPR

Khwaja Saad Rafique’s statement on December 24 generated a

great deal of heat and controversy. His words seemed to imply that subordinate

institutions under the Army Chief create occasional mischief although the stated

policy of the Army Chief was pro-democracy and in harmony with the civilian

government’s policies. The DG ISPR did not waste much time in declaring the

Federal Minister’s statement ‘irresponsible’ at a news conference.

Khawaja Saad Rafique, in a ceremony marking his father’s death

anniversary, said that Gen Bajwa’s appearance before Senators on December 19

was a confidence-boosting move as he upheld the democratic norms and continuity

of democratic system in the country. In his remarks, Mr. Rafique added that

democratic ethos of the COAS must be commended and appreciated by everyone –

including by those upon whom his command is mandatory, adding that institutions

under the COAS must desist from mischief making against democratic governments.

( Iss ki tayeed unhain bhi karni chahiye jin par un ka hukm lazim hai;

unhain bhi uss hukm ke ata’at karni chahiye …. Iss ki support unhain bhi

karni chahiye jo choti choti sharartain kertay hain ). [8]

“We take this statement with concern,” said the DG ISPR. He

also said that the Minister’s statement “does not appear to be un-intended;

it is irresponsible and unwarranted, because it is targeting chain of command

and subordination system of Pakistan Army.” He also said that Federal Minister’s

statement “violated the Constitution,” and added that ” agar aisi line chairain

ge tau bohot se irtiash paida hon ge.” (If such a line is taken, there

will be reverberations/repercussions.)

Members of the

Standing Committees on Defence visit LoC

Members of the Senate and National Assembly Standing Committees on Defence

on a visit to the Line of Control in Azad Kashmir, on December 05, 2017

The ISPR reported that that on December 05, a delegation of

members of Standing Committees on Defence from both houses of the Parliament

visited at Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Kashmir. The delegation was briefed

about the situation alongside the LoC, Indian violations of the Cease Fire,

loss of civilian life, and damage to property. [9]

National Security

Advisor meets former Premier?

First time after the disqualification of former Premier Mr.

Nawaz Sharif, National Security Advisor to Prime Minister, Lt. Gen Nasser Khan

Janjua, reportedly met with Mr. Sharif, at his Jati Umra residence in Raiwind,

Lahore on December 28. Reportedly, the meeting continued for 5 hours, where

Mr. Sharif stressed on the need to maintain friendly ties with neighbouring

countries.[10]

PML-N Information Secretary, and Minister for Climate Change,

Senator Mushahid Ullah Khan, while answering a question about Mr. Nawaz’s strained

relations with the military establishment, and his involvement in government

affairs despite his disqualification, said that, “the security adviser does

not need anybody’s permission to brief the PML-N chief on security issues as

he is a civilian member of the cabinet.” He also added that Mr Sharif is chief

of the ruling PML-N and could meet any member of his party’s government.” [11]

Later some media reports contradicted that such a meeting

ever took place. Both the former PM and NSA’s office neither confirmed nor denied

the meeting.

If the meeting took place, it was not clear what NSA might

have discussed for five hours with the former PM who does not hold a public

office any more.

PM Abbasi visits

deep sea with Pakistan Navy

PM Abbasi receiving the Dolphin insignia of the Pakistan Navy

On a three-day visit to Karachi, from December 22-24, during

an operational review of the Pakistan Navy, Prime Minister Abbasi boarded a

submarine in open sea, which made him the first Prime Minister of Pakistan having

done so. He was awarded the Dolphin insignia of the Pakistan Navy. He also witnessed

replenishment exercise by the Navy, rocket depth charge firing by ship &

aircraft and helicopter-borne board, search & seizure. The premier expressed

satisfaction with the operational preparedness of the Pakistan Navy.[12]