Our neighbour Pakistan may have much exclusivity to its credit, but it is perhaps the only country in the region where the appointment of an Army Chief invokes more curiosity and interest than in a civilian government. While news reports from Pakistan suggest that General Qamar Bajwa was pushed up to replace Raheel Sharif for his ‘pro-democracy credentials’ by the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, there are instances, where civilian presumptions have gone very wrong. In 1976, Pakistan’s most powerful civilian ruler till date, Zulfikaq Ali Bhutto chose his most junior Lieutenant General Zia-ul-Haq as the Chief of Army Staff, superseding seven other more senior contenders. But just a year later Zia-ul-Haq, not only staged the Coup d’état, but also supervised the hanging of Bhutto. The General served as the 6th President of Pakistan from 1978 until his accidental death in 1988. He became Pakistan’s longest-serving Head of State. History repeated itself in October 1998, when Nawaz Sharif, appointed Pervez Musharraf as the head of the Armed Forces, superseding two other lieutenant generals, a decision he probably regrets even today. The key factors in their appointments were loyalty and a non-political disposition. A careful review of General Bajwa’s credentials reflects that his pro-democracy and lower profile leanings were priority for PM Sharif while choosing him. But, in a historically military-led country, the behaviour of a General is hard to predict.
Bajwa, an infantry officer, has commanded the infamous 10 Corps, responsible for guarding the area along the Line of Control with India.
He is the fourth officer from the infantry’s Baloch Regiment to become an Army Chief. While the succession may not immediately bring about a major change in policy, it could still have important implications for ties with India and Afghanistan. Gen Bajwa was considered a dark horse. He has also superseded Lt Gen Syed Wajid Hussain (chairman of Heavy Industries Taxila), Lt Gen Najibullah Khan (DG Joint Staff Headquarters), Lt Gen Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmed (Corps Commander Multan) and Lt Gen Javed Iqbal Ramday (Corps Commander Bahawalpur). It is high time for India to be alert, the new Army Chief could adventure along the LoC, to make his mark. Even though the former Indian Army Chief, General Bikram Singh, under whom Bajwa has worked in the UN operations in Congo, has described him a ‘professional’, the conduct of a military officer is always different at home, where he serves country’s national interests.
