Even armymen not above the law, say ex-servicemen

BY IKRAM JUNAIDI

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Association has openly called for punitive action against anyone — irrespective of rank or status — who is guilty of corruption or providing support to terrorists, even if they are from the military.

A statement issued on Sunday after a meeting of the association’s executive council said that members had demanded that the government “ensure total human equality while dealing with all cases of corruption and other unlawful activities”.

It further said: “[Ex-servicemen have] always maintained that punitive action must be taken against all found guilty of supporting corruption or terrorism, irrespective of their status and rank, including [members of] the armed forces.”

Explaining the association’s resolve, retired Brigadier Samson Sharaf told Dawn, “If we are to clear the dirt, we have to do it indiscriminately. We are a citizens’ army, we are not above anyone.” He added that all ex-servicemen had offered themselves up for accountability and said that he believed that no-one should be exempt from scrutiny.

The statement’s timing is significant, coming at a time when rumours regarding the possible court-martial of military officials, including a general, on corruption charges are doing the rounds. A reference to the case in a recent newspaper editorial has also sparked speculation, although ISPR has yet to confirm or deny whether such proceedings have actually been instituted.

The meeting, which was chaired by retired Lt-Gen Ali Kuli Khan, was also attended by Air Marshal Masood Akhtar, Lt-Gen Naeem Akbar, Brig Mian Mahmud, Brig Arbi Khan, Brig Masudul Hassan. Brig Akram Malik and Brig Waqar Raja, among others.

Wars Of The Future; Lethal Technology Versus Life

By Nayyar N Khan

IS the human race is on the threshold of crucial and ominous change when it comes to wars of the future? Yes this very change is knocking at the doors. It is a shift that possibly bangs our foundations and warps the entire world beyond imagination. The abysmal change to which many of us are not showing any serious concern would prove one of the most lethal ones human eyes have ever witnessed.  I’m talking about the coming outmodedness of the gun-wielding human soldier as a fighter in a war zone. Or to put it in a simple way, future wars would be fought between mechanized Robots versus living beings. Very soon in the near future, the autonomous, killing army of robots will replace the human soldiers as the prevailing combat zone technology. And as always, that shift in soldierly technology will cause colossal social mayhem.