The Daily PakistanPolitics Oct 1-15, 2017

• Oct15-2017--a war of words has broken out between the interior minister and the upstart ISPR chief...he gave negative comments on the economy and was warned by the interior minister not to work against the countries better interests...The military has become used to critisizing the government on every matter while refusing to accept any criticism of the army in particular...The comments on the economy by the ISPR were that the economy was neither good or bad...The military is used to asking for more funds all the time while having almost the best service structure and funding of any organisation in pakistan...!all this was triggered by the emerging economist the army chief ...who said that the countries infrastructure was being improved but their was no growth...obviously a country that has hardly any resources cannot show real growth...the country is dependent on external resources such as remmittances, donor agencies and lately chinese aid...The generals suggestion that CPEC would improve the economy is also largely considered propaganda...The CPEC is based on a chinese attempt to link up with all countries in the world...In this region india and afghanistan are stumbling blocks...The whole army exersize was blamed on an assertion that security was important and according to the army chief very expensive too...many critisized the armies luxury orientation such as the Navy's import of Audi's and even Lance Naiks travelling around in Pajero's...the armies communication was based on motorcycles in the old days...most military vehicles seen nowadays are usually purchasing home goods at electric appliance item shops...That the military is doing very well can be seen by the extensive DHA's and the luxury housing all over the place...The military has created comfort zones in each and every sphere and only spits out criticism of one kind or another...The general wanted to increase the tax base like the finance ministry...The countries tax base is now in the trillions while it was only a few billions in the early 1990's...with heavy taxation in place one can hardly see any space for tax expansion...it is the army that refuses to pay even toll tax's...! reducing expenditures is the only way...pakistans economy has steadily improved despite a terrible security situation in the country and the region...linking security and the economy is quite pathetic...security is linked to an efficient working army and police..!spending by the armed forces and the ministry of defence is over Rs1.5 trillion and substantial amounts are also spent by the provincial governments...the military and police should ensure a perfect security situation...!which is hardly the case in pakistan
  
• Oct10-2017--while Lt Generals do resign and nothing is made of such matters...there seems more to rizwan akhters resignation...apparently his brother a commodore worked in PIA as its director procurements and did all the paperwork for the giveaway of an A300 to a german museum...that caused the suspension and removal of the german PIA MD who quickly left the country...the commodore too left PIA and rejoined the airforce where he could not be touched directly...
  
• Oct9-2017--Another controversy has erupted over an army general who has served as an ISI chief...Lt. Gen Rizwan Akhter a former ISI chief has resigned a full year before the completion of his service saying he wanted todo some personal committments...unless he is seriously ill there is enough time after retirement for that sort of thing...some think he might want to follow Raheel to Saudia...!generally regarded highly he was not offered a GHQ posting and made head of the military defence university the NDU generally considered a sideline retiring position...a supporter of negotiations with india he may have become disillusioned with the continuous animosity from india or his lacklustre job as head of a university or developed differences with the army chief or the politicians...!he apparently was still willing to serve in any army position...This after the recent fiasco with General Raheels foreign job shows some problems probably at the level of the army chief...! He is i think one of the few Lt. Generals who has not headed a corp...a Lt general usually serves for four years with at least two years as a corp commander...and there is Amer Riaz who has been given his third corp...!!!sifarish and political connections...!!! while an abbasi has been made the head of the Navy...!and a Bajwa promoted to the key southern command of balochistan...!apparently he was close to the cobbler president and might be behind the current phase of the accountability...some suggest he also complained to the president about Bajwa's appointments who assured him of an appropriate position in due course...!
  
• Oct9-2017--retired Justice Javed Iqbal who is allama Iqbals son has been made the head of the NAB...given current trends and the Panama JIT's fast track investigation of the Nawaz Sharif family his reputation gained from the Abbottabad commission investigation might be extremely helpful as opposed to the slow moving do nothing armyman he replaces...!In the abbottabad commission he uncovered so much about the armies involvements that the report has never seen the light of day...!The opposition however is suspicious of his pro establishment attitude which only serves to help politicians in power...!
  
• Oct9-2017--Nawaz Sharifs son in law has been arrested by the accountability court on arrival from London while Maryam Safdar allowed to go home...Maryam accused the unknown perpretrator of her fathers accountability as revenge...The couple apparently could not afford to live in London while Nawaz Sharif will now tend to his wifes illness and may not return until January4 barring unforeseen circumstances...!