As a former Khaki man for some years, and then civvies for most, one thing was and is quite clear. It is well nigh impossible for a person who hasn't done two years of PMA and several years or an entire military career in the Pakistan Army to understand even peripherally the psyche of the institution and it's members.
All that the so called military pundits in the civilian sphere have to go on are the 4 Martial Laws and the "dreaded" ISI to fill their columns, and their rhetoric.
Our Army and our officers and jawaans are much more than the politics of Martial law or the shenanigans of ISI, real or perceived.
We go through deprivations and pain and labor which no one can understand. We are away from our loved ones and spouses and children not for days or weeks or months but years. And for a pittance in financial terms. The vast majority of our officers and jawaans really have nothing.
And yes, we made these choices willingly and for our country.
Since 2004 the institution has defended the integrity of its country. Yes it's senior leaders in the past did make questionable and even catastrophically wrong choices, but to lambast and pillor the whole institution is an act of criminality and treason, at least in my eyes.
When I read or hear from the likes of Hussain Haqqani, Asma Gilani, Marvi Sirmed, Aqil Shah, Najam Sethi, et al and marvel at their intellectual brilliance, of which there is no doubt, I'm equally surprised at their pedestrian and extremely superficial treatment of the institution. And joined in this chorus by much less and poorly endowed but aspiring pseudo intellectuals, like Hamid Mir etc.
While I'm no blind lover of the Army, right or wrong, I do believe there is an insidious and very calculated move ( don't want to say conspiracy) supported by many main stream politicians, including Nawaz Sharif to weaken this institution, which is seen as the only bulwark or barrier to their unrestricted and unchallenged rule, loot, rape and plunder.
And if I may add the only institution which may be standing between efforts to denuke us.
While the ever intellectually endowed phoo phoo the denuke conspiracy as a ....well, figment of a hyperactive imagination...all that I've seen happen these last three decades in the Region, clearly indicates a desire to bring Pakistan to heel.
If I were the USA and India or represented the very right wing ultra conservative Israeli lobby lead by Netanyahu...the only thing keeping me up awake at night would be Pakistan's Nuclear Arsenal.
And I would do everything possible to remove this threat. So while direct ways are impossible, the only options available to me would to weaken institutions who stand in the way. In this case the Pakistan Army.
I would seek out pliant and anti Army national politicians who have a common interest in weakening that institution. I would then make the country economically hostage and eventually when all three ducks are in line, to go for the kill.
Weak Army.
Pliant political leadership.
Economic bankruptcy.
It's quite clear to me.
So hopefully someone's listening.