An unsavoury controversy

The surfacing of a news of the allotment of 90 acres of land, two years ago, to the former army chief, General Raheel Sharif, in Lahore's Bedian Road area has generated a specious controversy in the media drawing an harsh overreaction from the ISPR spokesman. He is right insofar as he pointed out that the allotment was made under the same constitutional provisions and government/army procedures through which land is allotted to other army officers and soldiers. The issue at hand therefore should not be the person of former CoAS, but an inequitable law. The relevant constitutional provision and government procedures need to be revisited with a view to making necessary amends.
It is perfectly understandable when land and monetary rewards are given to officers and men for showing extraordinary courage and bravery on the battlefield. But the practice of making substantial agricultural land allotments makes little sense. The fact is that not everyone is interested in agriculture. More often than not, the land thus awarded is either sold or put to uses other than the one intended. Similarly, handing out multiple residential and commercial plots in addition to a post-retirement house to senior military and civilian officers is unfair. One residential plot commensurate with an officer's grade ought to be good enough. It should not be surprising if the present practice causes heartburn among people who render service in different fields of national endeavour and never get a single place they can call their own home.
While it is wrong to subject an individual for unmerited criticism, it is equally wrong to attribute dishonest intentions to the critics. The ISPR spokesman did not help his cause when he said the 'debate' surrounding allotment of agricultural land to General Sharif has the "potential to create misunderstanding between State institutions thus considered detrimental to existing cohesion." The remarks are uncalled for. It is about time all institutions get used to a democratic culture in which there are no holy cows. The media and civil society are within their rights to highlight real or perceived faults wherever they see them. Any fallacious claim can, and should, be countered through civilized discussions.