By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani Thursday lashed out at military generals who interfered in the political affairs.
The army has ruled Pakistan half of 60 years since the country has secured independence in 1947.
“The Armed Forces personnel belong to the people of Pakistan, and they always admire them and love them. But these feelings turn into disapproval and aversion, when they interfere in the political affairs of the state,” Gilani told top army generals at the National Defence University Islamabad.
“The nation had to pay a cost of the frequent military forays in politics. The price of this interference is enormous, which is equally paid by all stakeholders of the state,” the Prime Minister said.
Gilani said that the military rule is like a pyramid, with the military and its collaborators at the top of it.
“They get increasingly isolated from rest of the people, and are held responsible for all ills of the country.”
The Prime Minister said that the Military rule also brings about further polarization in the polity.
“New divisions are added to the existing divisions: between the civil and military bureaucracies; between those who collaborate with military rulers and those who oppose them; and the regions and minorities, who do not feel genuinely represented.”
“Consequently the military gets the blame, not only for the wrongs it committed, but also for those that it did not.”
He said the nation takes pride in its armed forces and it would like to see them confined to garrisons, preparing themselves for guarding the geographical frontiers of Pakistan; and combating external as well as internal threats under the civilian authority.
He regretted that a few amongst the military leadership, who made an unholy alliance with a class of Politicians, Bureaucracy, Judiciary and affluent members of the Civil society.
“This deadly alliance has not allowed the people of Pakistan to establish and consolidate a democratic structure,” Gilani said.