Centre of Gravity

The strong belief of the armed forces in their capabilities is the primary factor. The Pakistan Air Force amply demonstrated its response capabilities against India in February 2019. Pakistan’s mighty neighbour could do better as the leading nation in South Asia if it did not choose to remain a hostage in the hands of its hardliner and extremist political elite. It is a fact that India, a poor country by all other standards, has been recognized as South Asia’s largest arms importer for the last five years. The Sweden-based think-tank SIPRI has been reporting on this regularly. Even then, while Pakistan is a small country and has a limited defence budget, its strategic deterrence is credible enough.

The Pakistan Armed Forces, especially the army, have been playing a major role in nation-building. From helping the nation in natural calamaties such as floods, earthquakes, droughts and accidents like the air crash in Karachi, the armed forces have always been the first responders. Army jawans have been seen desilting canals, making roads and communication infrastructures, monitoring institutional performance, planting trees, providing drinking water and giving rations out of their allocated quota to needy people in far-flung areas. These duties are over and above their successful execution of the primary task of thwarting internal and external enemy threats.

The quality of the armed forces’ leadership is a central factor. The respective chiefs have declined their daily allowance, besides helping the federal government to generate funds from their already meagre salaries. Since 2019, there has been no increase in the officers’ salaries.

For Pakistan’s armed forces officers, ‘living within means’ is their first lesson, though the advice to them is also to maintain high standards of training and discipline. Austerity is something that is regularly practiced by them. The officers don’t have access to free food, electricity, gas or housing. They pay all bills before the 5th of every month. Maintaining good cars and keeping their military living quarters up to high standards is second nature to them as they don’t let themselves be seen below minimum officers’ standards. They may eat eggs at lunch or dinner but they do not compromise on their posture.

Their salaries are respectable enough for them to live within their means and maintain their minimum required standards. The United Nation’s Peace Keeping missions also select more than 50% of Pakistan Army personnel at least for a year’s secondment, depending on their service profile. These army officers and men earn emoluments from the UN in dollars and that supplements their incomes.

The long queues at the various armed forces recruitment centres reflect the passion of the nation’s youth for playing a role in defending the country and that is very encouraging despite the hard life they know they will have to face at every step of their military careers.

The Pakistan Armed Forces officers lead from the front. They don’t shy away from laying their lives for the motherland, no matter on what rank they are serving – from the lowest to the highest. The newly passing out officers from the military academies of the army, air force and navy are honoured to join units with a proud war record and long lists of shaheeds. At the same time, parents of shaheed officers express pride in the conduct of their offspring who laid down their lives for the country. Whether it’s an officer or a soldier, they always come forward to take the first bullet. It is also true that the armed forces are completely welfare-oriented for their martyred men and woman. The chiefs of the various armed forces take personal interest in the well-being of the families of shaheeds.

The selflessness of Pakistan’s armed forces makes them the most respected and trusted institution in Pakistan. No armed force can fight unless it has the backing and trust of the nation. This is what makes the armed forces of Pakistan a real center of gravity.