Senators hail COAS briefing as 'historic day for democracy, civil-military relations'

ISLAMABAD: Senators termed Chief of Army Staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa's briefing as a historic day for democracy and civil-military relations. 

On Tuesday, General Bajwa briefed the Senate Committee of the Whole House on national security matters.

The committee session, which lasted over four hours, was also attended by DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor, DG ISI Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar and DG Military Operations Major General Sahir Shamshad Mirza.

Mushahid Hussain 

Senator Mushahid Hussain said the briefing was a “historic day for democracy and civil-military relations in Pakistan".

He added that it was the first time that such an open and detailed briefing was given to the upper house of parliament. 

"Everyone is very satisfied with the COAS briefing. This is a very good thing for civil-military relations. The confusion created by the current situation has been cleared," said the Senator. 

Farooq Naek 

PPP leader and Senator Farooq Naek also praised the briefing given by the army chief.  "This is the first time that such a detailed briefing was given and it lasted for five hours."

He added that all Senators presented questions which were answered by the army chief in detail," said Naik. 

The lawmaker further said that the DG ISI had accompanied the General Bajwa and he "intelligently interjected wherever there was a need".

Naek said he felt the discussion was held in a pleasant atmosphere and a lot of things were cleared. 

Pervaiz Rasheed

PML-N Senator Pervaiz Rasheed, commenting on General Bajwa’s briefing to the Senate, said that ‘both sides’ talked ‘very openly’, asked questions, and presented their stance.

“The best part about the Senate briefing was that a state institution believes it is answerable to the public’s elected representatives, and it responded to the questions that public representatives had,” Rasheed said.

“This is a good precedent in Pakistan, and it will reaffirm the public’s belief in democracy,” Senator Rasheed said. “It will portray Pakistan’s image as a civil society and a democratic country where all leaders of state institutions hold themselves accountable to public representatives.”

Asif Kirmani

PML-N Senator Asif Kirmani said that the ‘informative briefing’ was a very important step from both, the Senate and Army’s end.

“It was the first time in the Senate’s parliamentary history that the COAS gave a briefing [to the house],” Kirmani said. “The briefing has clearly made us more aware of matters and helped us with understanding matters [pertaining to national security].”

Nehal Hashmi

Following the COAS' briefing, PML-N’s Senator Nehal Hashmi told the media that the briefing had ‘clarified many things [to Senators.]’

“The army chief said that there is no room for a presidential system, because not only does it weakens a country, it also gives way to dangerous polarization.”

Hashmi further said that General Bajwa, in his briefing to the Senate, said that the army is ‘subservient’ and ‘answerable to the public’, and the institution has to act according to the law.

“He [COAS] said that forming defence and foreign office policies are the job of lawmakers, and [when pertinent] implementation and accountability is the army's job,” Hashmi said.

The senator further stated that General Bajwa refuted rumours of the army lending any support to the protesters during the recent Faizabad sit-in.

“The army chief said that he will resign if it is proven that the army was supporting the Faizabad sit-in,” Hashmi said. “The point that he stressed on the most was that there should only be one Pakistan.”