The Army has been an integral part of the Pakistan’s politics since Gen Ayub Khan’s time. The Army has overwhelming authority and power on the governance of Pakistan. So whether it’s Musharraf or Kayani, it will be no different. While analysing the situation, they see no threat from Afghanistan or from China the only threat to them is India. The army became powerful in Pakistan because of their anti- India Stand. Its basis for existence and the reason to have a large army is based on Anti-India premise. We have seen it over the years, whether It was during the ’47 war, the ’65 war, the ’71 war or recently the Kargil or Kashmir insurgency.

The ISI has been responsible for internal disharmony in India and who ever might be the COAS, the anti-India stance will remain. There will be no change in the situation. Internally, in Pakistan the new General will have to first solve the problem of Baluchistan and Waziristan as a large number of  troops have been deployed there. Gen Musharraf had control over the army and still has it, he had appointed Gen Kayani as his vice chief and theoretically has groomed him to take over as the COAS. In Pakistan, where the army is so strong, it is not possible for one man to be or work under someones diktat. A stage will come when he will have to be his own man and at that stage he will have his own agenda and dictate his own terms.

Due to his background as ISI chief, his stance is going to be Anti India. At some point there will be a dichotomy when the new Army Chief will dilute his commitment to Gen Musharraf personally. As he was also a special advisor to Ms. Benazir Bhutto, he will have his loyalty to her also. There will be a clash should his loyalty to Ms. Bhuto manifest itself.

Nothing changes the Antagonism towards India; there is no reason why we should give up our guard. We will have to watch what course he follows and what he does. The degree of antagonism remains to be seen.

There will be no softening or change in Pakistan Army’s stance towards India. In-fact we have to now adjust to the  reality of having a  COAS and Gen Musharraf as a politician and Supreme commander of the armed forces.

It is not possible for the Army Chief to be soft on India. None of the earlier chiefs have been so; Anti-Indian stance is bread right from the time a soldier is commissioned in the Army and over the years it grows. None of the Generals can be trusted, from Gen.Zia- ul- haq to Gen. Kiyani. It is like an old story in a new cover, we need to wait and watch till things shape up.

As far as India is concerned we are prepared and will have to be on our guard, but the new chief will directly not be able to give enough time to India as he will first focus on the issues on Baluchistan, Waziristan, Al Quida and internal insurgencies.

Our politicians do not understand the Army at all; the whole thing is based on how much money they are willing to give to defence forces. The politicians do not understand the need for continued preparedness for any eventuality and keep delaying our procurement and modernization indefinitely and things don’t happen.

In the past the DRDO had advised and had initiated the induction of Arjun in the Army. At that time there were too many deficiencies in performance which were considered and the committee was formed to look into them.

There were 40 points which needed improvement, few of them were related to its Hydro pneumatic Suspension, Fire control System, its width etc. Over the period there has been no rectifications and today its strategic mobility is very difficult and questionable.

Governments never address this problem and the effect is that the Army faces the consequences. The delay does affect the morale of the force and its operational readiness. No wonder we have had to import T-90 tanksin large numbers to be operationally ready. We should remember we are technologically fairly well advanced so much so our focus now is on network warefare and absorbing new technologies.

The political Apathy causes delay, what we need is when we have Five year plans we need to prioritise the allocation and on the basis of strategic analyses, allocate funds to Army, Navy and Air Force, accordingly.

The DRDO does not have a strong technological base and they still want to have technology to be indigenous; the problem is Indigenizing technology without updated Scientific base creates a delay.

MBT- Arjun is a disappointment; the tank is unlikely to be introduced in the Army in its present shape. As such it is a waste of national resources.

The concept of DRDO is flawed, the service conditions and terms does not induce top class scientists, and due to lack of technology they are not able to produce results. There have been projects which for years are still incomplete; we can no more afford such lackadaisical performances.

All developed nations have a separate department and a policy for veterans and ex-servicemen. In India it is high time we have a separate policy or Legislation for them.

The DGR only maintains their records and has a few quota of Security agencies and few officers take that up.

We need to equip them for second career and till date wherever they have been placed they have excelled.

We should have option of lateral entry into the paramilitary forces so that vacancies can be covered.

Today the trends have changed; young people are looking at corporate careers and by and large the youth from Moffusil towns are coming into the army. This inevitably takes its toll on the quality of intake – We could do with better quality of intake. Not withstanding this.

The standard of the training is such that they have been trained to take up any responsibility and always lead from front.

The morale is high in the Army as units draw their strengths and inspiration from the history of the units and its past glory. Leadership plays an important role to keep morale high and readiness to go into combat.

Today cases of suicide and Fratricide are there but they have to be seen in the context of the difficult situations they are operating and also the leadership they are under.

Today the young officers are leading from front and example of this was a large number of young officers’ casualties during the Kargil War.