The Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s doctrine is mostly focusing on the country’s security both inside from the terrorist activities as well as the relations with the neighboring nations especially Afghanistan and India.

As most of the narration from his doctrine is about peaceful co-existence. But the harsher point that has come and made the democratic forces suspicious about the doctrine is the country’s well known 18th amendment. The amendment that let the provinces to have more share in the federal cake and gave several subjects to have control of which were earlier held as concurrent list. And it was seen by all political parties and the provinces as a move of positivity for a more prosperous and democratic federation of Pakistan.

As noted by one of the senior journalist Suhail Warraich in the News International as “The general feeling in the establishment is that 18th Amendment has become a major cause of unbalance between Federation and the provinces”.

The stance by General Bajwa is criticized by nationalists of different provinces who see any move against the consensus of the country’s masses in the form of 18th amendment would be violation of the constitution. And the unprofessional act of the army general.

Though, provinces other than Punjab are having a longer history of controversy with the center as more than 50 percent of the federal revenue goes to the most populated province and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan would cry over their share in federal cake pie but lesser in return.

The earlier government led by Pakistan Peoples Party in coalition with its partners Awami National Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pakistan Muslim League (Qaid e Azam) in collaboration with the opposition parties were able for the first time to have a formula for the country’s resources division and power of rule to the provinces.

“The doctrine will be happy to do away with 18th Amendment to which it sees more dangerous than six points of Sheikh Mujeeb”, reads the piece about the Amendment in connection to the earlier split of Pakistan into two different entities as current Pakistan and East Pakistan became Bangladesh.

The noises in parliament and the TV channels pushed the Intern Services Public Relations Director General Asif Ghafoor to state that the General Bajwa doctrine is related to “security” means alone while referring to the 18th Amendment mention.

Security with the neighbors:

Though General Bajwa has mentioned to remain peaceful with the neighboring countries especially with Afghanistan where on one hand he’s mentioned that the “strategic depth” has no existence anymore on the other hand it is his doctrine that is escalating the boundary work on the Durand Line which is neither approved by Afghans in Afghanistan and the historical Afghans across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) since the day first of creation of Pakistan.

Afghanistan on the other hand has mentioned that they have no issue with the elected government of Pakistan but the “army establishment” that is giving support and sanctuaries to the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network and other banned organizations that are actively attacking the civilians in Afghanistan. This prove that part of the doctrine peace with the neighbors is at least have not bear fruit toward Afghanistan. Same happens with India where Line of Control is faced by cross border shelling and also with Iran in the west of the country.

Economy and Politics:

The economy of the country is not a subject that should be dealt by the elected government and its ministry for finance. Though Bajwa’s doctrine controversy with Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) federal minister Ishaq Dar’s vision were earlier criticized and government was warned in an indirect mean for the fiscal issues faced by the country.

This may be owing to the required budget for the Army in a time when Pakistan’s faced by the American pressure which shunned security and other aids to the country after the American President Donald Trump tweeted that Pakistan was given 33 billion dollar without any result for keeping peace in the region.

The peace vow and professionalism:

The moves for peace at home in eradicating terrorism and keeping peace with neighbors will no doubt ease tension for the country both at home and within the International Community. And General Bajwa’s no interest in taking forceful rule and becoming a dictator as earlier Chief of Army Staff generals are good signs. But would hard to believe in a time when elected government has mentioned that the powerful institution, referring to army, should remain in its circle defined by the constitution.