In a candid address to students from various public and private sector universities, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Syed Asim Munir urged the youth of the country to carefully elect their future representatives in the upcoming elections, scheduled for February 8.
General Munir emphasized the importance of making choices based on merit rather than succumbing to the influence of money or propaganda, expressing concerns about the impact of social media on political decision-making, referring to it as “vicious media.”
“Researching the news on social media is critical. Without research and positive thinking, a society remains in chaos,” the army chief remarked.
The COAS stressed the importance of holding elected officials accountable and ensuring that incompetent individuals are not chosen to represent the people.
“Elections will be held on February 8. People should carefully choose their representatives without selling their votes for Rs5,000.”
He questioned the idea that a five-year constitutional term should give political governments the license to misgovern for the entire duration, emphasizing the need for continuous accountability.
Addressing a question about the instability of political governments completing their five-year terms, General Munir questioned the actions of a dislodged political party that chose to resign from parliament and take to the streets.
“Should political parties be allowed to break Pakistan? Should people keep waiting for the end of the five-year term?” he asked in response to a question about the inability of political governments in the country to complete their five-year terms.
Without naming the PTI, the military chief said: “If a government was dislodged by the majority members of the National Assembly through constitutional means, then why did it become an issue?”
Discussing the role of social media, General Munir warned against blindly believing content and encouraged the youth to conduct thorough research before forming opinions. He described social media as a source of chaos and divisions in society, with a high level of inaccuracy.
“Governance cannot be performed virtually. It has to be performed on the ground. So do not make your decisions based on a six-inch mobile screen,” he advised.
Touching on the Westernization of society, the COAS reminded the youth about the reasons behind the creation of Pakistan and cautioned against blindly adopting Western civilization.
“If we want to adopt Western civilization, then why did we get rid of Hindu civilization?” he questioned while urging the country’s youth not to blindly follow the West.
He advised young people to build character for the good of society. “You have earned your degrees, now it is time to build your character.” He said people want governance of Hazrat Umar’s era, but they do not have the character of that era.
General Munir addressed concerns about brain drain from Pakistan, urging youngsters to strike a balance between materialism and progression. He emphasized the importance of not leaving the country permanently if one chooses to migrate, discouraging individuals from returning solely for opportunities.
Highlighting the army’s contribution to the nation, General Munir mentioned that the military is the highest taxpayer in Pakistan, with half of its budget going back to the government in the form of various taxes
“With the rest of the half, we run our affairs, and you will not find any army in the world running at such a low budget,” he said.
The COAS said the military does not get any grant from the government for the Combined Military Hospitals (CMH) and the Defense Housing Authority (DHA). Some people criticize the CMH and the DHA but want to be treated in the military hospitals and live in the DHAs, he said.
He said Pakistan has $10 trillion worth of reserves in the shape of mines, minerals, and rare earth metals, compared to just $128 billion in foreign debt. He said these resources would be augmented by the Green Pakistan Initiative–a military-run project to end the country’s reliance on imported food and make it self-sustainable.
The cotton production this year increased to 13 million bales from last year’s 5 million bales, while the rice production has also doubled, he added. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar also attended the youth conference.
