COAS Assuring Fair Elections

A chance meeting between the CEC and the COAS in NADRA HQs is being projected by the media as a welcome gesture on the part of the COAS to have assured the CEC of army’s assistance in holding free and fair elections. I just don’t understand how the two can come to such an understanding all by themselves?  The normal institutionalised course of action should have been that the CEC should have moved the case to the PM who in a cabinet meeting would have asked the MINDEF to do the needful who in turn would have ordered the COAS to carry out a given task. As simple as that. Where does come in the assurances by the COAS or any kind of appreciation by CEC for the army rendering any assistance, for, it is just a task given to the army by the appropriate authority  and the army HAS to carry it out. 

Incidentally, the COAS cannot and should not use the army on the request of any govt. department/official unless ordered by the MINDEF or as allowed under the constitution such as by the Supreme Court.

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)