General in the Court

DG Rangers was shown entering the Supreme Courts of Pakistan along with the IG Sindh in the TV news. While the IG Police was in uniform the General was in a blazer, slacks, open collar shirt and without any headgear.  If he wore a scarf around the neck, that was not very visible. This was a strange sight, to say the least, for an old soldier.  Was the General coming to the Supreme Courts of Pakistan for an informal cup of tea with the Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan, or, was he on his way to some golf course? In deference to the Supreme Courts of Pakistan the decorum required that the General should have been properly dressed in uniform – preferably – the ceremonials with medals and honours bedecking his chest. How would the General salute the ‘chair; without the headgear, or would he also take the bow like the lawyers do while entering the court room?  Not only that, he was also walking slovenly in public totally devoid of the grace to be found in a general’s carriage and that speaks volumes about the state of his personal discipline and consequently of his command. 

Dear all in uniform, please carry yourselves with grace and dignity and if you cannot, stop wearing the uniform in public. Do not disgrace it please.  No wonder the army is losing the respect and love of the nation it enjoyed once.

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)