Corruption reigns because accountability is not credible. It is not credible because it doesn’t catch men in uniform the same way it catches civilians. Then even among the armed forces some sectors are less vulnerable to accountability than others. Some generals are allowed ‘time-out’ so that they can flee the country. Accountability in Pakistan has been problematic. Even after recovering hundreds of billions of rupees from the corrupt, NAB doesn't get full marks. The truth is that the yardstick does not apply uniformly. The armed forces seem to be exempt. Within them, the navy may say they have been targeted while the other arms have it easy. But the ‘principle’ of exemption has always been there. Writing in ‘Nawa-e-Waqt’ (9 May 2004), Major (Retd) Amir Afzal stated that General Fazle Haq was a Pashtun who had studied at Dehra Doon but took his commission at Kakul after 1947. He was clever but a completely dishonest man who exploited every occasion to his own advantage. He was from cavalry and was General Zia’s junior. Zia wanted to use him to tame the NWFP but Fazle Haq damaged the province by opposing Kalabagh Dam and spreading the Shia-Sunni conflict of Parachinar to the rest of the country. His brother General Fazle Raziq was WAPDA chief and failed to acquaint the Frontier people about the benefits of the Dam to them. Zia tried to send him as ambassador to the US but the US was too scared of his corruption. The US was more interested in General Ejaz Azim, another man from Zia’s unit.
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