A promise by Pakistan’s outgoing army chief is met with cautious hope

In his final speech as head of Pakistan’s powerful military, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa publicly called for an end to the army’s seven decades of political meddling. 

Following a particularly tumultuous year for Pakistani politics, the beleaguered army chief, who retired earlier today after six years in office, made a point of assuring the public that the army had learned its lesson and would henceforth refrain from trying to influence the democratic process. “The army has started its catharsis,” he said in a farewell address last week, “and I hope our political parties will also take this opportunity to reflect on their behavior, because it’s a fact that every institution in Pakistan … has made