India, Nov. 22 -- The 1980s were the infamous years of Gen Zia-ul-Haq's murky cold war machinations in Afghanistan and the "shariasation" of Pakistan that muddied the cultural air of the Pakistani military for posterity. After Gen Zia's mysterious death in an air crash, his bete noire, Gen Mirza Aslam Beg, took over the Pakistani Army and was dutifully accused by Gen Zia's son, Ijaz-ul-Haq, of being complicit in the conspiracy to kill his father. It was only after this successively controversial Chief of Army that the Pakistani military got a rare professional at the helm of affairs in the form of Gen Asif Nawaz Janjua.

The thoroughbred and third generation soldier from fifth Punjab Regiment (Sherdils), Gen Janjua was trained at the Roya...