DAMNED IF I DO, DAMNED IF I DON’T.
DILEMMA FACING PAKISTANI ARMY Dilemma For Pakistani Army To take over and impose martial law or not.
Conditions in Pakistan are nearing anarchy. * Country is becoming ungovernable. Reputation of the Pakistani army is under severe attack, especially after the revelations of General Bajwa’s immense wealth. The present Army Chief General Asif Muneer does not appear to be a popular figure and lacks the charisma of his more flamboyant predecessors.
Pakistani Army had deposed elected governments more than once earlier and ruled Pakistan for over fifty years, unquestioned. In the earlier instances it was supported and even welcomed by the Pakistani public. The dictatorial regimes of Generals Ayub Khan, Zia Ul Haq, Yahya Khan, Musharraf etc. were also supported by USA, NATO, Arab nations, and China (even India) unquestioningly.
Today the public opinion in Pakistan appears to be divided, Imran Khan appears to be an alternative in the present chaotic situation. There is division within the army itself, as also the bureaucracy and the administration.
WHY IS PAKISTANI ARMY SCARED TO HOLD ELECTIONS?
IF there is an election, Imran Khan is bound to get elected. He with his mass support, will begin targeting Pakistani army and divest it of its powers and businesses. Pakistani army believes that Imran will break the army stranglehold on Pakistan and revive the idea of civilian supremacy. This is completely unacceptable to the parasitic army living off the toil of Pakistani Public for seven decades.
*” Veteran journalist Zarrar Khuhro views the present scenario as the worst that he has seen over decades. In an interview he talks of Pakistan facing not one or two but as many as five crises, from security, economic, political, constitutional to the decay of institutions which are “discredited and divided “.
Army Civil Relationship in Pakistan
General Asim Muneer is the Chief of Pakistani Army, which owns Pakistan.
Late General Musharraf presented himself as CEO, of a corporation, (‘Military Incorporated’ as cynically termed by Ayesha Siddiqa).
It is no secret that Pakistani army considers itself as the custodian of not only the state of Pakistan but also its religiosity and its cultural heritage. It dominates and holds sway in every sphere of Pakistani existence, from farming, power generation, to business and property development. It ‘manages’ elections, appoints presidents and Prime ministers, forms governments and dissolves them at will.
An upstart politician is questioning Pakistani Army’s stranglehold today. Imran Khan was on the side-lines of Pakistani politics, which was dominated by Bhuttos and Sharifs, of course with the blessings of the army. When army thought that these two families were getting arrogant and had dangerous ideas of replacing the army as the dominant power with civilian supremacy, they were pushed aside, and Imran Khan was selected to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan in A
However, within a matter of a year or two Imran Khan started getting delusions of power and tried to interfere and influence selections to sensitive appointments like the chief of ISI and even the chief of Pakistani army. Imran khan had entered dangerous grounds. General Bajwa, the head of Pakistani army decided that Imran Khan was becoming troublesome. So, Imran, who the army had elevated to Prime Minister three years earlier was eased out, and a more pliant Sharif family member Shahbaz Sharif, was brought in as replacement in 2022 to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Imran khan was not the first to be shunted out by the army, which had installed and replaced over twenty prime ministers earlier.
While the earlier incumbents had moved out of the way quietly, even out of the country fearing the wrath of the army, Imran is proving to be a massive headache (for the Pakistani Army).
WHY IMRAN KHAN WILL WIN THE ELECTIONS
Much to the chagrin and discomfort of the army and the Shahbaz Sharif government, there is a ground swell support for him and if an election is held soon Imran Khan will win it easily.
Imran Khan has been leading thousands to Islamabad, seeking fresh elections after being ousted from office in April this year (AFP)
Imran Khan has managed to paint himself as a victim of oppression suppression and manipulations by General Bajwa and the USA. he presents himself as an Islamic come to wage Jihad and turn Pakistan into a ‘Madina’, considered to be an ideal state by Muslims. Since his overthrow, Imran Khan has been relentless in his bid to rouse the masses of Pakistan against the army, the Sharifs, and the USA. He is succeeding,
Pakistan is in a dire economic situation today, and Imran Khan is blaming Gen Bajwa, Shahbaz Sharif for the raging inflation, scarcity of food grains, and terrorist threats from TTP and Taliban.
Imran khan has managed to gather vast mobs in his protests the military and the government. He has influence in the bureaucracy and even in the Supreme Court of Pakistan which has suo-moto taken up political issues and ordered those elections be held the earliest.
Imran Khan has been leading thousands to Islamabad, seeking fresh elections after being ousted from office in April this year (AFP)
Imran Khan can gather vast crowds in major cities of Lahore and Karachi, criticise army chiefs openly, (unimaginable and unheard of earlier) and demand early elections. He makes open threats and calls for disruption of normal life and dissolution of the governments in Punjab and FATA. Imran is mouthing the language of religious extremism to gain support of the clergy and a gullible public weaned on Islamic fundamentalism.
People jostle to buy subsidized sacks of wheat-flour from a sale point in Quetta, last week.
People are suffering from recent price hike in wheat-flour in Pakistand sugar. Inflation has shot up prices beyond 50%, the exchange rate for dollar yesterday was around Pk Rs 270/-
Auto manufacturers and mobile companies are closing for lack of imported parts and the Chinese are walking out of projects. IMF is playing hard to get and even Arab nations are reluctant to bail out a near bankrupt Pakistan.
Terrorist groups formed, organized, trained, and funded by Pakistani army like the Taliban and its appendage the Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan, are carrying out bombings and killings daily, especially in FATA, Karachi and even in Lahore. Terrorist gangs have banded together across the country. Police and even the army are unable to tackle the menace of home-grown terrorists.
MARTIAL LAW OR IMRAN KHAN: NO QUALITATIVE DIFFERENCE TO INDIA
INDIA is used to dealing with an army ruled Pakistan. Pakistani army owns Pakistan elections in Pakistan are a farce, and the institution of a civilian government is only a façade.
There will be no changes in its approach to India or the world. Pakistani army has not learnt from its past errors, which have led to the dire economic situation and isolation in the world community, with even the fellow Arabic Muslim countries not willing to support its profligacy and adventurous ways.
Modi government has managed to alert the world community to accept the fact that Pakistan with its indulgent attitude to terrorist organisations is a universal menace.
IMRAN KHAN with his massive ego is out to take revenge on the Pakistani army which according to him kicked him out from the chair of the Prime Minister.
Imran Khan is a fundamentalist, antagonized USA, and even the friendly China when he was the Prime Minister.
His actions as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, and his subsequent speeches in public demonstrate his outright antagonism to India and worse, his love for the terrorist groups, from Taliban to TTP, to Jaish e Mohammad to Labbaiks, and Lashkar e Tayyaba.
The recent terrorist incident in Poonch, that resulted in killing of five Indian army Jawans indicates that irrespective of its internal troubles, Pakistan will continue with its belligerence and hatred for India.
India cannot let down its guard and needs to protect itself from a predatory Pakistan irrespective of who comes to wield power.
Originally published at https://colrama-25860.medium.com on April 30, 2023.