General Bajwa should take the responsibility for much of the political mess the country had witnessed of late. In fact, Bajwa is leaving the country deeply divided with Imran Khan stoking up political ire over the army at every given opportunity–rarely has been the most powerful institution in the country riddled with criticism and humiliation since the 1971 war … a special comment by Dr Sakariya Kareem
General Qamar Javed Bajwa is leaving a nation and its army divided, a division which he is equally responsible since he took over as the Chief of Army Staff in 2016. In his last address, Bajwa struck a confessional note by admitting that much of the public ire against the army was due to its political role. It could perhaps be a rare statement from a serving COAS of Pakistan, but it does not offer any confidence that the army has learnt any lessons from the recent months of turmoil and public humiliation. Bajwa’s own record is highly disappointing in this matter.
It was Bajwa, and his predecessor, Raheel Sharif, who conspired to bring Imran Khan to replace Nawaz Sharif. Sharif was literally hounded out of the country by Bajwa and his men. Bajwa was also instrumental in keeping afloat a hybrid regime run by Imran Khan till both of them fell out over many things, perhaps the most critical being the replacement of the ISI chief, Lt. General Syed Asim Munir. Munir is now the new COAS-select.
Imran Khan, in many ways, was the bogeyman created by Bajwa and his men and should therefore accept his responsibility in the muck which the army had to face in the past few months. Bajwa dodges the issue by putting the blame for `false narratives` on political parties, more so on Imran Khan and his party, PTI.
Bajwa’s singular failure has been to keep the army together on the most challenging task of safeguarding the force from public anger. Imran Khan’s twitter war had ransacked the military fortress to such an extent that a division among the Generals and other officers became public. Imran Khan had managed to elicit support from the military families in Punjab of all places. Bajwa had to employ all his experience and men to stem the tide of dissent among the rank and file.
Bajwa’s promise to let go of the army’s political obsession is hard to believe given its long history dating back to the Ayub Khan era. The history of Pakistan is littered with coups and failed coups. Of the 75 years of independence, almost 33 years Pakistan has been under the direct rule of Generals. For several more years, the army has been running the government from behind the scenes. Politics has been an integral part of the Pakistan Army. Bajwa has only promoted this aberration as much as other Generals. To turn around at the fag end of his career in the army is at best disingenuous.
Bajwa should take the responsibility for much of the political mess the country had witnessed of late. In fact, Bajwa is leaving the country deeply divided with Imran Khan stoking up political ire over the army at every given opportunity–rarely has been the most powerful institution in the country riddled with criticism and humiliation since the 1971 war.
It is not surprising that Bajwa mentioned the 71 war and called it a `political failure` and not a military failing, another claim which can easily be countered. There are countless narratives, most of them backed up by hard evidence, it was the greed, lust and inefficiency of Generals which led to the Pakistan Army’s ignominious defeat. There will be few takers for Bajwa’s claim of bravery even in Pakistan.
Bajwa’s exit, coming as it did with the news of ill gotten wealth his family members managed to create during his extended tenure, does not offer any hope but only a short pause to the Pakistan Army’s stranglehold over the country.
Gen Bajwa reportedly reached out to the US administration with a request for help in securing an early dispersal of a tranche of bailout package from the IMF, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that it was not the job of the country’s army chief to approach the US over the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal.
“If these reports are correct that (Chief of Army Staff) General Bajwa is seeking America’s help in getting IMF (loan) it means that the country is getting weaker,” The Express Tribune quoted Khan as saying during an interview with a local TV channel on Friday.
His statement comes as Gen Bajwa reached out to the US administration with a request for help in securing an early dispersal of a tranche of bailout package from the IMF in an effort to stabilise the dwindling economy of Pakistan.
According to security sources, the army chief spoke by phone with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman earlier this week, The Express Tribune reported.
They said Gen Bajwa made an appeal to the White House and the Treasury Department to push the IMF to immediately supply nearly $1.2 billion that Pakistan is due to receive under a resumed loan programme.
“If America helps us in the current situation, what will it demand in return for help? I fear that the security of the country will be weakened,” Khan remarked.
Commenting on the development, the former premier said the report implied that no one including the international community and people of the country has confidence in the coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Khan said the only way to steer the economy out of crisis and to reverse the “regime change operation” was to hold early and transparent elections.
The military establishment has realised that its hybrid experiment led by Khan has come a cropper, in the bargain discrediting the institution hugely.
‘Whisperers’ in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the country’s ruling party, have said that Prime Minister Imran Khan may target and even sack Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and appoint a senior non-controversial figure to take his side and bail him out, the Friday Times reported.
This is however, a very risky proposition.
In 1972, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto sacked the army and air force chiefs and got away with it only because he did it in a cloak and dagger manner when both forces were reeling in the aftermath of the Bangladesh crisis and war, said the Friday Times report.
But the Empire hit back in 1977 when his hand-picked army chief, General Zia ul Haq, sent him packing and later hanged him.
Nawaz Sharif sacked General Jehangir Karamat for a minor slip-up but General Pervez Musharraf repaid the institutional compliment in 1999 and made the former Prime Minister suffer for a decade.
This time round, if such a situation were to arise, there is no knowing how General Bajwa and his corps commanders will react.
But one thing is certain: the decision to become “neutral” in today’s charged political environment is an institutional Miltablishment decision and not a personal one, the report said.
There are powerful reasons for this stance. The military establishment has realised that its hybrid experiment led by Khan has come a cropper, in the bargain discrediting the institution hugely.
Now when the public mood is rabidly anti-PTI, as every survey of public opinion shows, it simply can’t afford to be seen to embrace Khan.
A significant number of PTI MNAs are not the only ones bolting to the Opposition’s stables.
The Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, who is reputed to be responsible for some bad advice and decisions, has hurriedly made plans to escape to safer pastures.
A number of special assistants, advisers and ministers were also readying to flee, claimed the Friday Times report.
The Opposition has now demonstrated an absolute majority of over 172 MNA votes to clinch a successful vote of no confidence against Khan’s PTI government.
