The three-time former prime minister said that improving ties with India, Afghanistan, and Iran, and strengthening ties with China was on his party Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N)’s agenda…reports Asian Lite News
Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif has stressed on repairing diplomatic ties with neighbouring nations, including India, Afghanistan and Iran, saying that Islamabad’s global credibility hinged on amicable relations with nations the country shared borders with, local media reported.
He said a country cannot expect to be taken seriously on a global stage if neighbouring countries are upset with it, The Express Tribune reported.
The three-time former prime minister said that improving ties with India, Afghanistan, and Iran, and strengthening ties with China was on his party Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N)’s agenda.
Recalling the events of 1999, he said his government opposed the Kargil war, noting that subsequent hindsight validated that he was right and just in taking that stance, The Express Tribune reported.
Clarifying that their stance during Kargil was not a sign of weakness, he emphasised that when it comes to matters of national interest and security, they’ve not shied away from tough decisions in the past, such as conducting atomic tests despite unsettling world powers, to make Pakistan invincible.
Making a generic statement, the former prime minister said that those responsible for the country’s current state ought to face accountability. However, unlike his previous address on Friday, he stayed clear from taking names, leading many to interpret this as a return to his initial stance on accountability. This address dispelled that aforesaid impression.
Sharif, who was all praises for his own tenure, said that Pakistan was progressing socially and financially under his rules till 2017, when development was at its peak. He lamented a shift in trajectory post-2017, describing a downturn in the country’s fortunes, The Express Tribune reported.
Relations between him and the army soured during his later years in office. Not just because of he was embroiled in a controversy over what was known as Panama Papers and faced corruption charges but because the real rulers of Pakistan thought he was abandoning the traditional anti-India hardline as a recipe for tackling some of the chronic economic problems of the country … writes Rama Rao Malladi
Three-time prime minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif has just returned home amidst rumours that he might achieve a rare first: become the first Pakistani to win a fourth term in the ballot on February 8, 2024. For the past four years, he was in ‘self-exile’ in London, which was facilitated by the all-powerful military establishment at the behest of his younger brother, the resourceful Shehbaz Sharif.
The Sharif brothers, particularly the Mian saheb, as Nawaz is known, know that anybody who takes control of the country now will have a very tough time dealing with a failed economy, Taliban menace, and restive population. With all the money that the likes of China and Saudi Arabia are pumping in, it will be years before Pakistan’s scrip sees the sunlight.
Like his predecessors of all hues – democrats and dictators, Miansaheb knows that the relentless pursuit of anti-India policy has failed to produce the results Pakistan wanted.
The terrorists, particularly, the so-called Good Taliban, nurtured by the GHQ and its eyes and ears, ISI, have turned towards their patrons. This is amply evident from the Nov 4 attack on the Mianwali Training Air Base of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and the swoop on the same day in Balochistan (on Gwadar port city fancied by the Chinese as their very own) and in the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan (in Dera Ismail Khan, to be precise).
The caretaker regime, which is executing the Army plan for political re-engineering and economic rejuvenation, has managed to anger its friendly neighbour, the one that was supposed to provide it with the comfort of ‘strategic depth’ beyond the Durand Line the British era border that divides Pakistan and Afghanistan.
No Pakistani utters the phrase ‘strategic depth’ any longer; Well, every Pakistani from the mighty Generals to the man in the street- is now embarrassed to realize how foolishly Islamabad – Rawalpindi combine has been acting as the leading votary for global recognition of the Taliban regime.
Millions of Afghan refugees who had escaped from the brutalities of the Taliban are being forced back into Afghanistan—not only against their own wishes but even of Kabul, which is extremely angry over Pakistani unilateralism. Against this backdrop, Pakistan cannot hope to get respite from the cross-border attacks. The much-publicized refugee eviction carries not the imprint of the Foreign Office but of the Army headquarters, which, as a commentator says, thinks through its berets and khaki shoes.
As pointed out, the military establishment cannot escape blame for the mess. Its penchant to run from behind as Big Brother is not a new development. But this time around, under Chief, General Syed Asim Munir, the Army is mostly on the direct line of action to the dismay of old-timers.
The present caretaker Prime Minister, Anwaar ul Haq Kakar is a Pushtun from Balochistan, and is the choice of the army.
Army chiefs and Corps Commanders are dictating the course of the economy as members of a newly formed quasi-military forum which is nominally headed by the Prime Minister.
Usually, the ‘neutral’ temporary government functions for three months by which time general elections are to be held.
Yet, under the pretext of completing delimitation of constituencies, the polls were pushed initially indefinitely. Big noise by political parties and the vigilantism of the Supreme Court made the poll body to opt for a Feb 8 ballot.
All this and much more, has made Nawaz Sharif’s face a hurdle race, literally. He has to first clear the disqualification bar and then get clearance in the pending graft cases. It is only then, that Nawaz, the campaigner can enter the poll fray.
Nawaz’s beta noire, Imran Khan also faces similar handicaps on his way to realising the dream of having sway over whatever he surveys from his sprawling Bani Gala estate in Islamabad. While whether Imran Khan would be allowed to enter the fray is still unclear, his incarceration does not seem to be making much difference in his popularity sweepstakes. And the poll results will not be adversely affected even if Imran is not allowed to contest, as is very likely.
If Nawaz Sharif indeed succeeds in taking over the reins once again, he will have completed a unique roller coaster ride in the topsy-turvy politics of the land that was carved out of British India as home to the Muslims of the subcontinent seven decades ago. He became prime minister for the first time in 1990. It was a feat blessed by the army – the chief minister of Punjab (Pakistan) was promoted to the prime minister of the country.
His second innings began in 1993 and lasted for about three years. He returned in 1997 and this time he was ousted by the military dictator Gen Pervez Musharraf in 1999. In fact, a remarkable thing about his three tenures as prime minister was that on each occasion, he failed to complete the five-year term.
Relations between him and the army soured during his later years in office. Not just because he was embroiled in a controversy over what was known as the Panama Papers and faced corruption charges but because the real rulers of Pakistan thought he was abandoning the traditional anti-India hardline as a recipe for tackling some of the chronic economic problems of the country.
The courts awarded him a jail sentence and he was disqualified from holding any public office. That was in 2011. It appeared Sharif, the politician had run his course.
His one-time benefactor, the army, appeared reluctant to bail him out but the GHQ did help, maybe without knowing how it would play out when it facilitated imprisoned Sharif’s shift to London for medical treatment.
He was expected to return to the jail after the treatment was completed but somehow, the treatment in London never seemed to end and Sharif stayed on. Rest is history as the saying goes.
The turn of events in the past month shows luck has not deserted Nawaz, at least as yet. The mighty Khakis have developed an aversion towards their one-time blue-eyed boy, Imran Khan. The former Pakistani cricket idol had assumed that by virtue of his vast popularity, he did not have to take orders from GHQ. He built himself as pro-Islamist and anti-West and pandered to the fundamentalists.
Imran’s interference in some top army transfers and postings infuriated the Generals. An issue that became a cause celebre was his opposition to the general appointed as the ISI director by the then chief of army staff. As well as his open tirade against General Qamar Bajwa, who had installed him as PM after sacking Nawaz.
The general Imran Khan had opposed is now the chief of the army staff. He is in a position to play with the political career of Imran Khan and that for sure would not be to the latter’s liking. Undoubtedly, the Pakistan Army has also lost the “geostrategic heft” it enjoyed with the West in “controlling and directing” the Taliban. The Cipher Gate, perpetuated by the Imran regime made relations with the US messier.
As a commentator says, “The open praise for the Taliban for its role in ‘countering international terror groups’ in Afghanistan by US President Joe Biden can be said to have eroded the Pak army’s exalted position in counter-terrorism interests of the West in the region”.
Nonetheless, China has not given up its stake in the wellbeing of the Pak Army since Beijing is extending its Belt and Road Initiative into Afghanistan from the land of the pure. China was not happy with Bajwa sacking Nawaz in 2017 and favouring Imran in the 2018 elections. Put simply, Nawaz has every reason to sport a smile. For how long is a question that will be debated over cups of Chinese tea? Any doubt?
(The writer is a Delhi-based journalist and commentator)
The two also discussed the distribution of party tickets, election narrative and matters related to addressing grievances of the Pakistan People’s Party and other coalition partners…reports Asian Lite News
Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday met PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in Lahore, the two discussed Pakistan’s political situation and legal affairs, ARY News reported, citing sources.
The two also discussed the distribution of party tickets, election narrative and matters related to addressing grievances of the Pakistan People’s Party and other coalition partners, sources said.
The meeting was also attended by PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz and Salman Shehbaz.
On October 31, Nawaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting of the PML-N in Jati Umra.
The meeting at PML-N supremo’s Raiwind residence was attended by Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Hamza Shehbaz, Ishaq Dar and others, party sources said.
The PML-N meeting discussed initiating contacts with the other political parties in the country, as per ARY News.
Earlier, Nawaz Sharif lamented how Pakistan’s economy is in dire straits with very high inflation, dangerously low foreign exchange reserves and vowed to redirect the country on the path of growth, Pakistan-based Dawn newspaper reported.
Nawaz compared how flour, petrol cost way higher today than when he was in power. “Was I ousted for this reason? What is this decision? You are the public, you tell, do you agree with this decision?”
He said that if Pakistan was run on his 1990 economic model, “not a single person would have been unemployed, there would be nothing like poverty […] but today, the condition is so bad that one has to think if they can feed their children or pay electricity bills”.
The PML-N supremo made the remarks while addressing a massive crowd of supporters at the Minar-e-Pakistan rally in Lahore.
Nawaz clarified that these tough economic conditions weren’t created during the Shehbaz Sharif-led government but traced back to a long time.
The PML-N supremo also waved two copies of electricity bills which he claimed were from his tenure and after he was ousted. “Do you remember how dharnas were held? But we kept doing our work.”
While addressing his supporters, Nawaz said, “I am meeting you today after several years, but my relationship of love with you is the same. There is no difference in this relationship,” he said. “The love I am seeing in your eyes, I am proud of it.”
He said he never betrayed his supporter nor did he shy from any kind of sacrifice. He recalled how fake cases were framed against him and his party leaders. “But no one abandoned the PML-N flag.”
Nawaz Sharif reached Lahore on October 21 after spending four years in self-imposed exile. Sharif landed in Minar-e-Pakistan, Lahore in the same helicopter that was used by incarcerated former PM Imran Khan for his political campaigns, SAMAA TV reported. (ANI)
During the 16-months’ tenure of Shehbaz’s PMship, the PML-N saw several party leaders, majority of them Punjab veterans, turning to London for their grievances to be heard. It led to the party touching its lowest ebb of popularity in Punjab since Nawaz Sharif’s entry into politics under General Zia-ul-Haq’s tutelage in 1980’s, writes Mohammed Anas
Despite having been given a favourable pitch for the final political innings of his life, the “reconciled” return of former Prime Minister Mian Mohammed Nawaz Sharif is not appearing changa (okay). The problem for the establishment (military), his party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), its immediate coalition partners like Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazal, the judiciary, and above it all for Punjab, his home state, is the same – his return.
First complex web that Sharif’s return has woven is around Sharifs – his clan. He has to decide on his succession. Then, who will be next – his daughter Maryam Nawaz or brother Shehbaz Sharif (and after him possibly his son Hamza).
A senior N-leaguer told the Dawn that Sharif is old and thinking about his legacy. “He is the senior-most statesman in the country. He is now at a point where he would be thinking about his legacy. He will want to think of some kind of grand reconciliation, to put the country back on track,” he said, hinting that both the Sharif family and their party will soon undergo leadership changes.
The average age of senior N-league leaders is above 70 and most of them are eager to adjust their next generation into politics.
There are rumours of Maryam Nawaz being primed for the position of deputy prime minister. In case, the family feud ensues, this position may go to Shehbaz. However, Shehbaz’s fortune, say PML-N insiders, depends on how the party fares in Punjab. Then, there will be the coveted chair of Punjab chief minister.
Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif
Recently, the party was reported to be trailing way behind PTI in opinion polls. However, reports after Sharif’s return say that it is recovering.
During the 16-months’ tenure of Shehbaz’s PMship, the PML-N saw several party leaders, majority of them Punjab veterans, turning to London for their grievances to be heard. It led to the party touching its lowest ebb of popularity in Punjab since Nawaz Sharif’s entry into politics under General Zia-ul-Haq’s tutelage in 1980’s.
“Midterm elections, public opinion polls, on-street sentiments and the responses to the PML-N’s calls for public gatherings all point towards the League grappling with an unprecedented decline in popularity,” wrote Zaigham Khan in Dawn, while taking stock of the PML-N’s status of affairs after Sharif’s return.
The PML-N’s decline came about despite the ground being cleared after the castle of Imran Khan’s PTI crumbled leader by leader and arrest by arrest. The PML-N in fact ended up ceding ground to PTI that is still enjoying widespread acceptance, especially among youths – 18 million youths became new voters in 2018 polls and after the new Census, around 21 million youth voters are said to have been added in the voter lists for 2024 elections.
N-leaguers say that they asked Shehbaz again and again to call elections last summer when chips of PTI were down, and the politics was not complex, and there were other reasons.
However, Shehbaz was either too busy to steady the stumbling economy or confined to the comfort of his administration-savvy image that he lost track of the party. The reports of rift between him and Maryam were routine and many a time both had to clarify that “all was well” between them.
Shehbaz Sharif, who became PM in senior Sharif’s absence, is also the chief of the PML-N.
“Both the elder Sharif and his daughter Maryam are striving not to take ownership of the party’s rule under Shehbaz,” wrote Zaigham.
The best thing for the PML-N, Zaigham says, has been that Imran Khan is behind the bars and “his party is encountering difficulties similar to what Sharif and the PML-N faced after being ousted by Musharraf in 1999”. The only difference is that while PML-N then had withered and Musharraf was able to cobble up PML-Quaid led by Chaudhry brothers (Pervaiz Elahi and Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain) and other Punjab politicians.
Imran’s PTI has maintained its popularity and it is unnerving the PML-N.
Sharif’s return actually is being promoted by the PML-N as the solution to the gloom that pervades in the country and to fill the cracks in the party.
Nawaz Sharif’s return will certainly help restore some confidence to the party rank and file, but, the freshness of bayaniya (narrative) to reinvigorate Pakistanis and N-leaguers seems missing.
Pakistani commentators, both from English and Urdu press, are severely apprehensive of Sharif generating any enthusiasm in serious Pakistanis.
“It is not clear whether he would be able to mobilise mass support in the changing political and social environment, despite the establishment’s tacit support and the planned elimination of the PTI from the electoral scene. The prospect appears bleaker with the disastrous performance of the PML-N-led coalition government that stepped down in August to make way for the caretaker set-up,” said Zahid Hussain, a senior columnist-writer.
Hussain even doubts PML-N’s ability to pave ground for itself on its own.
“It will be difficult for the party to go into elections without fresh ideas or a concrete programme to help it win back the support of its erstwhile political power base. Nawaz Sharif’s speech on his return was full of rhetoric, extolling his previous government’s performance, which remains questionable,” said senior Pakistani commentator Zahid Hussain.
It is becoming increasingly clear that the PML-N leadership is not willing to change itself to make the party relevant to the fast-changing political and social dynamics of the country, added Hussain. “The increasing stranglehold of the Sharif family over the party is also a serious impediment to broadening the PML-N’s political base,” he said.
The poor prospects of the PML-N may force the Pakistani establishment to postpone the elections which are set for late January. “Any major party at least requires a minimum 45 days of poll campaign to arrive at the threshold of the victory. The PML-N doesn’t appear to be such a party, at least as of now. Thus, the election dates may be postponed to February or even to March. However, the dates have reportedly been decided and that is January 28,” said Rasheed.
Rasheed says the road to the throne of Pakistan goes through Punjab. “Sharifs have to first win in Punjab and then rule from Islamabad. Punjab (PML-N in Punjab) is the tangle for them, and the time is ticking,” he said in his Facebook broadcast.
Rasheed also hinted towards an interesting development. Without naming his sources, he said that the changing international political scene due to ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict may also play a part in deciding political dynamics in Pakistan. “Among all Muslim countries, Saudi Arabia takes the maximum interest in Pakistani affairs. The communication from Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to the Pakistani establishment is said to be different. Besides, he personally likes Imran Khan,” he said.
But Shafqat Ali, an Islamabad-based journalist well-connected with the elements of the Pakistani establishment, told India Narrative that despite stumbling blocks, the road is clear for Sharif.
“Punjab is Nawaz Sharif’s stronghold and after his return the people have shown good response. His homecoming rally has been encouraging for the PML-N. The family rifts that are being claimed by rivals have hardly been visible in public in the last 7 days. Then, Sharif has changed his stance about the establishment (he didn’t utter a word about them in his welcome rally). Both are mutually acceptable,” he said.
Ali said that Sharif is set for a record fourth term as Pakistan PM. There is little room for review appeal against this possibility.
On board the special plane, workers of the PML-N cheered on the party supremo with slogans of “Nawaz Sharif for Prime Minister again.”
Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif landed at Islamabad airport as he returned to Pakistan after four years of exile in London.
In a post on X, PML-N posted, “Umeed e Pakistan has landed in Islamabad Alhumdulillah. NAWAZ SHARIF IS BACK IN HIS HOMELAND.”
According to The Dawn News, the PML-N supremo’s legal team including former law minister Senator Azam Tarar and party leaders are present at the airport to receive him.
Tarar said Nawaz will be consulted on political and legal issues upon his arrival, adding that the PML-N supremo will head to the VIP lounge after landing.
He confirmed that the court staff also reached the airport and now “the legal process of security guarantee will be completed”, Dawn News reported.
Earlier today, PML-N informed that Nawaz Sharif has arrived at the Dubai airport and took a chartered flight to Islamabad.
In a post on X, PML-N said, “Quaid PMLN, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif reaches Dubai airport to board the “Umeed-e-Pakistan” flight for his historic journey back to Pakistan. Daikho daikho kon aaya!!
“As Nawaz Sharif arrived at the Dubai airport, he said, “Today I am going to Pakistan after 4 years and I am feeling very happy with the grace of Allah. It would be great if the situation in Pakistan was better today than it was in 2017.”
On board the special plane, workers of the PML-N cheered on the party supremo with slogans of “Nawaz Sharif for Prime Minister again.
“Earlier, Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had given permission to a special plane booked to carry PML-N supremo to land in the country upon its arrival, ARY News reported.
The notification stated that the chartered plane would depart for Islamabad from Dubai and land at the Islamabad International Airport. After staying at the Islamabad airport for two hours, Sharif will depart for Lahore, ARY News reported on Saturday.
The PML-N party has prepared a grand welcome for the former PM. Several party leaders and workers have converged in Lahore from all across Pakistan for the party’s grand power show. The PML-N had also booked multiple special trains to ensure that its supporters are able to attend the Minar-e-Pakistan rally, Geo News reported.
The last term of Nawaz — who came to power riding on a triumphant victory in 2013 — was scarred by upheavals. It started with the then-opposition-led months-long blockade of Islamabad and ended with his disqualification by the Supreme Court in 2017. The court ruling followed months of hearings in a case instigated by the “Panama Papers” leaks, related to alleged corruption during his previous two terms in office.
Looking at the timeline of cases against Nawaz Sharif, on July 6, 2018, he was sentenced to 10 years in jail upon conviction in the Avenfield reference along with a fine of 8 million Euros (Pakistani Rupees 1.3 billion).The former PM was convicted in absentia as he was in London at that time to look after his ailing wife, as per Geo News.
On July 13, Nawaz and his daughter Maryam Nawaz — who is currently PML-N’s Vice President and Chief Organiser — were arrested upon their arrival in Lahore from London.
After approaching the Islamabad High Court, the Sharifs got major relief as the IHC ordered the release of Nawaz, Maryam and Captain Muhammad Safdar while temporarily suspending the sentences awarded to them, Geo News reported.
However, the relief was short-lived, as in December of the same year, after National Accountability Bureau (NAB) awarded Nawaz a seven-year jail term and a fine of PKR 1.5 billion in the Al-Azizia sugar mills reference. (ANI)
Pakistan is preparing to welcome self-exiled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on October 21. The PML-N supremo does not seem in any mood to abandon his long-standing demand for the ‘strict accountability’ of general and judges for their alleged involvement in a ‘conspiracy’ to oust him from power in 2017. The Pakistan army has ruled the state directly for 33 years and exercised influence from behind the scenes during the remaining period. It has shown resilience in recovering from periodic setbacks, including its crushing defeat in 1971, using strong-arm tactics and intimidation to enforce its will. ‘The very institution created to protect the polity is given sufficient power to become a threat to the polity.’ A special report by Dr Sakariya Kareem
In Pakistan, it is not history that repeats itself but the military establishment that repeats history. Historically, one of the key reasons why the military is politically involved in Pakistan is colonialism. After partition in 1947, the Muslim League, which spearheaded the Pakistan movement, was too weak. There was a large vacuum for the military to take politics into its own hands. Hence the military has been involved in Pakistani politics since 1948.
The Pakistan army has ruled the state directly for 33 years and exercised influence from behind the scenes during the remaining period. It has shown resilience in recovering from periodic setbacks, including its crushing defeat in 1971, using strong-arm tactics and intimidation to enforce its will. The continual infringement of the Constitution has left a watermark of what should have been a robust democratic culture. Recurrent military regimes arrested the political process and have polluted political outfits that now, more often than not, collude with unelected elements to wrest power.
The Pakistan military, as an institution, remains materially and economically strong and capable of exerting the kind of influence despite the criticism from both political and civilian institutions, civil society, academia and the media. The military as an institution remains strong and the core reason for this is its material wealth. And the fact that there is no challenge. One of the key reasons why there have been coup like in 1999 or before or after that, is that some civilian actors tried to control power and that is what brought them into conflict with the military establishment, which resists these efforts by all means.
For example, Nawaz Sharif, the three-time PM of Pakistan and the military establishment became rivals in the 1990s. The key reason was that the Nawaz Sharif government tried to impose taxes on the military’s industries and economic wealth. This created a wedge between Nawaz Sharif and the military establishment and resultantly Nawaz Sharif’s government was overthrown by the same military establishment because of their growing differences.
A UNDP report of 2021 said that Pakistan’s various business elites, that include the military itself, received about USD 17.4 billion in subsidies and taxes concessions and exemptions from the state of Pakistan annually.
There was a period in Pakistan’s history where the opposition alliances had pitched a united front even against military dictators as witnessed against Field Marshal Ayub Khan in the late 1960s. However, what has become increasingly apparent in Pakistan’s political scenario is the waning influence of the classical civil society to forge an opposition as against Ayub Khan.
Rise and Fall of Imran Khan
For many years, the military establishment propped up Imran Khan as a fresh face in politics. For them, a ‘corruption-free,’ honest and popular political leadership was necessary as an alternative for the two main parties taking turns in power. Instead of direct military rule, a ‘hybrid regime’ was in the making for over two decades, which was accelerated by various political events, and materialised in 2018. A political demagogue, Khan promised to build a new Pakistan through reform, better governance, and eliminating corruption. This last pledge resonated with the urban middle class, particularly among bureaucratic and military families.
During his tenure, Khan outsourced the political management of both his allies and adversaries to the military establishment, undermining the structure of his party. Hiding behind this veneer, the state used the pretext of ‘hybrid warfare’ and ‘fifth generation warfare’ to crush all criticism of them. There was complete media censorship. Suppression and abductions were commonplace.
Khan counts some landmark achievements during his almost four-year rule. He introduced the Naya Pakistan Qaumi Sehat Card scheme, which provided Pakistani families with up to one million rupees (around $5400) in annual health care coverage. He successfully navigated the 2019 border crisis with India, which brought the rivals to the brink of war. During Khan’s tenure, Pakistan also proposed a resolution against Islamophobia at the United Nations General Assembly, which was adopted in March.
But Imran Khan’s greatest strength – the military’s seemingly unconditional support – became his Achille’s heel. As Pakistan’s economy tanked and its internal security worsened, Khan became a liability for the military. His reluctance to appoint Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum as the new intelligence director and transfer out then-sitting director and Khan loyalist Lt Gen Faiz Hameed was the final straw. Khan had hoped to keep Hameed on as spy chief and promote him to army chief at the end of Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa’s tenure; this position crossed a red line for the military.
But Khan’s showdown with Gen Bajwa proved costly. The military soon stepped back from supporting Khan, paving the way for the opposition’s no-confidence motion. The military ruled Pakistan for three decades and has managed ‘chosen’ administrations. A recent glimpse of that was the hybrid model of the PTI-led government, which failed resoundingly, as have similar experiments.
The current military regime under Gen Syed Asim Munir is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring Imran Khan’s removal from Pakistan’s political scene.
The political crackdown on former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan by the establishments holds no surprise as the country’s democratic backsliding goes beyond that. Imran Khan’s arrest on corruption charges triggered widespread protests across the country on May 9. The Pakistani Army swiftly labelled May 9 as a ‘Black Day,’ emphasizing that Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf’s ‘lust for power’ achieved what its enemy had failed to do in 75 years.
Pakistan witnessed a disturbing trend of stifling dissent and suppressing voices critical of the government. The abduction of senior journalist Sami Ibrahim, the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif, the disappearance of Imran Riaz Khan, and the attempted assassination and arrest of popular leader Imran Khan served as chilling reminders of the growing dangers faced by those who dare to speak out against the ruling powers. These incidents not only raise concerns about the state of press freedom and human rights but also shed light on the tactics employed by those in power to silence opposition.
The biggest achievement of Imran Khan has been to call out the military for its machinations in Pakistan politics and infuse the spirit of ‘true democracy’ in the masses. A recent survey conducted by a political party placed Imran Khan’s popularity at 60%.
Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari, a close aide of Imran Khan said: ‘How can you classify something as a transparent democracy when you are dismantling the largest national level party… and the most popular leader in the country is in prison? For Pakistan to become a free and democratic country, what needs to happen is free and fair elections. The people have to pick their leaders and the government that comes in has to have the mandate of the masses.
The continuous erosion of democracy in Pakistan has largely been due to the machinations of the military, its political leaders and the gullible public. However, the Western powers, who are the champions of democracy and freedom, also share some blame. Pakistan has been bailed out repeatedly from various perils be it economy or terrorism, by the same Western powers. A large Pakistan diaspora exists in Western countries, be it the US, the UK or other countries which repeatedly calls out for a functional democracy in their home country. In spite of all these factors, the Western powers failed to assist Pakistan in achieving the desired democracy as envisioned by its creators. Pakistan’s military played into the sentiments of radicalisation, internal and external threats, the Afghanistan card and various other factors to its own advantage thereby completely hoodwinking the West.
Joe Biden.
Biden’s Strategy
Is there anything the Biden administration can do to help alleviate the situation in the short term?
The Biden administration can stand in favour of democracy in Pakistan, the rule of law, and the supremacy of its constitution, all of which are under threat in this current crisis – and not with the United States’ usual and favoured partner in Pakistan, its military. This means the US should explicitly speak up in favour of free, fair and on-time elections in Pakistan this year, and against violations of the rule of law and the country’s constitution.
Throughout much of this history, Pakistan has been led by military dictators. In return for helping the United States and the West pursue its objectives, the Pakistan military obtained sizable economic and military aid and political support. However, the degree of Pakistan’s cooperation has been much less than claimed.
The Pakistani priorities reflect the specific institutional interests of the military and therefore cannot be fundamentally changed unless the army gradually cedes its political role to representative civilian leaders and limits itself to defending borders.In other words,the United States and other international actors vital to Pakistan’s future must stop taking the metaphorical bribe of partial Pakistani cooperation in fighting radicalisation, terrorism etc in return for propping up an unrepresentative, military government.
Conditionality of cooperation assistance applied by a large number of countries, not simply by the United States, should be applied to Pakistan’s leadership, in particular the military leadership, and should not affect the general population.
The first step towards this would be for the West to ensure that Pakistan’s old political guard under Nawaz Sharif as well as the publicly popular Imran Khan, be strengthened to pursue a legal course against their own corrupt Army Generals, who have involved themselves in political machinations and are responsible for the country’s plight.
Nawaz Returns
Nawaz Sharif is also due to return to Pakistan on October 21. With days left before his arrival, the PML-N supremo does not seem in any mood to abandon his long-standing demand for the ‘strict accountability’ of general and judges – former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, ex-spymaster Faiz Hamid, and former chief justice Asif Khosa and Saqib Nisar – for their alleged involvement in a ‘conspiracy’ to oust him from power in 2017.
The international community has all the right to be concerned. Pakistan is a nuclear nation veering from its pluralistic, democratic course, its ethnic divisions, religious and political polarisation and deepening under the jackboot of shaky military rule, posing a threat to its neighbourhood as well as the capitals of its distance western allies whose hand-wringing and threat of sanctions has fooled no one, least of all Islamabad’s current powerbrokers.
The West will be told any formulation that sees the military take the back seat in the political process has the potential for a prolonged civil war, if the current unrest, brutally suppressed by the authorities, turns into a full-blown rebellion under self-serving politicians. After another failed attempt at political engineering, the military establishment must step back and allow the democratic process to evolve.
The political churning set off by the confrontational course adopted by the military against civil society will throw up forces that could sweep even the semblances of democracy that exist in Pakistan out of the window. The US must be willing to take a chance that after the initial upheaval, Pakistan will find its democratic feet. Politicians must be allowed to have a say in a new caretaker administration and arrive at a representative, if untidy democracy.
Pakistan has long paid the price for the West’s myopic dependence on the military as the solution to all ills. This time, the West must have the courage to allow Pakistanis to winnow the democratic chaff from the military weed. Pakistan needs a new social contract that addresses injustice and inequalities.
The starting point of this might well be instituting Constitutional amendments to bring the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) under civil leadership as is done in all democracies of the world.
Nawaz was given permission to travel for four weeks after his brother, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, gave a court an oath promising to bring him back once his health improved….reports Asian Lite News
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has been granted permission by the Lahore district administration to hold a public gathering in Greater Iqbal Park on October 21. During this event, party leader Nawaz Sharif will address his supporters, The Express Tribune reported.
The three-time former prime minister flew in an air ambulance to London in November 2019 to receive medical attention for a number of illnesses after the Lahore High Court (LHC) gave him permission to depart Pakistan.
Nawaz was given permission to travel for four weeks after his brother, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, gave a court an oath promising to bring him back once his health improved.
Due to Nawaz’s persistent absence from proceedings over the course of four years, he was labelled a “proclaimed offender” in the Al Azizia Steel Mills and Avenfield graft trials, reported The Express Tribune.
The district administration said in a statement that the rules and conditions for the rally in the park had been communicated to the former ruling party. The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) was also instructed to grant separate clearance to the PML-N before the demonstration could take place.
In a document given to the city administration, the PML-N swore that it would compensate the PHA for any damage caused by the public meeting to the park.
The district administration further stated that they would continue to maintain regular touch with the relevant authorities regarding issues involving traffic flow, security, and the organisers of the public gathering, The Express Tribune reported.
Following the medical report sent to the Lahore High Court, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Nawaz Sharif’s younger brother Shehbaz Sharif confirmed the PML-N leader would return to Pakistan as planned on October 21 during the early weeks of October, reported Dawn.
After Nawaz Sharif’s legal team submitted his fresh reports on Friday, doctors and lawyers gave him consent to travel back. As per Nawaz’s report, he had “some residual anginal symptoms” which would require “frequent follow-up investigations” in London and Pakistan.
The report was signed by Professor Carlo Di Mario, a consultant cardiologist at the Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ National Health Service Foundation Trust.
Nawaz Sharif spent his last in London at Stanhope House, according to the party’s de facto London headquarters.
Shehbaz Sharif confirmed Nawaz’s arrival during a press conference in Lahore.
He cleared the uncertainty revolving around Nawaz’s return and further said that he would address a rally at Minar-i-Pakistan after his arrival and “give an economic roadmap to steer the country out of crises”. (ANI)
Sharif, along with party members and journalists, is scheduled to leave Dubai for Pakistan on October 21…reports Asian Lite News
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will reach Pakistan in a chartered plane from Dubai on October 21, ending his four-year-long self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom, according to a media report.
The flight carrying Nawaz, will have the name “Umeed-e-Pakistan” which can carry approximately 150 passengers, Geo News reported.
“The booking has been made and all arrangements are in place,” the report said. The 73-year-old three-time prime minister is expected to lead his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party in the general elections likely to be held in January next year.
قائد محمد نوازشریف کے استقبال کے حوالے سے مسلم لیگ ن ویمن ونگ پنجاب کی تیاریاں پنجاب بھر میں جاری pic.twitter.com/YA7KU3l8jI
Sharif, along with party members and journalists, is scheduled to leave Dubai for Pakistan on October 21. The special flight will land in Islamabad from Dubai before proceeding to Lahore, Sharif will address the gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan.
Sharif will reach Saudi Arabia for Umrah on Wednesday. He will stay in Saudi Arabia for a week during which he will hold important meetings. He will arrive in Dubai on October 18.
Sharif will be accompanied to the Saudi visit by his close aides Mian Nasir Janjua, Waqar Ahmed, his friend Karim Yousaf and a few others. Nasir Janjua, the owner of MIDJAC company, spent nearly three years in exile in London with Sharif and returned to Pakistan just a few months ago, the report added.
On Tuesday, PML-N Senators Ishaq Dar and Irfan Siddiqui said Sharif would leave for Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.
Refuting rumours pertaining to Sharif’s presence in Saudi Arabia, Irfan Siddiqui confirmed that the former prime minister is still in the United Kingdom and that the visit to Saudi Arabia is of a private nature as the ex-premier will perform Umrah.
PML-N gets ready
Meanwhile, the PML-N has cancelled three rallies in Lahore, planned to build momentum ahead of the homecoming of its supremo Sharif, in a bid to prevent its workers from getting burnt out ahead of the big event.
According to a senior PML-N leader in Punjab, the decision was taken on the direction of the elder Sharif himself, who is slated to land in Lahore later this month and address a gathering at Minar-i-Pakistan.
“Nawaz Sharif directed party president Shehbaz Sharif not to exhaust the party workers ahead of his return. He said the party leaders should continue to hold corner meetings and coordinate well with the workers to make his homecoming historic,” the PML-N leader told Dawn.
Amid reports of differences within the party, the PML-N supreme leader also asked the junior Sharif to immediately resolve differences among some leaders of the Punjab, particularly the Lahore chapter, to make the Oct 21 show successful.
Three rallies in Lahore were planned in the constituencies of Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Rana Mashhood, and Riaz Malik to whip up enthusiasm for elder Sharif’s homecoming. Maryam Nawaz, the chief organiser, was supposed to address these rallies in Lahore.
The PML-N was supposed to hold seven rallies in Lahore, but it cancelled two rallies earlier this month and now the three remaining gatherings were also cancelled.
The PM informed that the National Assembly would be dissolved on August 9 and a caretaker government would be formed….reports Asian Lite News
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared on Sunday that if the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is elected to power, Nawaz Sharif will become the country’s Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Express Tribune reported.
He was speaking at a public meeting after laying the foundation stone for the Taray Garh interchange on the Lahore-Bahawalnagar motorway and the Rai Mansab Ali Khan interchange on the Abdul Hakim motorway on the Bucheki-Nankana road.
“Nawaz Sharif will serve the people of Pakistan as Prime Minister for another term if voted to power. He considers the whole of Pakistan as his family and in the past, selflessly served the people,” he said.
He recalled that in the past, Pakistan suffered from load-shedding of 20 hours every day, and then Nawaz Sharif came in 2013 and “removed the darkness” from power shortages by setting up power projects, reviving industry and agriculture, and bringing the USD 30 billion CPEC project to Pakistan with the collaboration of China, the Express Tribune reported.
He noted that Nawaz Sharif initiated the project of the Diamer-Bhasha and Dasu dams and made Pakistan a nuclear state by conducting six nuclear tests in response to five explosions by India.
He reminded that Nawaz Sharif rejected the offer of USD 5 billion by then-US President Bill Clinton and went on with the nuclear explosions while ignoring pressure. Nawaz Sharif also started the Zarb-e-Azab operation led by Pakistan Army to eradicate terrorism, he claimed.
In the era of Nawaz Sharif, the Premier said, Pakistan had good relations with friendly and brotherly countries including China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, and Qatar, among others.
“Then Imran Niazi was imposed on the country after rigged elections in 2018 and his regime caused severe damage to relations with these countries, including Islamic countries, and he resorted to baseless allegations of corruption against companies of China,” he added.
Ties with China were broken by the former government despite the fact that the neighbouring country massively invested in infrastructure, power and road projects, he pointed out.
The Prime Minister said former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar and other co-conspirators ousted Nawaz on the basis of a residence permit, even when his name was not among the 400 persons named in the Panama papers, the Express Tribune reported.
“Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz appeared before the court 100 times in their cases and did not evade arrests as was later done by Imran Niazi, who presented a fake receipt for an expensive watch imprinted with a model of the Khana-e-Kaaba and came in court with a bucket on his head,” he added.
He said those who filed false and concocted cases against Opposition leaders had now met divine justice.
He added that during in the tenure of former PM Imran Khan, several cases of corruption surfaced including wheat and sugar scams in which money was minted by unnecessary export and import of these commodities, and then these acts of fraud were never probed and citizens bore the burden of loot and plunder, the Express Tribune reported.
He said his government faced unprecedented challenges of inflation and devastating floods.
He added that the reasons for current inflation were the war in Ukraine and rising international commodity and fuel prices, adding due to the mismanagement of the past government, his government had to sign an agreement with IMF despite its tough conditions.
The PM informed that the National Assembly would be dissolved on August 9 and a caretaker government would be formed.
However, Pakistan’s Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said holding the general elections based on the 2023 digital census was not feasible before January or February of 2024, The News International reported.
Speaking to Geo News on Saturday, Tarar said a meeting of the Council of Common Interest (CCI) headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “unanimously” approved new census results, the Express Tribune reported.
Referring the Article 51 of the Constitution, the law minister said the general elections for the national and provincial assemblies will be conducted as per the limits of the constituencies published by the Commission, The News International reported.
The outer limit of 120 days can be reduced by effective work, the law minister said, adding that 54 more days are required for holding the general elections.
The entire process should not go beyond 150 to 165 days, he added.
Under the law, if a new census is notified, the ECP is bound to hold elections on the basis of new data.
It is important to note that the ruling coalition agreed to dissolve the National Assembly prematurely on August 9 — three days before its term ends — giving the electoral body 90 days to conduct polls.
The two main coalition partners of PM Shehbaz Sharif — Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and PPP — hold opposite views on the enumeration.
The PPP has on multiple occasions said that polls should be held on the basis of the 2017 census, reiterating that any delay in polls will not be accepted. (ANI)
Nawaz Sharif has been in self-imposed exile in London since November 2019 owing to health reasons.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday urged Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif to come back and lead the election campaign in the country as well as also become the PM for the fourth time, Geo News reported.
While addressing the central general council meeting of the party, PML-N, Sharif said that he was waiting for his elder brother to return to Pakistan and then hold the party meeting so he could hand over the PML-N’s president back to him. It is pertinent to mention that Nawaz Sharif has been in self-imposed exile in London since November 2019 owing to health reasons.
“The election commission’s sword was hanging which is why this meeting was held,” the prime minister added.
Premier Shehbaz was given the PML-N’s presidency after his predecessor — Nawaz, the three-time prime minister — was disqualified by the Supreme Court and barred from holding any party office, according to Geo News.
He also said that the PML-N needed young leadership, and commended Maryam for her hard work.
“You will see that the map of politics will change when Nawaz Sharif returns to Pakistan,” PM Shehbaz said.
Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif (Photo Courtesy Twitter@MaryamNSharif)
This statement came a few weeks after Pakistan President Arif Alvi signed the Supreme Court Review of Judgements and Orders Act 2023, clearing the first step for Nawaz Sharif to exercise the right of appeal against their lifetime disqualifications within 60 days.
Under this new law, now an appeal can be filed against the court decisions in cases under Article 184(3). The law now applies to past verdicts as well, Samaa News.
Pakistan Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif in the Panama Papers case on July 28, 2017.
The apex court banned him from holding any public office for life for hiding unpaid salary from his son in the Panama case. A year later, the court while announcing the verdict on petitions challenging the Elections Act 2017 said that a person disqualified under Articles 62 and 63 cannot serve as the head of a political party, Pakistani news channel Geo News reported. (ANI)
