The JUI-F sources claimed that the party sent the prime minister a very clear message…reports Asian Lite News
Expressing his wish to work with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief, Fazlur Rehman again, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that he wants the JUI-F chief’s guidance ‘once again’, reported ARY News citing sources.
The Pakistan Prime Minister visited the residence of Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Islamabad and expressed his desire to work together with the JUI-F, the sources close to the development said.
“We want to work together again, just like we did in the past,” PM Shehbaz Sharif was quoted as saying.
“We request you to guide us once more,” he added.
However, the JUI-F chief responded by saying that his party’s stance remains unchanged. “We are where we were in the past, you have changed your path,” the JUI-F chief said.
The JUI-F sources claimed that the party sent the prime minister a very clear message.
Citing sources, ARY News reported that PM Shehbaz Sharif asked about Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s health and well-being during the amicable encounter. It is significant to remember that on August 24, President Asif Ali Zardari also had a meeting with the leader of the JUI-F.
These two high-level gatherings took place following the visit of a delegation from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to Maulana Fazalur Rehman.
It was on August 23, that a delegation of PTI met with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, seeking cooperation once again. Both parties are mulling to end differences and explore possibilities of collaboration amid a disturbed political landscape in the nation.
During the meeting, discussions were held on the formation of committees to facilitate joint efforts.
Imran Khan’s party reportedly requested in-house cooperation within the Parliament, expressing their stance that they could give the government a tough time if the two parties worked together.
Before the 2024 general elections, Fazl was one of the closest allies of the PML-N and the PPP who headed the multi-party opposition alliance — Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) — who successfully ousted the former premier Imran Khan from office via a no-confidence motion in 2022.
Imran: No space for defectors
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that there was no space for those who left Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) during difficult times, Pakistan-based The News International reported.
While speaking to reporters in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on Friday, the PTI founder said, “I want to clearly state that there is no space for those who abandoned the party during difficult times.”
Without mentioning the name of anyone, Imran Khan said that he is aware of those who left the PTI during bad times, The News International reported.
Khan added, “Those who were active during good times but left during hardships have no place in the party.”
PTI founder said those who faced violence, which according to him included torture on their families and blackmailing in difficult times, but did not leave the party have nothing to worry about.
Khan (71), who served as Pakistan’s Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail since August 2023 on multiple charges, including the Toshakhana case, the cypher case, and the unlawful marriage case.
His wife has also been behind bars for months. The court, however, suspended Imran Khan’s sentence in the Toshakhana case, while other courts overturned his convictions in the cypher and iddat cases, respectively, Geo News reported.
The chances of Imran Khan’s release from prison further dimmed after the Lahore Police declared his arrest in various cases related to the May 9, 2023, riots, that started after his arrest from Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises last year. (ANI)
After the Pakistani government officially admitted that it had installed a ‘web management system’, concerns are escalating that a surveillance society is becoming entrenched in the South Asian nation … writes Dr Sakariya Kareem
After months of speculation about the installation of a so-called ‘firewall’ that could be leading to internet disruptions, Pakistan’s Information Technology (IT) minister finally confirmed last week that the country’s federal government was indeed upgrading its ‘web management system’ to cope with cyber security threats, local media reports said.
According to Pakistan’s leading English daily Dawn, despite the rather ambiguous terminology used by Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, this was the first time an official had acknowledged the government’s actions, which have been blamed for everything from slow browsing speeds, the arbitrary blocking of social media platforms to WhatsApp connectivity issues on mobile data.
So far, official stakeholders — Fatima Khawaja’s ministry and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) — had either been feigning ignorance in response to public outcry and media queries, or claiming that the problems were because of telecom and internet service providers, or even Meta — an American technology conglomerate that owns popular social networking platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and instant messaging service Whatsapp.
Downdetector, an online platform that provides real-time information about internet disruptions, received an unusually high number of complaints about disruptions in WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram last week, while the services of ISPs, including PTCL, Zong and Nayatel were also affected.
Last Thursday (August 15), while talking to reporters after a meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, IT minister Fatima said the Pakistani government had sought a report from PTA and other institutions over the internet disruption.
“The internet should never be slow. We have even been talking about bringing 5G technology to Pakistan. There is no doubt about that, and conversations about higher internet speed are underway,” she told the media.
When Fatima was asked about the ‘firewall’ — a blanket term used by the public to describe the causes of internet disruption in the absence of any official explanation — she said the issue had been “blown out of proportion”, reports the Dawn.
Calling the process “a routine exercise” across the globe to enhance internet security, without giving any detail to substantiate her claims about which other countries have deployed this system, the minister said, “The government has been operating a web-management system. The system is now being upgraded.”
“It is the right of the government to take measures to protect its interests given the cyber security attacks that Pakistan is facing,” she added.
After the Pakistani government officially admitted that it had installed a ‘web management system’, concerns are escalating that a surveillance society is becoming entrenched in the South Asian nation.
According to an article by Huma Yusuf — a Pakistani columnist, and political and integrity risk analyst — published in Dawn on Sunday (August 19), anxieties about surveillance have been mounting globally and are largely linked to ‘surveillance capitalism’, which means the commodification of personal data, particularly by Big Tech.
There is a growing focus on the extent to which individuals are aware of what personal data they are surrendering, to whom, and why, as per the article.
The Pakistani columnist noted in the article that concerns about surveillance capitalism mounted when it became clear that customer data collection was enabling not only targeted advertising and improved user experience but also behavioural manipulation.
The regulation of Big Tech and its use of personal data will soon be a key human rights battle, she added.
In this context, old-fashioned state surveillance — in the sense of the state collecting information about its citizens — seems passé, but it continues to be a major concern globally, and certainly in Pakistan, according to the article.
The columnist noted that increasing attention is paid to the links between capitalist and state surveillance, in the sense of public understanding that private sector players, such as internet service providers or social media platforms, are required to surrender customer data when the state comes calling.
But what is less considered is the impact of surveillance becoming normalised — the de facto approach to political and social interaction, the columnist wrote in the article, adding that when power becomes synonymous with the ability to surveil the activities of others — shame them, report them, and so ultimately control them — then it will contaminate society.
Those who seek status and control will increasingly use surveillance as a tool to shape public behaviour to their own ends, the article read.
Meanwhile, self-censorship, the survival tactic of Pakistani media, will become the default mode of all citizens, according to the columnist.
Pakistan has already seen the toxic effect of this kind of social surveillance through the misuse of the blasphemy laws, the article added.
Huma Yusuf, in her column, highlighted that now on the precipice where social control and abuse previously linked to state monitoring of ‘anti-establishment’ activities is becoming more pervasive.
“We are moving from the realm of state and capitalist surveillance to one of social surveillance, one in which citizens, taking a cue from the state itself, are willing to police each other’s clothing, artistic output and sense of humour,” the article read.
“The powers that be may be pleased by this ripple effect. But they should tread with caution as no good comes of surveillance states,” it added. “The ultimate problem with surveillance is that its parameters are necessarily non-transparent and ever-shifting, meaning everyone is vulnerable.”
The PMLN government’s decision to ban Pakistan’s most popular party and charge PTI leaders with sedition has sparked fears of a political clash and potential martial law. Amid economic crisis and security challenges, Pakistan risks severe instability and unrest, writes Dr Sakariya Kareem
The decision of the PMLN government led by Shehbaz Sharif to ban the most popular political party in Pakistan and initiate sedition proceedings against PTI leader and former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former President Arif Alvi has put the country on a disastrous path to a clash between two hybrid political dispensations.
The Pakistan Army, the creator of both hybrid formations, will likely be caught between the two stools, putting the army chief, General Asim Munir, on a more difficult wicket.
General Asim Munir with Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif
The army had created the hybrid regime led by Imran Khan during General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s tenure. When Bajwa fell out with Khan, the artificial edifice collapsed, ironically propelling the former cricket star as a popular political leader among the disgruntled masses, mostly young voters. The country’s fortunes, however, plummeted. When the army got a new chief Asim Munir, there was a deep divide in the military leadership and Munir had several bones to pick with Imran Khan. Munir was keen on punishing Khan and propping up a new hybrid regime with Shehbaz Sharif as the Prime Minister.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa
The move is now unravelling with Imran Khan gaining popular support as the Shehbaz Sharif government, doing the bidding of General Asim Munir, is mounting uncalled-for persecution of the former Prime Minister. The recent Supreme Court ruling in favour of Khan’s party, PTI, has further rattled the army-backed government. The apex court had given PTI the due share of reserved seats in the National Assembly besides recognising it as a parliamentary party. The PTI thus has emerged as the single largest party in the Lower House, reducing the Shehbaz Sharif government’s two-thirds majority in both the Houses. The court’s decision indirectly indicts the government’s desperate efforts to suppress the PTI and its leader. A lower court had earlier given a clean chit to Imran Khan and his wife in the marriage case, undermining the deep state’s concerted attempts to dismember Khan’s party and career.
The move to ban PTI has the nod of PMLN supremo, Nawaz Sharif. This shows a political leader who was once labelled the `Lion of Punjab` has turned into a `jackal` hemmed in by the Generals who do not trust him a bit. If the government goes ahead with this suicidal mission, it will signal the end of PMLN and deepen the divide among the senior and middle-rung leadership of the army. The army is already cut by divisions over PTI and Imran Khan.
Former PM Imran Khan shaked hands with then Lt. Gen. Munir
Many commentators suspect that the move was a strategic ploy to pave the way for martial law. The Generals were uncertain about Shehbaz Sharif’s ability to stabilize the country amidst its severe turmoil. If the situation deteriorates further, Pakistan could face a disaster akin to the 1971 crisis when the country split into two. Alongside political instability, Pakistan is experiencing one of its worst economic crises, leading to widespread poverty and unrest. Security challenges are intensifying across the east, centre, and west, presenting formidable difficulties that won’t be easily resolved. Banning the PTI and imprisoning Imran Khan for an extended period could provoke public unrest, which the Generals might struggle to contain. In this power struggle between hybrid regimes, both the country and the military risk losing whatever remaining prestige and stability they have.
Speaking at a press conference in Quetta, Bilawal emphasised the need to end the recurring issue of rigging in elections through political consensus, reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has criticised the transparency of the 2024 general elections, describing them as “not transparent.” Despite acknowledging rigging against his party in every election, he refuted claims that the February 8th elections saw the largest rigging in Pakistan’s history, as reported by ARY News.
Speaking at a press conference in Quetta, Bilawal emphasised the need to end the recurring issue of rigging in elections through political consensus. “The politicians need to agree that the match should be played fairly and the result should also be accepted,” he asserted.
Bilawal highlighted PPP’s proactive role in advocating for election reforms, lamenting occasional hindrances from rival parties or individual politicians. He pointed out ongoing cases of election rigging being adjudicated in election tribunals, underscoring the importance of fair electoral practices, ARY News reported.
Regarding developmental initiatives, Bilawal praised the Sindh government’s achievements in healthcare, citing the establishment of a state-of-the-art hospital in Gambat for liver transplants. He pledged similar advancements in Quetta, ensuring equitable access to quality healthcare and education for its residents.
“The hospital in Naseerabad, Balochistan, will match the standards set by the Gambat facility,” Bilawal affirmed.
Discussing PPP’s manifesto, Bilawal reiterated the party’s stance on the abolition of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). He criticised NAB for allegedly engaging in political engineering, revenge tactics, and tarnishing the reputations of politicians, which he claimed has adversely impacted Pakistan’s economy and democratic processes.
Bilawal expressed disappointment over the lack of consensus regarding NAB’s abolition, signaling PPP’s intent to continue advocating for its removal.
Commenting on the 2024-25 budget, Bilawal stated that PPP supported the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to ensure the federation’s stability. However, he voiced dissatisfaction with PML-N’s alleged failure to uphold agreements made between the two parties.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari emphasised PPP’s commitment to electoral integrity, healthcare advancements, and economic reform, underscoring the party’s ongoing efforts to address national challenges and uphold democratic values in Pakistan, ARY News reported. (ANI)
PM Modi did not invite Pakistan to the swearing-in ceremony, unlike in 2014 when Nawaz Sharif invited…reports Asian Lite News
Islamabad, June 10 (IANS) Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday sent “felicitations” to Narendra Modi on taking oath as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive time.
In a short message on X, Shehbaz wrote, “Felicitations to Narendra Modi on taking oath as Prime Minister of India.”
Prime Minister Modi and his Council of Ministers took oath in a historic ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in Delhi on Sunday.
While dozens of global leaders have sent congratulatory messages, Pakistan PM’s message to his Indian counterpart holds quite a significance considering the tense relationship between the neighbouring nations during the past two terms of the Modi government.
“PM Shehbaz’s felicitation message shows clearly the rift that persists between the two countries. The message didn’t show any sign of warmth or express hopes of working towards normalisation of relations between the two countries. Instead, it seemed more like a forced formality that the premier had to undertake,” said senior political analyst Javed Siddique.
It should also be noted that PM Modi did not extend an invitation to Pakistan to participate in the swearing-in ceremony like he did in 2014 when then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was invited.
Interestingly, a vast difference is also seen in the messages sent to PM Modi on Monday by PM Shehbaz Sharif and by his elder brother Nawaz Sharif, the President of the country’s ruling party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
In his message to the Indian PM, Nawaz Sharif congratulated him on assuming office for the third consecutive time and expressed hope of “replacing hate with hope” for better future progress of the two nations.
“My warm felicitations to Modi Ji on assuming office for the third time. Your party’s success in recent elections reflects the confidence of the people in your leadership. Let us replace hate with hope and seize the opportunity to shape the destiny of the two billion people of South Asia,” he posted on X.
While PM Shehbaz enjoys a close relationship with the country’s powerful establishment currently running a coalition government, his elder brother is seen as a leader who refuses to fall in line with the country’s military.
Having failed to secure a majority to form the government after the general polls held in February this year, Nawaz Sharif is managing party politics through his daughter and Chief Minister of Punjab province, Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
PM Modi’s close relations with Nawaz Sharif also became evident when he made a surprise visit to Lahore in 2015 on the latter’s invitation and even spent time at Sharif’s Jati Umra residence.
Analysts feel that considering the stance taken by the BJP-led NDA during campaigning over the past few weeks, it is unlikely that the relationship between the two countries will improve during the third term of the Modi government.
Joe Biden, who till Friday, has carried a tradition of not engaging with any of the Prime Minister in Pakistan during his tenure, reports Hamza Ameer
In a first official communication, US President Joe Biden has broken with tradition and has written a letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, expressing readiness to work together for regional peace and counter-terrorism efforts.
Biden, who till Friday, has carried a tradition of not engaging with any of the Prime Minister in Pakistan during his tenure, has not only reached out to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif but effectively has also put forward the lens through which US looks at its relationship with Pakistan along with expectations from the new government in Islamabad.
The US President emphasised the sensitivity and critical nature of “pressing global and regional challenges,” assuring Islamabad that it would continue to work with it and Shehbaz Sharif-led government to counter the menace of terrorism.
“The enduring partnership between our nations remains critical to ensuring the security of our people — and people around the world — and the US will continue to stand with Pakistan to tackle the most pressing global and regional challenges of our time,” said Biden’s letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“That includes advancing our shared vision for a future of greater health, security, economic growth, and access to education for all. Through our US-Pakistan Green Alliance framework, we will also continue to strengthen our climate resilience, support sustainable agriculture and water management, and assist with Pakistan’s recovery from the devastating floods in 2022. And, the US remains committed to working with Pakistan to protect human rights and promote progress,” Biden’s letter added.
Biden did not interact with former Prime Minister Imran Khan after his victory during 2018 nor did he speak to Shehbaz Sharif when he took charge of the Prime Minister’s office after removing Imran Khan through a vote of no-confidence in April 2022.
While Biden’s letter to PM Shehbaz Sharif signifies the value Washington gives to Pakistan in terms of its regional relevance and importance; one thing that the letter also indicates is that Washington still looks at Islamabad through the lens of counter-terrorism, regional and global security in reference to terrorism.
Despite the fact that US is not longer engaged in Afghanistan and its level of priority for Pakistan is not what is used to be after its withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021; Pakistan’s regional role in countering terrorism retains it as a key player for the Biden administration.
The Biden administration seems to be ready to work with the newly-elected Pakistani government, despite the widespread allegations of rigging and ballot fraud.
It should also be noted that despite difference of opinion about the current government set-up in Pakistan and broadly debated power centre still with the military establishment; the American military establishment still seeks a working cooperation with Pakistan.
Sharif Meets CJ Qazi Faez , Crafting Conciliatory Statement Emphasizing Cooperation Among Parliament, Judiciary, and Establishment…reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stepped into become a mediating partner between the judiciary and the powerful military establishment to avert a possible disastrous confrontation between the two.
Reliable sources have said that the open letter by at least six Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges in relations to interference by intelligence agencies in judicial matters have the tendency to trigger a dangerous rift between the two institutions. This is why Sharif, who is known to be close to the military establishment has been assigned to intervene in the matter and put it to rest at the earliest.
Sharif is meeting with Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJ) Qazi Faez Isa on Thursday (today) to not only discuss details of the open letter but also to come out with a face-saving conciliatory statement that talks more about value of coordinated working mechanism between parliament, judiciary and the establishment.
“The PM along with Minister of Law Azam Nazeer Tarar and Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awaz will meet with the CJ Qaxi Faez Isa and Senior Judge Syed Mansoor Ali Shah. Meeting will take place at the SC premises,” a senior government official said.
Concerned speculations of a possible conflict between the two powerful institutions have become more evident after at least six judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) wrote a letter to the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) seeking clarity on the interventions and interference of spy agencies and their operatives in judicial matter.
The open letter, written by six judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) including Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, Justive Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Justive Babar Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz highlighted the blatant and disturbing interference of country’s intelligence agencies in the affairs of the court.
“We, therefore request that a judicial convention be called to consider the matter of interference of intelligence operatives with judicial functions and/or intimidation of judges in a manner that undermines the independence of the judiciary,” the open letter to the Supreme Court of Pakistan by the IHC judges stated.
Earlier, the Supreme Court held a full-court meeting to discuss the content of the IHC Judges’ letter, in which at least six of eight judges pointed direct fingers at the intelligence agencies for using coercive tactics to influence court proceedings, discussed the constitutional and judicial value of the letter and what action can be taken in this regard.
Pertinent to mention here that the latest controversy of a letter by the IHC Judges’ is part of a newly found confidence to stand against the powerful military establishment and its institutions among the serving judges after the recent notification of the SJC was set aside by CJ Qazi Faez Isa which resulted in the dismissal of former senior puisne judge of the IHC Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui.
Justice Siddiqui had also accused the intelligence agencies of manipulating the proceedings of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) during a speech at Rawalpindi Bar in July 2018.
Now, with Sharif due to meet in a rare meeting with the CJ Isa, senior lawyers are concerned of a manipulation in the final response of the Supreme Court in response to the IHC Judges’ letter.
“CJ Isa should have sought endorsement from all the judges before the meetings; otherwise it will not send a good optic for the judiciary as an institution,” said a senior lawyer.
“IHC judges wrote a letter to the Supreme Court and not to the government. The response should be representative of the Judiciary’s position as an institution only,” he added.
“There is no need for such meetings rite now when the country’s largest political party, the PTI, is claiming that they have been a victim of the manipulations of judicial proceedings in the past. Prime Minister Shehbaz should not have asked to meet the Chief Justice. Instead, he should have requested the chief justice to conduct an inquiry into the serious allegations made by the IHC judges,” another senior lawyer said.
The letter of IHC judges’ has certainly opened up a debate on the interference by intelligence agencies in judicial matter, decision and their timings of announcements.
Pakistan has a history of civil military divide and confrontations resulting in military takeovers. This time, it seems that a strong section of the judiciary has decided to take on the military establishment and its allied spy agencies to expose their forced maintenance of matters within the judiciary as well.
While the confrontation can have serious and dangerous consequences, PM Shehbaz seems to be on a damage control mission to have the apex court melt down the heat with its positioning on the critical matter.
Shehbaz Sharif thanked PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif for nominating him for the coveted post and expressed gratitude to his allies for supporting him….reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday took over the country’s premiership for the second time after he bagged 201 votes in the National Assembly, becoming the 24th prime minsiter.
“Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has been elected prime minister with 201 votes. [While] Omar Ayub Khan obtained 92 votes,” announced National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq amid protest by the SIC lawmakers.
The speaker then invited Shehbaz Sharif, the only politician to be elected as the PM for the second consecutive time, to sit in the prime minister’s seat and asked him to address the house, The News reported.
In his maiden speech as the prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, surrounded by party leaders, thanked PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif for nominating him for the coveted post and expressed gratitude to his allies for supporting him.
Without taking any names, Shehbaz Sharif took a jibe at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for hounding the then-opposition, going against the country’s national interests while resorting to levelling serious allegations against the armed forces.
“It is sad that the nation had to witness the [state] institutions including the GHQ, Corps Commander Houses being attacked,” he said while recalling the May 9 riots that were triggered after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan in a graft case last year, The News reported.
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.
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.
