OPINION: Keeping Generals Off Politics In Pakistan

Democracy is in peril in Pakistan. The Sharif, Bhutto and allies must fight it out with former Prime Minister Imran Khan politically. In no situation should they gang up with the Generals to target him. The US must adhere to its values of democracy and checkmate the Pakistan Army's designs against it.

For democracy to prevail in a given State, a consensus across the political spectrum to play by its rules and keep non-political elements off the business of statecraft is indispensable. Regrettably, this seems to have been missing in Pakistan ever since its separation from India over 75 years ago. The result: Pakistan has mostly be under Army rule since the days of General Ayub Khan.

Observers say that democracy did not take roots in Pakistan and the country came under military rule from time to time, mainly because the Generals were able to use divergent civilian political groups in the country to create such anarchy as would justify their takeover of power. Presently, the Pakistan Army, under its chief General Syed Asim Munir, is at the same old game.

General Munir is using the secret army channels of communication with the current civilian government headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) to arm twist it into targeting Imran Khan, his predecessor and the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who happens to be the most popular democratic leader in the country today.

With the Army's covert support to it, the Sharif government and its coalition partners - Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Maulana Fazlur Rehman of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) - have hatched a conspiracy to defame Khan and create some justification to ban his party.

The other day, the Sharif regime got Khan arrested by the National Accountability Bureau under some fake charges. When the Supreme Court of Pakistan came to Khan's legal rescue, the current ruling coalition parties in Pakistan held a protest demonstration outside the court. They called on the country's Chief Justice to resign. Some of the coalition leaders even threatened that there would be "dire consequences" if the court took any action against Prime Minister Sharif.

The observers suggest that for the sake of democracy in the country today, Sharif, Bhutto and allies must fight it out with Khan politically only. In no situation should they gang up with the country's Army to target Khan. They should go in for general elections in the country at the earliest. A course of political dialogue and election will be the best way to extricate Pakistan from the possibility of yet another Army rule.

The observers say the United States, the leader of the free world, must adhere to its cherished values of democracy and checkmate the Pakistan Army's current designs against it. The United States can prevail over the Pakistan Army as the two countries have had special defence relationship.

During the Cold War, Pakistan happened to be the US' "most trusteed ally in Asia." Pakistan was part of the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM). The US had military bases in Pakistan. Pakistan's Army, air force and navy regularly conducted joint exercises with their US counterparts. The US military personnel served in the Pakistani military as military advisers and Pakistani military cadets attended the US military academies and war colleges.

The Donald J Trump administration in Washington stopped Pakistan from availing of the US' International Military Education and Training (IMET) plan. It cancelled military aid to Pakistan. However, US-Pakistan defence ties are still strong. Today, some military bases in Pakistan are accessible to the United States for logistic purposes.

Most significantly, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has been in touch with Pakistan Army Chief General Munir. Soon after Munir took over in Rawalpindi, Austin spoke to him by phone and congratulated him. They discussed areas of mutual interest as well as recent regional developments. US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley also held a telephonic conversation with Gen. Munir.

Pertinently, the United States has had a great influence over Pakistan in general. According to an authentic estimate, the United States has been Pakistan's largest export market. It imported more than $5 billion in Pakistani goods in 2021. The United States has been one of the largest sources of foreign direct investment in Pakistan. Its major investments are concentrated in consumer goods, chemicals, energy, agriculture, business process out-sourcing, transportation and communication.

During the recent pandemic, the United States committed more than 77 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Pakistan. That included over 16 million paediatric vaccines. The United States also partnered with Pakistani institutions to build detection and treatment capacities throughout the pandemic.

(Jagdish N. Singh is a senior journalist based in New Delhi. He is also Senior Distinguished Fellow at the Gatestone Institute, New York)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.