OPINION: Defending Democracy In Pakistan

It is disheartening to note that former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, the most popular leader of the country today, is being subjected to humiliation at the hands of the current dispensation in Islamabad. Khan was ousted from the post in a parliamentary no-confidence vote last year. Since then, the current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif government has levelled dozens of charges, from corruption to sedition, against him.

On May 9 this month, Pakistan's National Accountability Bureau arrested Khan on some corruption charges. The Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled it was illegal. The Islamabad High Court granted him bail. But Khan ordeals do not seem to end.

Observers say Khan may still be arrested. Pakistan's Army Chief General Asim Munir, the country's de facto ruler, does not like Khan. General Munir has not forgotten how Khan, as the country's Prime Minister, had once fired him from his then-position as spy chief in the country.

The Army may try Khan for the outpouring of anger against the country's military in the wake of his arrest on May 9. It claims that it was at Khan's behest that the public vandalised GHQ in Rawalpindi, the Corps Commander's official residence in Lahore and other sensitive installations on May 9. On May 15, the military already released a statement to use the Pakistan Army Act to prosecute the protesters who attacked military facilities after Khan's arrest. On May 18, General Munir visited Sialkot Garrison and said that all those responsible for bringing shame to the nation on "Black Day of May 9" would be brought to justice.

The government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is simply following what his Army wishes today. It has endorsed the military statement to try the alleged perpetrators of May 9 episode. Pakistani authorities have detained some PTI leaders, purportedly for their role in the violent protests. The police have arrested even the family members of some PTI leaders. They have surrounded Khan's house and accused him of sheltering people involved in the violent protests.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan is unlikely to validate the Army's move to try civilians under the Army Act and the Official Secrets Act. But it can do little. The ruling coalition in Pakistan is in league with the military leadership against the top judiciary. It is vowing to remove the country's Chief Justice. It has been upset over the court's order to release Khan within a day of his arrest and provide him with protection from further arrest.

The observers say the United States, India and other leading democracies of the world must come together and prevail over the Pakistan military not to throttle democracy in the country. They must ensure the national elections, currently scheduled for October this year, are held on time and there is a stable democratic government in Islamabad to foster peace and development in the country.

It is unfortunate that the Pakistan Army under General Munir has started a process isolating Khan within his party and side-lining him in the country's politics. Reports are the Army has of late influenced several powerful PTI office-bearers to leave the party. It has activated former member of National Assembly of Pakistan and business magnate Jahangir Tareen to form a strong faction within the party. PTI leaders like Pervez Khattak and Asad Qaiser may now play the lead role in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhary and Pervez Elahi may be the points person in Punjab. And Faisal Wavda, who left the PTI many months ago, may play a role in Sindh.

The Army in Pakistan must stop all such manipulations for democracy and development in the country. There seems to be little substance in the allegation that Khan was behind the violence of May 9. Given the kind of security that is always there around the army installations in Pakistan, it seems almost impossible for any irate mob to vandalise them. Besides, PTI leaders have denounced the violence. In his message to followers, Khan has always told them to stay within the Constitution and remain peaceful 'when you do protest'.

The military leadership in Pakistan must bear in mind that the Army Act cannot be invoked against Khan and his associates. The 1952 law involves the use of military trials, mainly to prosecute military officers. A 2015 amendment did give the military some leeway to prosecute civilians. But it expired in 2019.

The observers add India must remain doubly cautious. New Delhi's experience with the Pakistan Army has been bitter in the past. The other day, General Munir made a veiled reference to the numerical equation with India and said his "brave soldiers... don't get fascinated with the numbers or resources of their adversaries."

(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.