JK News Today Commentary
Jammu
The matters between Pakistani army and politicians are coming to head. Now Pakistan ‘s top army brass has confronted the opposition parties with a not-so- subtle warning that they should avoid brining their institution into question on any account.
Pakistan’s army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa and ISI chief Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, according to Pakistani media reports , held a meeting with the political groups, including those who had formed an alliance on September 16 and called for resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan ,in which the army brass said that their “ institution should not be dragged into political rivalry of theirs.” This was something that appeared in media, but the things would have been really hot inside the meeting as this is unprecedented that army holds such face to face meetings with the political leaders.
It is rare in any country. But then Pakistan is an exception , where political establishment has been subservient to the army. Since its birth in 1947, Pakistan has been under the military rule, and the democratic governments had either to obey the Army Generals or had to quit . It happened to the two governments of Pakistan Peoples’ Party government led by late Benazir Bhutto and subsequently with her successor Mian Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan Muslim League -Nawaz.
What has come out is that Pakistan Army has told the politicians in the sternest possible terms that they should not dare to question the army’s role . That’s all .
The reinforcement of this message by Gen. Bajwa and spy agency chief Gen. Hameed to the politicians that their institution is above criticism and accountability shows the stranglehold of the army on Pakistan and its politics. That has proved the opposition’s criticism correct that the army had assumed the role of all powerful establishment and that it could make or mar the governments.
It is also a recognition that the present government led by Imran Khan is the one selected by the army . That was the charge of Pakistan’s opposition parties that now stands vindicated.
