Combative Imran riles army

G Parthasarathy

Chancellor, Jammu Central University & former High Commissioner to Pakistan

HAVING lived in Karachi, the economic hub of Pakistan, and Islamabad, I have learnt that the lives of virtually all sections of society in Pakistan are affected partially by what its elected rulers do. Real power is manifested in Pakistan by the country’s all-powerful army. The residence of the Indian Consul General in Karachi, which was earlier the residence of the High Commissioner of India, was located in the Clifton Area, opposite the ancestral home of the Bhutto family. Benazir Bhutto was then under house arrest, while her mother was allowed to move around freely. The then military ruler, Gen Zia-ul-Haq, felt that freeing Benazir would pose far more serious problems for him than freeing Nusrat, her mother. The Sharif family met a similar fate soon after the Kargil fiasco. Nawaz Sharif was placed under house arrest by General Musharraf. Later, he was released and exiled to Saudi Arabia due to Saudi pressure. Sharif moved to Saudi Arabia and later to the family residence in London.

Pakistan is heading for troubled times. There will be continuing problems as Imran Khan is determined to demonstrate his power and popularity.

The Sharif family traditionally had close business and personal relations with the Saudis, and Nawaz had to be treated with due care and consideration. Musharraf was certainly not as popular in Saudi Arabia as the Sharifs. He was, therefore, assisted by the army to take up residences in both London and Abu Dhabi after he retired. No one asked him how a retired army officer could afford such luxurious properties in London and the UAE.

The leader of the Muhajirs — the Sind-based refugees from India — Altaf Hussain also leads a comfortable life in London. He spearheads a movement demanding extensive rights for the Muhajirs and urges better relations with India. Predictably, he has been accused in Pakistan as serving India’s interests. Self-exiled leaders like Altaf and Nawaz Sharif are, however, asked no questions publicly about where the money for their luxurious lifestyles comes from.

Like many others, the Sharifs found it safer to live in London than in Pakistan. Other Pakistani notables living for many years in London include Musharraf. But the most influential Pakistani politician who is still in self-exile in London is Nawaz Sharif, who is expected to return to Pakistan soon. Even the General Bajwa-led army now feels that Nawaz Sharif is needed in the country, and particularly in Punjab, to face the challenges posed by former PM Imran Khan. This has become more important after the growing popularity of Khan, who was shot at by an armed gunman on November 3.

Asad Umar, the secretary-general of Khan’s Tehriq-e-Insaaf Party, recently made a sensational statement, accusing PM Shehbaz Sharif, interior minister Rana Sanaullah and the Director-General of Counter-Intelligence, Major Gen Faisal Naseer, of plotting the attack on Khan. The shooting led to Khan being hospitalised, while he was leading a political rally, calling for fresh elections.

Faced with this serious situation, the obviously rattled Director-General of the ISI, Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum, accused Khan of seeking support within sections of the Pakistan military. This arose from the fact that younger elements in the military support Khan, who had earlier claimed that he believed that the Pakistan government had hatched a plan to kill him.

With the army chief, General Bajwa, set to retire on November 28, the search is now on for a new army chief. Bajwa took on a high-profile role in foreign relations, which only resulted in his coming under increasing criticism. There was never any love lost between him and Khan, and it is was justifiably felt that Bajwa was moving too close to the US. Bajwa even acted as an intermediary with the Biden administration on issues like Pakistan’s urgent need for an IMF bailout. Neither Bajwa nor the Sharif family would like to see Khan’s favourite, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, who was chosen as ISI chief and later eased out of the post by Bajwa, to be appointed as the next army chief. There are at least four officials who are senior to Faiz Hameed. He is, therefore, unlikely to be included in the names to be proposed by the army to the Prime Minister, to succeed Bajwa.

Pakistan is heading for troubled times. There will be continuing problems as an aggressive Imran Khan moves ahead by demonstrating his power and popularity across the country. There is no question that as of now, he is the most popular politician. His popularity was demonstrated across the country, and particularly in the populous Punjab province, when his party swept the recent byelections.

Like Bajwa, Nawaz Sharif would also like to see Khan prevented from assuming power. Nawaz Sharif would like to return to Lahore as soon as legal cases against him are withdrawn. While his younger brother and PM, Shehbaz Sharif, is a good administrator, he lacks the political skills, stature and acumen necessary to take on Khan. There are presently four officials of the rank of Lt General who are senior in service to Khan’s protégé. Any one of these four officials could be chosen as the next army chief. The names will obviously not include Faiz Hameed who is junior to other nominees. There are indications that this issue has been discussed in detail with Nawaz Sharif by his brother Shehbaz, who met him recently in London.

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