Page 54 - Tehelka Issue 15 August 2018
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Is Imran Khan’s win a
victory of Pak army?
The outcome of the electoral exercise in Pakistan suggests that the
ASIAN DRAMA military leadership has started believing that the coup idea is no
Syed longer relevant or as attractive as it was in the past
NooruzzamaN
hat the Pakistan army is in the course of his address: “Today the
no longer interested in judiciary and the media have come in
The columnist — former running the government the control of ‘Bandookwala’ (army).
Deputy Editor of The directly — by capturing the The judiciary is not independent. Even
Tribune, Chandigarh — reins of power through a the media is getting directions from the
specialises in foreign T coup — has been proved military. The media is not speaking the
affairs. With a career conclusively by the way it is believed truth because it is under pressure and
spanning 41 years, he to have managed the July 25 National has its interests.”
keeps close watch on and Provincial Assembly elections. The Justice Siddiqui further explained
issues related to South outcome of the electoral exercise is al- how the army had been trying to ensure
Asian countries. The most as the top generals wished: giving that court verdicts were in accordance
views expressed are a chance to cricket legend Imran Khan’s with the Bandookwala’s designs. Alarm-
personal party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf ingly, it has been found that “in different
(PTI), to run the government with a view cases, the ISI forms benches of its choice
to having a “Naya Pakistan” as promised. to get the desired results. The ISI had
Perhaps, the military leadership — asked the Chief Justice to make sure that
also called the Deep State, which also Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam
includes the top bureaucracy and the Nawaz should not come out of jail
judiciary — believes that the coup idea before the July 25 elections. It had also
is no longer relevant or as attractive asked him not to include me (Justice Sid-
as it was in the past. There are differ- diqui) in the bench hearing the appeal
ent kinds of avoidable risks involved, of Nawaz Sharif and his daughter in the
including the possibility of the military Avenfield case. The CJI told the ISI that
getting completely discredited in the he would make a bench of its choice.”
eyes of the public all over Pakistan as it The Pakistan army meddling in
happened a few years back in the tribal elections is not new. It has always done
areas when half-hearted anti-Taliban all it could to get elected the rulers of its
military operations were launched choice though without success some-
under intense international pressure. times. The judiciary in Pakistan too has
In view of this, the army leadership has a history of succumbing to pressures
begun trying a new idea: controlling the from the army, which has got military
levers of power by having a government coups justified by courts. Of course,
of its choice by influencing the judiciary exceptions have been there as noticed
and the media. during the days when Justice Iftikhar
However, all judges and journal- Chaudhary was the Chief Justice of the
ists cannot be made to toe the military Pakistan Supreme Court.
line as has been proved by the indirect So, it is not surprising if the army
refusal to cooperate by Dawn, Jang has shown its preference for a federal
and some other groups as well as the government under the leadership of
disclosures made by Justice Shaukat Imran Khan this time. Khan’s PTI is, in
Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High fact, the obvious choice for the army
Court at a programme organized by the leadership as it is disappointed with
Rawalpindi Bar Association. He stated the Bilawal Bhutto-led PPP and the
Tehelka / 15 august 2018 54 www.Tehelka.com
