Page 44 - 30NOV2019E

InternatIonal

Pakistan Army in quest of with China has made it less dependent

upon the west.
The crucial role of Pakistan is well-
yet another civilian face known in ousting the communists
from Afghanistan. It received liberal
funding from the US-led western pow-
ers for promoting Islamic JIhadfis and
terrorists. However, the western world
now wants that the terrorism must be
Imran Khan seems to become power centre, which decides the politi- understand the contemporary complex contained and the liberal funding to
a liability for the General cal fate of the country. Since its incep- political situation in the country. Pakistan has been stopped. It has led it
tion in 1947, Pakistan has been under
The roots of the problems may be
to depend much more on the Chinese
Headquarters, which is the the boots of the Muslim soldiers of the understood, when ZA Bhutto, who dur- financial assistance.
power centre and decides the British army, which happily connived ing his tenure as the prime minister, It is a piquant situation in Pakistan.
political fate of the country, with the West for its survival. elevated a junior general, Zia-ul-Haq, The Chinese prefer to support the GHQ
With the decision of Prime Minis-
who later deposed him. The cunning
and they have no hesitation, though
reports gopal misra ter Imran Khan, maybe advised by the army dictator also got his mentor ideologically opposed to religious par-
GHQ, not to oppose release of Maryam, hanged through a sham Kangaroo ties’ role in the governance, to ally with
ith the release of Mary- an accountability court issued release court in a concocted murder allega- the Islamic fundamentalists. The civil
am Nawaz on Novem- orders of Pakistan Muslim League(PML- tion. The history appears to be repeat- • Power struck Tthe GHQ is not in unison whether IK should be allowed to complete his tenure society in Pakistan, mostly influenced
ber 5, 2019, may lead N) leader Maryam Nawaz. Earlier, the ing in the case of Imran Khan (IK), but
to a rapprochement Lahore High Court had granted bail to the controversy has other facets. The
W between the estranged Maryam, the PML-N vice-president in issue is that he has extended the tenure replaced by some other civilian face. general election. The then chief of the Two other major
political outfit, Pakistan Muslim League the Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) case. of the incumbent army chief Bajwa for The two major political outfits, Peo- army staff, General Raheel Sharif was political outfits — PPP
(PML)-Noon led by the three-term Justice Amjad Nazir Chaudhry issued another three years. ple’s Party of Pakistan (PPP) and Nawaz requested to facilitate an end to the
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the the orders after Maryam’s counsel The decision has denied the claims Sharif’s PML (Noon), have been nur- crisis. The crisis was ended at a meet- and Nawaz Sharif’s
establishment, which is being explained submitted two surety bonds of 1 lakh of other generals, who will be superan- tured by the GHQ during their nascent ing between IK and the government’s
in the media as a polite definition of each. She was incarcerated in Lahore’s nuated. It appears that the GHQ is not in existence and also removed, when representative. Interestingly, in ousting PML (Noon) have been
the power-hungry Pakistani army. The high security Kot Lakhpat prison. Inter- unison, whether IK should be allowed they dared to question its paramount Bhutto’s People’s Party, Nawaz Sharif nurtured by the GHQ
general headquarters or GHQ is the estingly, it is very difficult to analyse and to complete his tenure or he should be authority. It is well-known that Z.A. was helped by the army and mullahs.
Bhutto was a favourite of the Pakistani The circle appears to be complete, with during their nascent
dictator, Ayub Khan. Bhutto used to call the support now being given to JVI-F existence and also
the general “papa”. and inability of the army chief Bajwa to
help IK in this political conflict. removed, when they
Promoting a cleric dared to question its
In the contemporary Pakistani politics, The super power games
the GHQ has allowed Fazlur Rehman The Bhutto legacy in the Pakistani paramount authority
head of the Jamiat ULema-e-Islam (JVI- establishment has percolated down
F) to hold countrywide rallies against at different levels, though his party is
the IK government. It has become a not in power. He had initiated close by the West and liberal democracies, is
formidable movement when a small proximity with China even during the unable to resolve the dilemma of ally-
procession became a huge congrega- military regimes in Pakistan, especially ing with the West or go with China.
tion when it reached from Karachi to to harass India in the northeastern The huge Chinese presence in
Lahore. The anti-govenrment demon- region. From the military cantonments Balochistan, though opposed by most
strators are rallying in Islamabad to of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), of the locals, has already unnerved
force I.K. to quit the office of the prime Pakistani army was providing military eminent journalists like Hassan Nis-
minister. and civil supplies to the Naga and Mizo sar and Nazam Sethi and many oth-
In 2014, with the tacit approval of the insurgents. It also facilitated their train- ers. The IK has to go, but the key to the
GHQ had allowed the much-trumpeted ing in China. power game is in the GHQ. It cannot be
Azadi March. It was organized by Imran The historic visit of US president ruled out that Maryam may replace IK,
Khan’s political outfit, by the Pakistan Richard Nixon to China was finalized but the process of this transfer needs
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, opposing by his National Security Advisor, Henry political strategy, which Bajwa may not
the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Kissinger, in July 1971, who had quietly be able to work out.
over claims of massive election rig- sneaked to China during a trip to Paki-
ging by the ruling PML-N) in the 2013 stan. This nearly half-a-century alliance letters@tehelka.com

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