The absence of the services’ chiefs from the state banquet for the President of Turkmenistan followed by meeting between Zardari and Kayani has naturally generated speculations. The call on the President by ambassador Munter soon after the departure of Kayani and the summoning of Ambassador Haqqani to Islamabad have further added to conjectures. The events have followed an article by a Pakistani American in FT alleging that a request was made by Zardari through Ambassador Haqqani to save the civilian government from an imminent army take over. The government has contradicted the claim and Mike Mullen has expressed ignorance about any communication of the type but Ijaz stands by his report. Irrespective of whether the alleged memo was sent or not there is a need on the part of those who matter to realise why successive elected governments in Pakistan continue to feel threatened of military takeovers. Nawaz Sharif had to send Shahbaz post-haste to the US to seek President Clinton’s support for his government in Pakistan leading to a statement of the sort from Washington in support of the democratic order. If Bruce Riedel is to be believed, concerns about army intervention were also subsequently conveyed by Nawaz himself to the American President.
It also a matter of record that both civilian and military rulers have looked towards the US; the first for support to the democratic order and the second for support to the post coup military setups. The reason is the undue economic and military reliance of the country’s ruling elite on the superpower.
With the end of the Cold War, the world is no more willing to tolerate military rules. One wishes the lesson had been learnt by the respective quarters. The WikiLeaks however convey a disturbing message. Last week, Mian Nawaz Sharif opposed immediate resignations from the Parliament on the ground that these could benefit the ‘third power.’ On Saturday, the CJ deemed it fit to reiterate that any unconstitutional step by the army would be tantamount to sedition. There is a need on the part of the civilian and military leadership to strengthen mutual confidence on the basis of the constitutional provisions which strictly debar the army from interference in politics.
