Sleepwalking into another nightmare?
Recent incidents on the national, political and strategic landscape point to a new scheme of things, a new game plan for Pakistan – possibly an expansion of the new great game.
This new great game was launched and executed successfully in the Middle East, toppling several regimes and replacing them with not-so-stable alternatives. Its second phase is aimed at balkanising the entire Gulf region, carving out new, weaker but smaller units, ruled by terrorist-cum-sectarian outfits and ethnic groups.
Now, the balkanisation plan is turning towards Pakistan with a possible Middle East-like map on the table for the only nuclear power of the Muslim world. And considering recent geo-strategic developments taking place at a furious pace, it is anyone’s guess what game-plan is being implemented here.
Around two months back, three institutions – media, military and judiciary – were functioning within their stated spheres and inching towards reforms, which had the potential to deliver and these institutions enjoyed increasing public support. On the other hand, the army, following the nine-year-long dictatorial rule of General Musharraf, had been able to survive the jolts – thanks to its internal cohesion and unity of command.
Only a year back, popular perception among the public was that the media and the judiciary were the institutions which had the commitment and capability to discourage future military takeovers, if any. The schemers however planned and worked to tarnish the image of both these institutions – media and judiciary.
Only a year back, popular perception among the public was that the media and the judiciary were the institutions which had the commitment and capability to discourage future military takeovers.
On a sad April 19 evening, things started rolling with an armed attack on known TV anchor and columnist Hamid Mir in Karachi. Initially, the premier intelligence agency was targeted by the major media group with whom Hamid Mir is affiliated, triggering sharp divisions between media houses and the government. With the attack launched, someone started pulling the strings of the media houses in different sides simultaneously.
The media and the government became a certain casualty due to this vicious attack — thanks to their commercial interests, internal divisions and lust for power through corruption. The media has lost its credibility since then. People on the streets no more have their confidence in the institution as they did before the attack on Mir — perhaps an important objective of the game plan has been achieved.
So, now we have a divided media which lacks credibility and clout. The PML-N government became the next casualty. It was already suffering from credibility crisis as there have been valid and concrete accusations of massive vote-fraud in the 2013 general elections. Moreover, loudmouth anti-army ministers around PM Nawaz Sharif pushed the government towards more instability and isolation.
If there was any credibility left, it was taken away after the brutal killing of around a dozen workers of Dr Tahirul Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek in Model Town Lahore recently by Punjab Police and rogue elements within the ruling party.
The judiciary in the post-Iftikhar Chaudhry era is also not a different story – it is struggling to cope with a tarnished image.
One may analyse this situation to conclude that the powers behind the scenes are working on two things — exposing alleged links between the judiciary and Sharif family, and bringing to the fore the role of returning officers in the 2013 vote-fraud.
Precise but continuous leaks about the favours being showered upon retired Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and his scandalous son — Arsalan Iftikhar – by the Nawaz regime are not without meaning. They served well to damage the image of the judiciary.
Moreover, the expose about the alleged role of former Supreme Court judge Khalilur Rehman Ramday – the adjudicator who played a role in convincing all fellow judges to restore Iftikhar Chaudhry in 2007 – in manipulating the recent elections is enough to bring a bad name to the post-Iftikhar judiciary.
The emotional speech by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in Bahawalpur helped raise further questions on the judiciary’s alleged role in the vote-fraud. In a heated environment, Khan hurled fire on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for engineering a massive vote-fraud. However, his four questions put to the premier were actually aimed at the role allegedly played by Iftikhar Chaudhry and his fellow judges in the rigging.
Since Nawaz Sharif is not supposed to respond to the questions raised by Khan, this mysterious silence would further fracture the judiciary’s repute. Khan’s threat of launching a tsunami march soon after Eidul Fitr interestingly is also aimed at having a jab at Iftikhar Chaudhry, putting further pressure on incumbent judges to conduct an immediate probe into allegations of poll-rigging.
This would leave the army as the only institution unscratched in the country. Despite repeated prods by Iftikhar Chaudhry and his fellow judges at the respect and prestige of the armed forces by making remarks during the hearings of the missing persons cases, the institution of armed forces has not only survived but also its leadership seems cognizant of the actual game plan being implemented in Middle East and now in Pakistan.
Operation Zarb-e-Azb launched in the mountainous North Waziristan Agency was also aimed at pre-empting this game plan. A successful operation may further boost the image of the armed forces.
Precise but continuous leaks about the favours being showered upon retired Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and his scandalous son – Arsalan Iftikhar – by the Nawaz regime are not without meaning. They served well to damage the image of the judiciary.
However, the mindset in prime minister’s house vis-à-vis relations with khakis needs to be reviewed. There are some forces active behind-the-scenes to keep reminding premier Nawaz Sharif about 1999 army coup, to keep his soul burning in revenge.
Despite warnings and advice from Saudi King Abdullah, Turkey’s Tayyip Erdogan and others, Nawaz Sharif seems clearly out for revenge against General Pervez Musharraf and appears committed not to let the former army chief off the hook anytime soon – sending a very negative signal to the armed forces.
On the other hand, the army leadership is very clear in its plans and will not let anyone touch the former chief. This tiff may prove to be another flashpoint in civil-military relations which may lead towards another rebellion by the brass.
The media and judiciary may not be in a position to resist another military coup due to their own follies and divisions and the situation may trigger further divisions.
Nawaz Sharif and his team need to understand that the international establishment is creating a situation which may lead to another army intervention in Pakistan – which, in turn, may prove to be disastrous for all the state institutions.
There is a dire need for the so-called third time elected prime minister of the country to take stock of the situation as another misadventure may unleash political hell upon him and all his countrymen. The architects of this master-plan have already labelled Pakistan a failed nuclear state.
It’s about time all the stakeholders appreciate the gravity of the situation or they will keep playing like ‘puppets’ in the hands of their foreign masters to prove that Pakistan is indeed a theatre of the absurd.