STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan
According to mathematics, the shortest distance is a straight line. Yet too many overlook this simple fact and meander through life creating cumbersome situations for themselves and their loved ones. Individual choices impact personal lives, however when this approach is expanded nationwide the whole country becomes a victim. That is Pakistan’s grim reality. General Asim Muneer’s ambition to rule for a decade would have materialized if he had imposed martial law. That was the straight line available to him. It happened four times before, there was nothing novel about a fifth one. It would have saved all the mayhem and chaos and prevented billions of dollars in wastage.
This martial law would have gone smoothly with the docileand compromised politicians. The spoke in the wheel is the “X” factor that has come to dominate the Pakistan’s political landscape. Nawaz Sharif is a product of a military nursery and Shahbaz excels in polishing military boots. PPP’s Zardari and Bilawal are just as bad. They benefit from Bhutto name; in reality, they are pawns of the establishment claiming to be better shoe-shiners than Sharifs. Both would have gone along for the ride as long as they were permitted to loot and plunder; their sole purpose of political existence.
The ”X” factor in Pakistani politics is Imran Khan. IK’s political journey spans nearly 30 years. It took 15 years to convert his popularity into votes. 2011 onwards the vote bank kept growing as IK gained respect for his principled stands and incorruptibility. When he was voted into power in 2018, IK inherited a broken economy and within a year Covid 19 struck. He overcame economic challenges, dealt competently with Covid but could not prevent palace intrigues initiated by General Bajwa. Ousted in April 2022,it was supposed to be IK’s political demise.
Instead, Pakistanis refused to accept defeat and thronged to back IK in his struggle against PDM’s corrupt regime and their puppeteers. It was IK’s “second coming”. PTI and its supporters braved unrelenting atrocities, jail and other forms of brutalities.
They refused to give up. Army’s reputation sank like a rock. After change of army leadership, General Asim had a choice. He had the opportunity of righting the wrongs and regain respect for his institution. Instead, he decided to take ownership of Bajwa’s agenda known as “London Plan”.
He could have imposed direct dictatorship. Instead, he chose to rule indirectly through “touts” supported by thepower of Establishment. He jailed IK and completely muzzled the media. As a trained intelligence operative, he spread his tentacles like an octopus and took control of judiciary and all key positions. Through a subservient parliament he legislated laws leading to total control of the country. Pakistanis rejected all these moves by giving a massive verdict in favor of IK on Feb 8th 2024. Instead of accepting people’s will, General Asim gave a knee-jerk reaction by falsifying electoral results; and engineeredelimination of forums of legal recourse except public protest.
For total domination, General Asim must remove the three thorns that remain embedded. Tame IK’s enduring support amongst the masses, muzzle free-spirited social media and bully overseas Pakistanis into submission. Now a fourth factor has joined; growing condemnation of massive violation of human rights by international forums. President Biden had turned a blind eye towards all the atrocities perpetuated by army using civilian façade. After Trump’s victory, it is expected that this blindfold will come off. Multiple US Congressmen in a recent letter to Biden have pointed out gross violations of resolution passed by an overwhelming majority in Congress.
20 plus British MPs demanded intervention by their government. It led to a high-powered UK delegation’s visit to Islamabad seeking IK’s release. International jurists have condemned passage of 26th Amendment. On 24thNovember massive protests are planned in 31 major cities around the world. I am aware of the enthusiasm in Canada for massive protests. This international din is bound to create an impact on their home Governments. It will translate into pressure on Pakistan’s debt crippled regime.
Civilian martial law has been imposed. Martial Law Administrators from the army have been replaced by uniformed Station Commanders of ISI. The entire intelligence structure has been sucked into crushing PTI. Terrorists are having a field day. The recent massacre of innocent civilians in Kurram, where littered dead bodies cannot even receive a decent burial, is a painful tragedy.
Viewing the shutdowns by the Government in Punjab in preparation of Nov 24th protests indicate the potential of a bloody clash. Pretensions of negotiations was just a ruse. General Asim and his team are fixated on keeping IK behind bars. Launching false narratives and enforcing their will through the barrel of the gun is their sole strategy.
What these myopic generals fail to realize is that protests thus far have been peaceful because of IK, despite their provocative behavior. The nation should acknowledge this huge public service. If you add up all the men in uniform they are under a million strong. We are a nation of 250 million out of which at least 200 million support IK. Should the anger of masses spill over in the week of 24thNovember the entire nation will be paralyzed. Public protest can convert into civil disobedience as a reaction to brutality. The Generals should wake up and prevent this fall into an abyss.
