KARACHI:
Former army officers do not foresee any change in the military’s currentapproach towards the country’s future “political and constitutional course”despite huge crowds spilling out in support of former prime minister ImranKhan following his ouster.
Khan, whose Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) came into power after the 2018general elections, was ousted through a successful no-trust motion by theopposition alliance earlier this month.
He is the first Pakistani leader ousted through a no-confidence motion inthe country’s 75-year political history.
Crying foul, the ousted premier heaped the blame for his exit on an”American conspiracy”, a claim rejected by the army, although itacknowledged there was an “interference” in Islamabad’s internal affairs.
Former information minister Fawad Chaudhry, nonetheless, acknowledged acreeping bitterness in otherwise congenial relations between the ex-primeminister and the army.
“The PTI would have been in power had our relations with the establishmentwere good,” Chaudhry said in an interview with *Express News*linkthis week.
Confirming that ties with the establishment had been fragile for the pastseveral months, he said his party made “a lot of efforts” to end the rift.
Army and politics
“The army will maintain its approach. There will be no change in its policybecause of several crucial factors,” Talat Masood, a retired three-stargeneral, opined.
Speaking to *Anadolu Agency*, Masood, who served in the military from 1952to 1990, and took part in two wars against arch-rival India, contended thatthe former premier’s ongoing policy could “only diminish his chances ofcoming back to power.”
“The first and foremost factor (behind no change in the military’s policy)is that the state cannot afford Khan’s narrative, which is highlydetrimental in terms of economy, foreign policy, and internal and externalsecurity,” Masood said.
He was referring to Islamabad’s longtime dependence on the US and theEuropean Union in terms of military hardware, trade, and financial aid,particularly from international monetary agencies, which are heavilyinfluenced by Washington.
“It is high time for Khan to review his current approach, which is not atall in the country’s interest. He will definitely continue to enjoy (his)cult following, but it will not benefit the nation as a whole,” he went onto argue.
The cricketer-turned-politician enjoys massive support among the youths,and nearly nine million overseas Pakistanis, who took to the streets acrossthe country to protest his ouster.
Read Top Stories
“Khan must exploit this potential in his favour positively rather thanchoosing a collision course,” he maintained.
Endorsing Masood’s views, Mahmood Shah, a retired brigadier, observed thatpolitical gatherings or crowds, no matter how big they are, will not changethe army’s policy.
“Khan has a big following. But it’s not that big, which can dictate thestate. He can come back to the power through elections, and not by forcingthe state,” Shah, who served in the military from 1970 to 2002, told *AnadoluAgency*.
“He will soon realise that he is pursuing a wrong approach.”
‘Pacification’ campaign
Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has held a string of meetings withserving and retired military officers in recent days, which according toanalysts, is part of a “pacification” and “realisation of factual position”campaign in the face of criticism the army is facing for its alleged rolein the change of regime in the country.
“The ongoing campaign, especially on social media, which aims to target thearmy has affected the ranks and files of the military. And this is quiteunderstandable because the army men don’t live in isolation. They havefamilies, friends, and acquaintances with different political backgrounds,”said retired army Brig Said Nazir.
Khan’s ouster, he said, did not sit well not only with his supporters, butmany retired military officers, who took to the streets or the social mediato express their peeve, which was “unprecedented”.
“That’s why the army chief is meeting with serving and retired officers toclarify the military’s position on the recent political developments,”Nazir, who served in the army from 1973 to 2008, told *Anadolu Agency*.
Without realising the long-term effects, he argued, Khan chose a collisioncourse for “short-term political benefits”, which has backfired.
“It is not good for an already economically weak and politically polarisedcountry. We cannot afford this (approach) when it comes to nationalsecurity and foreign policy,” he went on to say.
“It will not benefit him (Khan) either. I don’t think the army will bid forhim to be the country’s leader, at least in near future,” he contended. -Anadolu Agency