ISLAMABAD: The new chief of Pakistan’s army had a tough act to follow whenhe took the baton of command in November 2016. His predecessor had been awidely popular figure, credited with dramatically curbing both attacks bymilitants against civilians and political corruption and extortion. Therewas apprehension that the army’s next leader could never match thesesuccesses and might struggle to exert control.

But since assuming what is considered the most powerful position in thecountry, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa has left no doubt about who is in charge. Alittle more than a year after he took command, there is already talk in thecountry of the “Bajwa Doctrine,” with Pakistan’s approach to foreign anddomestic policies reflecting the army chief’s vision.

Bajwa has served during a time of great political upheaval, even by thetumultuous standards of Pakistan. He was chosen as army chief by the primeminister at the time, Nawaz Shariflink>, with a criticalfactor in his selection being the general’s strong support for friendlierties between the military and civilians.

But Sharif was ousted by the Supreme Court over corruption charges, in acontroversial decision in July.

Then, this month, the Trumplink>administrationannounced it would suspend nearly all security aid to Pakistan, anacross-the-board freeze that is the most tangible sign yet of Washington’sfrustration with what it sees as the country’s refusal to crack down onterrorist networks operating there.

The decision, which could affect as much as $1.3 billion in annual aid,came three days after President Donald Trump complained on Twitter thatPakistan had “given us nothing but lies & deceit” and accused it ofproviding “safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan.”

Statements from the Pakistan army’s media wing have described Bajwa asbeing outspoken in conversations with US generals and government officials.In a call this month with Gen. Joseph L. Votel,head of the US CentralCommand, for example, Bajwa talked of a “sense of betrayal” within thecountry over Trump’s tweet, the army said.

The relationship between Pakistan and the United States has been one of”allies with an up and down history,” said Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor,spokesman of the Pakistani military.

Since the announcement from the Trump administration, Bajwa has stressedthat Pakistan will not seek the resumption of US security aid and that thecountry is not dependent on it. Since last year, he has been reaching outto countries like China, Iran, Qatar, Russia and Saudi Arabia — buildingcontacts that could help him cement his grip on power and reduce Pakistan’sreliance on the United States.

In the view of the Pakistan military, both Bajwa and his predecessor, Gen.Raheel Sharif, can point to victories against militants who have attackedthe country’s civilian population, which has increased the army’spopularity.

Raheel Sharif during his tenure “cleared leftover strongholds of terroristsin northwestern Pakistan,” Ghafoor, the military spokesman, said. “GeneralBajwa is taking it forward to enduring peace and stability not only inPakistan, but the region as well.”

Bajwa is also pursuing fencing along the 1,685-mile length of thePakistan-Afghanistanborder link> tohelp curb cross-border movements by militants. And he has pushed for therepatriation of Afghan refugees to keep militants from hiding in thecountry by mingling with refugees in settlement camps.

And Pakistan, Ghafoor said, “remains committed to continue contributing allefforts to bring peace in Afghanistan and understands US concerns.”

On the domestic front, critics say Bajwa is essentially following the sameinstitutional policies that have made the military an overarching influencein the country.

“For the last 1 1/2 years, civilian-military ties have hit their lowestebb,” said Zahid Hussain, a widely read political columnist and analyst.”The army is now much more assertive. It has greatly increased its clout.”

Since being removed from the prime minister’s office, Nawaz Sharif has goneon a political offensive. He has drawn enormous crowds at public ralliesand, in sometimes veiled and sometimes not-so-veiled references, hasaccused the judiciary and the military of hatching a conspiracy to removehim from office.

The military has denied accusations that it is behind Sharif’s removal, butallegations of the military’s intelligence agencies meddling in politicscontinue to surface.

Recently, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi link>, aSharif loyalist who succeeded him as prime minister, hinted at the role ofintelligence agencies in forcing the resignation of an ally of Sharif fromthe post of chief minister of Baluchistan province in the country’ssouthwest.

There is speculation within the governing party, the Pakistan MuslimLeague-Nawaz, that the military will not allow a level playing field in thenext general elections, which are five months away. There are also worriesthat the vote may be delayed.

Ghafoor, the military spokesman, played down the fears of a disruption ofthe coming vote. “Democracy is the way forward,” he said. “Elections shouldtake place on time.”

Hussain, the political columnist, echoed that sentiment, saying fears of acoup or delay in elections were exaggerated. “I don’t see any derailment ofthe democratic process,” he said.

One of the country’s leading opposition politicians, and a bitter foe ofSharif, raved about the job the new army chief has done.

“I have more praise for General Bajwa than General Raheel Sharif,” theopposition politician, Imran Khan, said at his political office in thesuburbs of Islamabad. “Never has an army chief so openly supporteddemocracy.”

Khan, a contender to be Pakistan’s next prime minister, said Bajwa haddoubled down on his predecessor’s efforts to curtail militant violence andpolitical corruption.

As an example, Khan pointed out that there had been suspicion among thebusiness community of Karachi, the country’s commercial hub, that actionsstarted by the former army chief against criminal political gangs andextortionists in the city might come to a halt. “But there has been noletup,” Khan said.

The relationship between Nawaz Sharif and Bajwa fractured in the springover leaks to the news media of a meeting at which Pakistan’s civilianleaders confronted the military over its alleged reluctance to fightIslamic militant groups in the country.

And with Sharif continuing to speak out since leaving office, the militaryappears in no mood to repair the rift with the still highly influentialpolitician. “Nawaz Sharif still has a lot of say,” said Hussain, thecolumnist. “And the anger against him within the army is greater thanbefore.”

The army chief is said to have a better working relationship with Abbasi,Sharif’s successor.

“There has been much more institutional contact between Prime MinisterAbbasi and General Bajwa,” Hussain said. “Unlike under Nawaz, when therewas a complete breakdown in institutional decision-making.”

“But this is not to suggest that there is no friction,” Hussain added. “Thearmy is in a much stronger position now.”