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OpEdNews Op Eds    H3'ed 11/21/22

Politics of Pakistan exposes dirty role of army and judiciary

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Message Abdus-Sattar Ghazali
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The Lower House of the Parliament on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution expressing solidarity with Pakistan's powerful Army.

The resolution referred to the current controversy over the appointment of the Army Chief of Staff to replace General Bajwa who retires on November 29. It hinted that the controversy was created by the Jewish-Indian lobby.

In recent weeks, there were persistent reports that the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wants to name the Army Chief of his choice and his younger brother Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited London to consult his brother who is living in London these days.

Imran Khan, President of Tehreek-e-Istaqlal, the largest party of Pakistan, has said that the Army Chief should be appointed on the basis of seniority.

The assembly of Pakistan's Punjab province in September 2022 passed a resolution against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to be tried on charges of treason for consulting his "fugitive" elder brother Nawaz Sharif in connection with the appointment of a new army chief.

In July 2017, Pakistan's Supreme Court removed the prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, from office in a unanimous verdict over corruption allegations. In July 2018, Nawaz Sharif has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for corruption. At present he is on bail and went to London for medical treatment.

The resolution said that Shehbaz Sharif held discussions with a fugitive Nawaz Sharif in London a few days ago regarding the appointment of a new army chief. According to the resolution, this consultation is a violation of the Prime Minister's oath not to share sensitive information with unrelated people, but also an insult to an institution like the army.

After weeks of speculations about the appointment of the new Army Chief, Defense Minister Khawaja M Asif said Wednesday that the Pakistan government is planning to amend the Army Act of 1952 to have greater authority over the appointment and retention of the Army chief.

The planned amendment of the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) 1952 is expected to empower the Prime Minister to retain an incumbent Army chief with a simple notification rather than through a complex constitutional process which also requires the President's assent.

Lieutenant General Asim Munir is among the frontrunners to become the next chief of the Pakistan Army. However, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) president Asif Ali Zardari - a part of the ruling coalition - reportedly wants a six-month extension for current army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

The military is the most powerful institution of Pakistan, and the appointment could have a crucial bearing on the future of Pakistan's fragile democracy.

During the 75 years since independence, the army has seized power three times and directly ruled the country for more than three decades. Even when a civilian government holds power, Pakistan's generals retain a dominant influence over the government particularly on security matters and foreign affairs.

Imran Khan names a Major General in assassination plot

On 3 November 2022, Imran Khan, former prime minister of Pakistan and chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party, was shot in an assassination attempt in Wazirabad, Punjab, during a long protest march against the government. The gunman also injured a number of other PTI leaders and killed a supporter.

Imran Khan says that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Major General Naseer of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) were part of a sinister plot to assassinate him in the same way former Punjab governor Salman Taseer was killed in 2011 by a religious extremist.

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Author and journalist. Author of Islamic Pakistan: Illusions & Reality; Islam in the Post-Cold War Era; Islam & Modernism; Islam & Muslims in the Post-9/11 America. Currently working as free lance journalist. Executive Editor of American (more...)
 
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