Islamabad: At a time when India’s influence across countries is displaying considerable growth, things do not appear to be smooth-sailing for troubled neighbours Pakistan.
In a move that exposes who really calls the shots in the Pakistan establishment, the Pakistan Army reportedly summoned the entire Nawaz Sharif cabinet, excluding the Interior ministry, for a meeting at military's general headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi last week. The agenda of the meeting, which was called in a display of the power the army wields in influencing government policies, was to “discuss the country's external and internal security-related policies”.
The worry of the Pakistan army is understandable. The development comes as the Pakistan government has miserably failed on several diplomatic fronts, putting the Islamic nation on a backfoot. On the other hand, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s successful visit to five nations, including to the US, have forced Pakistan on the defensive.
As 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) meet this week to discuss whether to allow Pakistan and India in its fold, the pressure on Pakistan’s civilian government is only increasing. If India succeeds in securing a seat at the elite NSG-table and Pakistan fails to do so, Army’s grip on the government will be further tightened.
Tensions in Pakistan’s relations with the United States, Afghanistan and Iran have only made matters worse for Nawaz Sharif government. India, on the other hand, has gotten only closer to these countries in last two years.
Sharif's adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz has rejected the criticism that the military is interfering in policy matters of the government. Sartaj Aziz told the parliament, “Over the years, we've been taking substantial inputs from the military due to our long standing disputes with neighbouring India.”
Ali Muhammad Khan, a parliamentarian from opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party, said in the National Assembly, "Politicians are accountable to people, but if an army general comes in, nobody will be able to ask him a question. I appeal to all politicians on treasury and opposition benches to fulfil the trust of the masses who elected them and assert themselves in the policy making process of the country."
