The Kingmakers

While Rawalpindi will outrightly reject the popular quip that while it has never won a war, the Pakistan Army has never ever lost an election, but Pakistan’s recent election results has univocally endorsed this unflattering observation yet once again. So, instead of dwelling on the Pakistan Army’s poor war record, it’s time to celebrate Rawalpindi’s innate ability to continuously ‘select’ prime ministers through the ballot-a feat that no other army in any democracy has been able to achieve.

The fact that none of the 22 Pakistani prime ministers in 75 years of the country’s existence have ever completed his/her stipulated five year tenure clearly indicates rampant manipulation of the legislature by Pakistan’s powerful Army. And the Pakistan Army chief’s unparalleled control over national affairs can be gauged by an unnamed “former top US diplomat in Islamabad” who recently told Time magazine that “When we had a [crisis], we didn’t call the prime minister—we called the Chief of Army Staff.”

Reinventing Democracy

Former army officer Maj Gen Iskander Mirza who replaced Ghulam Muhammad as Pakistan’s fourth Governor General in 1956 and later became the country’s first President, ushered-in the concept of ‘controlled democracy’. This was nothing but a hybrid system based on the perverse premise that governance is too important a matter to be left to politicians and as such they were required to work under the Army’s supervision.

Gen [later Field Marshal] Ayub Khan who ousted Mirza through a coup went on to legitimise his dictatorship, by introducing ‘Basic Democracies’. This entailed 80,000 elected ‘Basic Democrats’ participating in a referendum that [expectedly] allowed the dictator to “continue in office as President and to have the authority to frame the future constitution of Pakistan.”

And the Pakistan Army has never looked back since then!

Disrupting Democracy

That Rawalpindi is responsible for frequently disrupting democratic process in Pakistan is no secret. Besides direct intervention through coups, the Pakistan Army has also been actively involved in behind-the-scenes manipulations. In fact, since Rawalpindi practically runs the country, the two century old aphorism “Prussia is not a country with an army but an army with a country” accurately describes the state of affairs in Pakistan.

Besides coups by Gens Ayub Khan, Zia ul Haq and Pervez Musharraf that overthrew elected governments, Pakistan Army’s notorious spy agency Inter Services Intelligence [ISI] has also been actively involved in covert operations to sabotage democracy. Readers may recall that in 1990, the then Pakistan Army chief Gen Aslam Beg and ISI chief Lt Gen Asad Durrani surreptitiously withdrew a princely sum of at least USD 1 million from state owned Mehran Bank to overthrow the Benazir Bhutto government.

Lt Gen Durrani later testified that Gen Beg had asked him to distribute cash to politicians belonging to an anti-Bhutto alliance created by the military establishment. Senior Mehran Bank manager Yunus Habib also testified that he had doled out an equivalent of USD 1.5 million on orders of the Army chief and President Ghulam Ishaq Khan. The fact that neither Gen Beg nor his ISI chief have been taken to task for this serious criminal act indicates the power and authority that Rawalpindi wields!

Current Elections

The day PTI chief Imran Khan crossed swords with the Pakistan Army, had himself signed the death warrant of his own political career and it became absolutely clear that come what may, he would somehow be prevented from participating in the 2024 electoral process. Khan had probably thought that his immense popularity amongst the masses would provide him complete immunity against any rash move by the military was a humongous error of judgment, because Rawalpindi is law unto itself.

In a repeat performance that had precipitated the contentious dismissal of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 2018, orchestrated by Rawalpindi through court conviction, the cricketer turned politician too suffered a similar fate. As per Times magazine, more than 180 charges have been slapped on Khan, which indicates Rawalpindi’s heightened state of paranoia.

Not wanting to take any chances, the wily Pakistan Army chief Gen Syed Asim Munir has politically emasculated Khan with military precision. On the one hand, while thousands of PTI workers were arrested in the run up to elections, several of its leaders were either coerced or cajoled into quitting PTI. Khan’s own nomination papers were rejected and PTI’s signature bat logo has been frozen.

Simultaneously, by prodding the courts to quash the conviction of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in corruption cases and withdrawing his life time ban from politics, Gen Munir facilitated the three-time prime minister’s return to Pakistan and by making him eligible to contest elections, provided the electorate an alternative to Khan.

The Winner

In its recently released 2023 Democracy Index, the Economic Intelligence Unit has downgraded Pakistan from ‘hybrid regime’ to ‘authoritarian regime’, which is the lowest category grading on its scale. However, despite being largely responsible for this sorry state of affairs, Rawalpindi remains unfazed as it knows that such negative assessments don’t have any material impact on foreign relations.

While international organisations, foreign observers, political parties and civil society members have all accused the establishment of using unfair means used during the February 8 elections in Pakistan, there’s no cause for concern as the results suit the military, and that’s what matters. While the hectic post poll political alignments may impress a novice but Pakistan watchers know that it’s just a charade for public consumption- the die has already been cast!

With Khan out of the way, it matters little whether it’s the Sharifs, Bhuttos, or for that matter anyone else who’s able to successfully cobble together the next government, because at the end of the day it’s Gen Munir who has won hands down. The nagging fear however is whether the next prime minister will be able to break the jinx of a truncated tenure and serve out his full term? The answer is simple- if the incumbent toes Rawalpindi’s line, it’s ‘Yes’ and if not then it’s definitely a big ‘No-no’!

Sindhi nationalist and human rights activist Hidayat Lohar was brutally assassinated today in Naseerabad, in what appears to be a targeted attack. Hidayat Lohar, leader of the Voice for Missing Persons of Sindh (VMPS), had previously been a victim of enforced disappearance by the Pakistan Army from April 17, 2017, to July 2019.

The incident unfolded as Lohar was en route to the school where he served as a teacher. Two assailants on a motorcycle ambushed him, firing three fatal shots. The killing is met with widespread condemnation, with concerns raised over the apparent targeting of individuals advocating for human rights and Sindhi nationalism.

Hidayat Lohar’s daughters, Sorath Lohar and Sasai Lohar, both human rights activists and VMPS members, are now left mourning the loss of their father along with a dedication to defend human rights.

Meanwhile, human rights activists and Sindhi nationalists from across Pakistan have decried the assassination, labelling it a “state-sponsored murder.” Accordingly, the incident has reignited a call for unity among Sindhi and Baloch activists against what they perceive as systemic oppression by the Pakistani establishment.

Dr. Mahrang Baloch, a prominent Baloch rights activist, expressed shock and sadness over Lohar’s killing, emphasizing the need for collective action against Pakistani oppression. She called for those responsible for the crime to be held accountable.

The Jeay Sindh Freedom Movement (JSFM), a Sindhi nationalist organization, has condemned the brutal murder, extending support to Lohar’s family. JSFM has announced a 10-day mourning period to honour Hidayat Lohar’s memory.

In a harrowing incident that is unfolding in the Patuakhali district of Bangladesh, Hindu families in Ghurchakathi village are living in fear as they face threats of eviction and extortion from Islamists identified as Muhammad Harun and Al Amin. The perpetrators are demanding money from the Hindu families and coercing them to vacate their homes and lands.

Disturbing visuals from Ghurchakathi highlight the anguish of women who recount their traumatic experiences. One woman bravely shared that the Islamist leaders approached them, demanding a hefty sum of 1.5 lakh takas or forcing them to abandon their homes and property. Shockingly, the victims also claim that the Islamists have resorted to threats of sexual assault if their demands are not met.

Moreover, an elderly lady, visibly distressed, also expressed concern over the lawlessness prevailing in the area, questioning how they could seize her ancestral property, passed down from her father-in-law and mother-in-law. Apparently, the incident exposes the vulnerability of the Hindu community in Bangladesh who are facing constant existential threats at the hands of radical Islamists.

The plight of these minority Hindus is further exacerbated by the fact that the perpetrators often come from influential backgrounds, leaving victims with little recourse for justice. Complaints and pleas for help are frequently ignored, leaving the affected families in a state of desperation. This disturbing episode underscores the broader challenges and existential threats faced by the Hindu minority in Bangladesh.

In a shocking incident that unfolded on Monday, a mob of over 50 individuals, armed with hammers, shovels, and sticks, forcibly stormed an Ahmadiyya mosque situated in the Kotli district of the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK). The attackers inflicted injuries on eight Ahmadi worshippers, including five women, and ruthlessly demolished all four minarets of the mosque.

Ahmadiyyas, a sect of Islam, have long faced persecution in Pakistan, being constitutionally declared as non-Muslims in 1974. This declaration was followed by further restrictions in 1984, stripping them of the right to identify themselves as Muslims. Consequently, the community is prohibited from building mosques with minarets, which has often made them targets for violent attacks.

The assailants targeted the minarets of Ahmadiyya mosque, symbolizing a blatant violation of religious freedom. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the Ahmadiyya community, who continue to endure discrimination, both legally and socially, in Pakistan and its occupied territories.

In the aftermath of the recently concluded elections in Pakistan, Sahiwal witnesses a disturbing surge in violence and persecution, particularly targeting the Christian community. Reports emanating from Chak 6-11-L, neighboring Sahiwal Harappa, suggest that the Christians have been attacked by local Islamists, marking a distressing turn of events following the election results.

Arshad Masih, a 55-year-old resident, recounts the troubling sequence of events that unfolded. What began as a confrontation against his son, Ansar Gill, 30, by supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for his PML-N vote, escalated into a violent episode as PML-N candidates Rana Riaz and Mian Ashraf celebrated their victory.

The situation took a drastic turn on February 12, around 2 am, when a group of assailants, comprising both local individuals and unidentified attackers, attacked Christian homes in retaliation for the election outcomes. Shockingly, the assailants employed petrol bombs and firearms, specifically targeting the residences of key community figures, including Pastor Hashmat Masih and Tahir Gill.

Attack on Pastor

The first target was Pastor Hashmat Masih’s residence, where he and his family narrowly escaped harm. The assailants then turned to Tahir Gill’s home, resulting in the destruction of his rickshaw through a petrol bomb. The third victim was Shoukat Gill, whose home sustained gunfire damage. Adding to the complexity of the situation, the attackers have further complicated matters by filing a First Information Report (FIR) against the Christian community.

In an area with approximately 100 Christian households amid 1400 Muslim residences, where many Christians work as laborers, concerns for the already vulnerable minority community in Pakistan have intensified. The election-related violence exacerbates anxieties about the security of the Christian community, echoing echoes of the Jaranwala incident a few months ago, where Christian churches and homes were targeted.

As authorities investigate this distressing episode, urgent calls for prompt action resonate to ensure the safety and protection of the Christian community in Sahiwal. The rising tensions within the region demand a swift response to address the alarming escalation of sectarian violence.