The Pakistan conundrum
Imran Khan and the military takeover
At the fag end of last week, the online news portal, The Intercept released the not so shocking report underlying how the US administration pressured the Pakistani military to remove the democratically elected Prime Minister, Imran Khan.
Imran Khan was the boyhood hero of millions of our generation and his political story has intrigued me ever since he retired from cricket in the early 90s. I soon received a Tiktok video from my brother “showing” injuries to Imran Khan’s right eye. I could not verify the authenticity of the video and hence have refrained from sharing the link here.
I reached out to Uncle with this story and waited eagerly for his reply. As ever, Uncle’s musings are thought provoking and I share his email below.
Baba Raihan,
The Pakistani Military is known all over the world as an institution that promotes terrorism, pursues obscurantism; patronises chicanery, double-speak, conspiracy and betrayal. This has has been their mission and vision since the emergence of Pakistan as an independent state in August 1947.
General Frank Messervy was the first Commander in Chief (C-in-C) of Pakistan Army. He was succeeded by General Douglas Gracey as the C-in-C. Ayub Khan became the first native C-in-C of Pakistan Army in 1951 superseding four seniors. One of them Major General Ishfaqul Majid (a graduate of Sandhurst Military Academy was senior to Ayub by two years). One of his major disqualifications was that he was a Bengali (from Sylhet). Iskander Mirza was Defence Secretary at that time. It is alleged that he hid a number of facts surrounding Ayub’s military career; one of them was the fact that Ayub was suspended without pay for his cowardice in an operation during World War ll.
With US support, assistance and active patronage Pakistan Army started dabbling in politics; they simply ignored the political class. Pakistan did not have a constitutional government for nearly eight years; its constitution was framed and adopted in 1956. It is no wonder that the military bureaucratic steel frame has been ruling Pakistan since its inception. Ayub seized power in 1958 first as the CMLA (Chief Martial Law Administrator) and then as President.
He leased out Peshawar Airbase to the US (please read CIA) without the knowledge of the elected government. CIA used to fly spy planes over the territories of erstwhile USSR from this airbase. The world came to know about these clandestine sorties only when Gary Powers, the pilot of a U2 spy plane was captured by USSR.
A powerful anti-Ayub political movement removed him from power in 1969 but he was succeeded by another General, Aga Mohammad Yahya Khan. He declared himself as the CMLA and President in March, 1969. These Generals who get suspended for cowardice in military action excel in the repression, oppression, persecution and exploitation of innocent civilians. Yahya let loose a reign of terror, an orgy of blood bath in 1971 on the innocent, unarmed civilians of the then East Pakistan. Hundreds and thousands of people were brutally killed, women were gangraped, loot and arson were the order of the day. Their declared motto was “zamin chahiye, admi nehi” - loosely translated as: We want the land, not the people.
President Nixon and his National Security Advisor Kissinger extended all sorts of assistance - military, economic and moral to the military of Pakistan in their mission of ethnic cleansing; in the virtual destruction of the Eastern Wing of their own country. It was a genocide, the US administration was an accomplice in this heinous crime — please read The Blood Telegram by Gary J Bass.
Now you look at the role played by the US in propping up and sustaining the insidious military rule of Zia-ul Haq. Zia was their partner in the proxy war against USSR in Afghanistan. They needed Karachi Airport to transfer military hardware to Afghanistan. The ISI, the notorious Pakistani Intelligence Agency came in handy in the military operations against USSR. They created the fiefdom of the warlords: Gulbudin Hekmatyer, Ahmad Shah Masoud and Burhanuddin Rabbani in Afghanistan. CIA operatives later revealed how ISI and the Pakistani Military misappropriated millions of dollars and bought expensive properties in prime locations of the US. The US chose to look the other way as long as their interests were served.
Zia was responsible for the militarization of Pakistani polity. He introduced obscurantism, Shariah law and other medieval laws in Pakistan and ruled his country with an iron hand. But he was done away with when the Soviets were expelled from Afghanistan. He died in a mysterious plane crash in which among others, the US Ambassador to Pakistan also perished.
Many episodes of US orchestrated political changes followed, the pivotal role being played by the Pakistani military.
Discerning observers hold the view that Imran’s Tehrik-e-Insaaf was assisted and patronized in it’s meteoric rise to prominence by the military because they wanted to get rid of Nawaz Sharif. In a queer twist of events they now want to bring back Nawaz in the saddle of power. Shahbaz, it appears was a stop gap arrangement. Whatever happens, it has to suit the interests of the US and the Pakistani military. The military’s signal is loud and clear. You have to pay obeisance to the military if you want to enjoy the comforts of high office, be it pseudo-elective or not while the real powers will lie in the GHQ.
I am not sure if Imran’s eye has been damaged due to torture. I feel persuaded to believe that Imran will never be able to stage a return to power. His former wife, children and other highly connected friends may broker his release; he may spend the rest of his life in his flat in Kensington.
Only the cowards can inflict injuries on their detractors. The cowards look upon all detractors as enemies. Maulana Bhasani once famously said one does not need any enemy for his destruction if the US is his friend!
