Here’s to Pakistan Army’s Honor
Will General Sharif act to restore the military’s honor sullied by a bunch of plotters seeking undemocratic change?
It is now clear beyond a reasonable doubt that some private individuals — among them some former bureaucrats — plotted with Imran Khan, Tahir-ul-Qadri, and a bunch of other corrupt politicians to overthrow Pakistan’s elected government.
As part of this plot, mobs mustered by Imran’s PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) and Qadri’s PAT (Pakistan Awami Tehreek) are squatting in Islamabad’s Red Zone, insisting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif must resign.
It is equally clear that in their interactions with Khan and Qadri, the plot authors created the false impression of working at the behest of the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) — the country’s premier intelligence agency. and/or the military.
It is obvious that the plotters’ ultimate design was to force the hand of General Raheel Sharif, the COAS (Chief of Army Staff) against the government, involving the military in a political quagmire at a time when Pakistan is surrounded by military challenges of immense proportions.
To achieve their nefarious ends, the plotters undertook a gigantic psyop (psychological operation) involving dozens of media and social media ‘seers’ and spin doctors working full-time, and a few media outlets extending no-hold-barred support to their propaganda needs.
The psyop unleashed a relentless attack on the senses of the people of Pakistan, aiming to create widespread confusion and frustration. A key objective of the operation was to sow suspicions of the intentions of the elected government vis-à-vis the military — and to insinuate and blow out of proportions the military’s differences with the political leadership.
At this point in time, there remains no doubt that the plot has succeeded in creating mayhem in the country and yes, hurting the honor of the armed forces of Pakistan to a great extent; only the discerning few can tell the military and the ISI as institutions have nothing to do with this mess.
What is more, the plotters are not ready to give up ; the ‘political’ partners of the plot continue to hold the government virtually under siege and the psyop component of the plot continues to sputter.
The military has done well to publicly distance itself from the plot to overthrow the government. However, this is not enough. Fortunately for Pakistan, the Army chief has both the stature and the wherewithal to restore the military’s honor and the nation’s peace of mind.
All General Sharif has to do to defeat the plot is to fully unmask the the plotters so that can be brought to book. Importantly, it will work to the advantage of all concerned if he can act now — before the Parliament or the Supreme Court do.
The Army chief owes it to the nation — and he owes it to the Army. Pakistan Army Zindabad. Pakistan Paindabad.
