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Pakistan crisis

Kashmir Times. Dated: 9/8/2014 11:10:13 PM

Dear Editor,
The military is never far from politics in Pakistan—and it may be implicated in the latest political crisis, as opposition forces led by Imran Khan challenge the legitimacy of the government of Nawaz Sharif. This current protest was ostensibly triggered by two factors. First, Khan has claimed that his accusations of election-rigging have not received a hearing (even though Sharif has accepted Khan’s demand for a judicial commission) and that he has had no option but to call his followers onto the streets. On the other hand there is the influence of Tahir ul-Qadri, the cleric who first came to prominence in January 2013 by mounting a military backed protest against the PPP-led government. He has demanded Sharif’s resignation as well, but is also agitating for a “peaceful” revolution. But among many in Pakistan and observing from beyond, it is widely believed that the military is behind both protests.
The army is very probably trying to clip Sharif’s wings, concerned as it is about developments in the Musharraf trial as well as about unwelcome assertions of civilian power over defence and security policy (such as Sharif openly agitating to improve ties between India and Pakistan). And many credit the army with working behind the scenes to sharpen the protests' impact.
—Javed Ahmed,
Janipur, Jammu.