Pakistan’s Real Political Choice Could Come This Week
The next head of the Army will be the chief power broker in the nuclear nation.
November 23, 2022 (Foreign Policy)—Amid political chaos and economic crisis, Pakistan’s government is set to choose who will become the next head of the Army, a post often called the most powerful in the nuclear-armed nation. The buildup to the announcement is always tense in a country with a history of military coups, but this time, it follows explosive revelations of the financial affairs of the incumbent, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, whose term, already once extended, ends next week.
The position is so important because of the outsized influence of the Army in Pakistan’s politics and economy. The Army is believed to control more than 10 percent of the country’s real estate, is involved in a wide range of businesses, and heavily influences political decision-making. The military has ruled Pakistan for a total of more than three decades since its creation in 1947.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan describes it as the country’s “only organized, intact institution,” which holds onto its power by making sure all other institutions, including the elected civilian government, judiciary, and media, remain weak. Khan himself is now exploiting institutional weakness as he rallies an ecstatic support base in calling for early elections after his own premiership was cut short in April by a parliamentary no-confidence vote. Elections aren’t due until August 2023. He’s blamed current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, scion of one of Pakistan’s political dynasties, for a recent assassination attempt, along with Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and a senior Army official.
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