Saturday, October 15, 2016

What makes the Pakistani army so powerful over the civilian government?

Military is the most powerful institution in pakistan. It is so powerful that it is known as "the state within a state" 

Since its creation in 1947, Pakistan has always kept a military force much more than what it actually needed because they were paranoid that if they do not keep a strong army the much powerful  India will attack and destroy them. (This paronoria still remains in Pakistan) So pakistanis eventually created and fed an army so big that they can't control. When pakistan was in internal turmoil barely a decade after its creation, the military establishment utilized the opportunity and created a military regime for the first time in 1958 which lasted till 1971. ISI (pakistan's intelligence agency) which is an extnsion of the Pakistani military, headed by army generals also played crucial role in this process. In 1971 after Indian armed forces separated east Pakistan from west and helped in the formation of Bangladesh, the Indian paronoria gradually resurged in pakistan, then in 1977 military again did a coup in the country under general zia. This time by hanging prime-minister bhutto. Zia regime lasted till his death in 1988. Zia created and supported right-wing terrorist groups across pakistan targeting Afghanistan and India. Right-wing became more powerful in pakistan with military support and imported Wahabi ideologies from Gulf. Civil war in the Afghanistan also created a favorable situation for them in Pakistan.  By this time military had a complete control over the political system of the country and became extremely powerful. During this time ISI became well funded and infiltrated inside every institution in the country. (USA and Saudi Arabia always supported and favored military regimes in Pakistan as it was easy to deal directly with miltary than with the messy and confused politicans) From 1988 to 1999 many elected governments formed but military establishment indirectly controlled the defence and foreign policy of Pakistan. Even ISI is accused by some for rigging those elections in favour of the military sponserd candidates.

In 1999, soon after the defeat of Pakistan in the kargil war against India, the civil-military relations hit rock bottom again. Pakistan military did a coup again this time under general musharaff and then prime-minster nawaz shereef forced to seek asylum in Saudi Arabia. The following military rule continued till 2008. 

Though officially Pakistan is a Democratic country, military sets the rules there and controls the government. In short, Pakistan made an army which is much stronger than any other institutions, so it has become easy for the army generals to dominate in the internal affairs.

https://www.quora.com/What-makes-the-Pakistani-army-so-powerful-over-the-civilian-government

Pakistan - Bilawal shakes up top PPP command, Punjab split in two

The Chairman of Pakistan People's Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has decided to reorganise the party in all four provinces by replacing office bearers on important slots. The PPP will divide Punjab into two parts, namely Central Punjab and Southern Punjab, for the reorganisation purpose and separate presidents and general secretaries would be appointed for each part.
Reliable sources said that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has decided in principal to appoint Qamar Zaman Kaira as president and Nadim Afzal as General Secretary of Central Punjab to make the party workers active. Similarly, in the Southern Punjab, former Governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood will be appointed as president and Abdul Qadir Shaheen the Secretary General. Murtaza Satti might also be given some important role in Punjab.
The current president of Punjab PPP Mian Manzoor Ahmed Watoo had advised PPP's chairman Bilawal to select his own team before the next general elections. He also said he would happily accept whatever role he would be assigned in the party. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has also taken a decision to change the presidents and general secretaries of the party in other provinces besides Punjab too. The sources said that that consultation is underway to take the seat of the President from Qaim Ali Shah and give it either to Manzoor Wasan or Agha Siraj Durrani. The weight on Wassan's side seems to be more than Durrani's, whereas Senator Qayyum Soomro's name is roaming in the party's circle for provincial General Secretary.
In the same way Bilawal is also keen to remove Sadiq Imrani from the slot of PPP's Balochistan President and wants to appoint either Mir Baz Khan Kithran or Fateh Muhammad Hasni in his place. It is very likely that Ali Madad Jatak or Sabir Baloch may be given the position of General Secretary Balochistan.
Sources said that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, either Zahir Shah or Azam Afridi would become provincial president in place of Senator Khanzada. Sources also told this scribe that after consultations with the senior leadership of the party, Bilawal would take his father Asif Ali Zardari into confidence after which the announcement of new party office bearers would be announced informally.
After the appointment of new party office bearers, Bilawal has plans to commence the mission of appeasing the annoyed cohorts of Benazir Bhutto to bring them back in the PPP so that the party might be strengthened before the next general elections. At present, Bilawal is eager to pay more attention to Punjab, the sources added.

http://dailytimes.com.pk/islamabad/11-Oct-16/bilawal-shakes-up-top-ppp-command-punjab-split-in-two