News
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Imran Khan’s first ‘in swinger’ to establishment
By Muhammad Akram
LAHORE: Credited, though, by all as a game changer, yet, viewed by his critics as a new pawn in the hands of the powerful military establishment obviously for sparing generals and judges with tainted images from criticism, the chief of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Imran Khan’s claim that he will insist on civilian supremacy over military would help him grab the attention of many those who consider the direct and quasi-military rules responsible for the current state of affairs in the country.
“Unless I can implement my agenda – which means I take responsibility for everything that’s happening in Pakistan, it means that the army is under me, it means the ISI can do nothing unless it reports to me, it means that the army’s budget is audited by a civilian set-up, it means I take responsibility for anything that’s happening outside my country, it means I take responsibility that no terrorism will take place from Pakistani soil – otherwise, I would resign,” was his reply to a question during an interview on an Indian news channel on whether he would challenge army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and the corps commanders and insist on civilian supremacy.
The reported answer to the most pertinent question in the context of country’s political history clearly reflects the otherwise naïve looking PTI chief has full cognisence of a matter that has plagued the country’s democratic institutions and forced political parties to work at the whim of powerful military establishment.
Imran Khan’s stated position on the civil-military relations which hitherto been not known since the PTI has yet to come up with a comprehensive manifesto would in fact bring him at par with his arch-rival Nawaz Sharif who had been campaiging for civilian sumpremcy over military since returing from forced exile as a consequence of fourth martial law in the country imposed by a group of army general under the leadership of now himself exiled General (r) Pervez Musharraf.
Before Pakistan Mulsim League-Nawaz (PMLN), the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had been considered the only mainstream political party which rated as an anti-establishment party. The party had in fact relinquished this claim since coming to power in 2008 following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December 2007, the last of political Bhuttos and synonmous of political resistence against all military rules with the exception of Gen Ayub Khan. The first Bhutto, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, in fact served the military dictator before launching his PPP in 1967 after developing political difference with his mentor he used to refer as political Dady.
Imran Khan too found in the club of those who have served military dictators in the initial part of their political inning. The PTI chief was a supporter of General Pervez Musharraf and his agenda for change, and in fact supported him to unleash the process of local bodies, a favourite ploy of all the military rulers to consolidate their rule by corrupting this basic form of democracy.
The PTI chief, though left the dictator reportedly for not honouring his commitment to make him (Imran Khan) prime minister, the high point, however, was his seeking public aplogy for serving a dictator which no other politician did in stated words including Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.
On the other hand, the PML-N chief, Nawaz Sharif, to whom General Zialu Haq, the tyrant and evil of all the evils, was spiritual father, though had long dissociated himself from Zia’s political legacy, has yet to get himself condoned like Imran Khan from masses by seeking a public apology. The dilemma that today’s PPP faced with on account of seeking a balance in civil-military relations is incumbancy since it reportedly pursuing a policy of engagement rather than disengagement with the political foes, including the military establishment, it used to dub while being in opposition, as a political party in uniform.
The PPP in its over three and half years rule had in fact pursuaded the military establishment even at the moments when it was cornered to the extent of marginalised both internally and externally. The ruling PPP’s earlier initiatives - resolution of Jammu and Kashmir dispute with India, attempt to bring Inter Services Intelligence under civilian control, the restortaion of deposed judges, dispute over Kerry-Lugar Bill (now Act) wherein military aid was made conditional while sparing an enhanced civilian aid - though went in vain yet the party feel its patience has gradually brought the military establishment on the same page at least on the issue of opening up border trade with neghbouring India and Afghanistan.
The PTI chief, Imran Khan’s assertion on the civilian supremacy over military would be a welcome move for both the PPP and the PML-N as it would help all the three to see continuation of democratic system sans string pulling by ‘the angels’ of Rawalpindi and help them curb the menace of looking at the GHQ by the political orphans.
The major political forces, with PTI included, need to build on what Imran Khan has said on civilian supremacy over military, a cause Nawaz Sharif pursuing with utmost zeal for over a decade now and Zaradri’s PPP used to dream about when it struggled against military juntas in the past.Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk