By Ajay Kaul
New Delhi, Aug 3 (NVI) Is Pakistan headed for military rule once again?
This feeling is gaining ground in the wake of a very significant statement given by Pakistani Minister Mohsin Naqvi, which may be clubbed with the extremely bad situation in the country as well as in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Balochistan.
Addressing an Economic Summit in Islamabad, Naqvi, the Minister for Interior Affairs, said Pakistan’s governance system has “collapsed” and the country’s decades-old model has failed to provide justice, services or solutions.
He referred to Pakistan’s economic failure and unmanageable debt, because of which living conditions in the country have become frustrating.
He warned that continuing on the same path would mean the exact same crises will persist a decade from now.
He slammed the ongoing budget strategies as operating purely “in negative” cycles of debt dependency and short-term survival rather than fixing foundational flaws.
Flagging the deep frustration among GenZ, he noted that young people are demanding merit-based jobs and equal opportunity rather than basic financial aid.
Naqvi’s statement, critical of his own government headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has caught a lot of attention, particularly because he is considered close to Pakistan Army and its chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
The remarks are seen as part of the usual modus operandi employed by the Pakistan Army over the last nearly eight decades to seize power.
In the past, whenever the Army toppled political governments in Pakistan, the prelude was set with the claims about failure of governance. A narrative is set that the political administration is unable to lead the country and the Army needs to step in to “save” the nation.
Asim Munir seems to be venturing on the same script, possibly preparing ground for a coup.
It is believed Naqvi deliberately dropped hints about the plans being made to topple the government of Shehbaz Sharif.
According to people claiming to know about the plan, Munir would be made the President with full powers and Naqvi would be made the Prime Minister.
To discuss the plan, a meeting of the top military brass was held at ISI headquarters a few days back. It was attended by important ISI officials, Sector commanders of the Pakistan Army and other key officials.
At the meeting, it was underlined that “this system has collapsed” and the Army would bring a new system.
After the meeting, Naqvi is understood to have met President Asif Ali Zardari and told him that he would have to step down and leave the country, if he wished safety for himself.
Significantly, Munir would not have to worry about how the US, which has immense control on Pakistan, would take react if a coup is undertaken since he enjoys excellent relations with President Donald Trump.
Timing of the Statement
Naqvi’s statement is significant as it came at a time when occupied Jammu and Kashmir has been on the boil for two months.
A mass uprising has been going on in the occupied territories and the ostensible political administration has collapsed completely.
Over 80 people have been killed and hundreds of others injured in the ongoing military crackdown, despite which lakhs of people, including women and children, remain on the streets, demanding their basic and political rights.
Elections scheduled for the so-called Assembly of occupied Jammu and Kashmir could not be held due to intense resistance by the locals. The people of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) not only announced total boycott of the sham elections but also prevented the process to take place.
They have made it clear that they won’t anymore allow 12 of the 53 seats in the Assembly to be decided by the Pakistani regime.
Similarly, in occupied Balochistan, situation is extremely bad for Pakistan as the Baloch freedom fighters have been causing massive damage and destruction to Pakistani military and assets.
Armed Baloch groups, like Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), often seize control of cities of Balochistan from the Pakistani forces and maintain authority for hours and days, demonstrating their growing prowess.
The situation is so bad that even the Pakistani military personnel don’t feel safe there. Their free movement in Balochistan has become nearly impossible as the Baloch freedom fighters attack them at will.
The same is the condition in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where TTP has made life hell for Pakistani military and police.
In the month of June, TTP killed 304 personnel of Pakistani government forces and injured 477 in 315 operations. At least 68 personnel of the Pakistani forces were captured by the TTP.
Due to continuous fear, many Pashtun policemen have quit their jobs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as TTP clearly has acquired an upper hand.
Only two days back, TTP fighters overran a police station in Hangu, killing 13 policemen, injuring 28 and capturing several of them. They capture policemen were released later, but not before being humiliated.
The TTP also seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunition from the police camp.
The TTP fighters also roam freely in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and even set up pickets on highways, marking a huge embarrassment for the Pakistani State.
Amidst speculation about a coup, a large number of massive containers have appeared in Islamabad since yesterday, which is normally done to check mass protests in the capital of Pakistan.
So, something big seems to be brewing, seriously. (NVI)
