Only a fool would believe that Pakistan’s Prime Minister Sharif is the most powerful man in the country right now. Never in the history of Pakistan has the military been so powerful even when formally not in power.
The most critical decisions to guide Pakistan in the domains of foreign policy, security strategy and domestic politics are not coming from the PM’s office. Gen. Raheel Sharif, the chief of Pakistan’s armed forces, is calling the shots. In the wake of an aggressive military operation against terrorists, his popularity catapulted to new heights. The way civilian government has allowed the military to take lead in geopolitical, social and economic matters has posed a big question mark over its aptitude. But for how long will this continue?
Gen. Sharif is clearly winning the power play and will continue to grow in stature as he shows unflinching resolve to steer Pakistan out of its troubles. The civilian setup has conceded space to the men in uniform due to its political ineptness and insincerity in implementing major programs, such as the National Action Plan (NAP). The slow progress in execution of NAP by the civil administration has already irked the military leadership, which has highlighted the “need for matching/complementary governance initiatives” to ensure stability and peace in the country.
The armed forces have acquired such a center stage on the domestic front that they will now also be playing a key role in conducting the country’s sixth Population and Housing Census next year. The decision has been mandated by the government itself to ensure transparency and credibility of the whole process that will have an impact on allocation of resources to provinces and their administrative structure. Last month’s massive earthquake that jolted northern areas of Pakistan and destroyed at least 10,000 homes once again exposed the indifference of civilian government and its lethargic response to natural disasters. The “incompetence” of government” reflected by slow resource mobilization and weak information sharing on losses was even regretted in a Senate discussion. These instances show how the democratic government has stumbled and invited the military to play a more pivotal role in civilian matters.
Even in the global arena, Gen. Sharif is being seen as a man who has the capacity to deliver on the promises, while also explaining “Pakistan’s perspective of new emerging regional realities.” Compare his recent US trip to that of PM Sharif. There was much talk about PM Sharif’s US tour, but he returned empty handed. On the contrary, Gen. Sharif had a busy schedule discussing the security situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s role in helping peace return to the neighboring country.
To his further credit, Pakistan has made significant progress in its relations with Russia, while partnership with China has been cemented to protect the country’s strategic regional interests.
As the civilian-military imbalance skews to unprecedented levels, the onus lies on civilian government to establish its legitimacy and make a deeper commitment to show political leadership in matters of national interest. It needs to gain credibility of the people by working for them and improving governance for sustainable development of the country.
