The PTI government used to take credit of maintaining excellent and extraordinary relations with the military establishment and often the lexeme ‘unprecedented’ was also used to add value to it. Nonetheless, even apart from the recent standoff on the appointment of DG ISI, the relations have never been so smooth and trouble free as depicted over the last three years.
As time passed after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s rise to power, one crack after another appeared in the civ-mil relationship until finally the bigger and far wider one that tore ‘the same page’ to pieces.
According to the insiders fully aware of what was happening away from the public eye, the first crack between the PTI government and the establishment appeared on the issue of changing the face in Punjab. Well within the first year of PTI government in power, questions were raised on the performance of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, running the largest province, Punjab.
The Establishment, after receiving many complaints during this period, politely tried to convince Khan to change the face in Punjab, but he was termed as “Wasim Akram Plus” by none other than the Prime Minister himself. Sources say that this still remains a point of difference between PM Imran Khan and the Establishment.
Later, the differences were also witnessed on the issue of allowing former Prime Minister and leader of PML (N) Nawaz Sharif to go abroad for medical treatment. The government was totally against providing any sort of relief to the former Prime Minister and party’s Vice President Maryam Nawaz convicted in couple of corruption cases.
Although it was the Lahore High Court which allowed Nawaz Sharif to travel abroad without any indemnity bond as demanded by the government, speculation was rife at that time of a deal or understanding between PML (N) and the establishment as soon as Nawaz Sharif left for London aboard an air ambulance.
Alluding to the suspension of jail term and bails granted to Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son in law Captain Safdar within a few weeks, the sources said that everything was done through proper channels and within the system to negate the impression of any deal.
They said that allowing Maryam Nawaz also to go abroad was also part of the deal but the government did not let this happen much to the annoyance of the establishment, which expected a semblance of political stability in the bargain that would help focus on the economy. However, the rigidity of the government came stood its way.
Similarly, the sources said that removal from Exit Control List (ECL) of PML (N) President Shahbaz Sharif, who has always tried to maintain good and cordial relations with the establishment unlike his elder brother, was also part of deal with the establishment.
Soon after the court order on the matter, the PML (N) President wanted to go abroad but he was off loaded by the FIA team from a Doha bound flight at Lahore Airport. The sources said this was sufficient to further irk the establishment and strain the civ-mil ties.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has until recently gone out of his way to give the impression of the establishment being supportive and standing by his policy and decisions. According to sources, this is not the case in reality.
Especially on the issue of handling with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Army are not in agreement. The Prime Minister is keen on appeasement but the Army is opposed to any leniency with a terrorist outfit responsible for the deaths of many Pakistanis including security personnel.
Against this backdrop, what really brought to fore the rift between the Prime Minister and the Army Chief is the issue of transfer of current DG ISI Faiz Hameed to Peshawar Corps and the appointment of the current Corps Commander of Karachi Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum to the seat of top spymaster. Notification is now issues and seemingly issue is settled, but the traces it has left might cause future discords.
Faiz Hameed is supposed to be the person who has hitherto supported and saved the incumbent regime from the onslaught of the opposition parties as well as dealing with other challenges especially on the internal front.
The sources said Prime Minister Imran Khan trusts Faiz Hameed more than anyone else and he wanted him to stay on as the DG ISI by March next year or by at least December to better deal with any political challenge to be thrown his way by his opponents. In particular, Gen Faiz would be nice to have around to defeat any imminent no confidence motion against Khan in the National Assembly.
Another reason cited by the government circles to prolong his stay at the ISI is the evolving situation in Afghanistan. Anyway
the non-issuance of new DG ISI’s notification is being seen by the Army as challenging the authority and prerogative of the Army Chief on inter departmental transfer. In the last Corps Commanders’ meeting, the commanders insisted that the recent transfers made by the Army Chief including that of the new DG ISI must go ahead and that it should no longer be delayed.
The sources said that the statements made by the ministers regarding the appointment of the DG ISI have further damaged the government-military relationship and brought the Prime Minister in a difficult situation.
The fact is that the final notification has carried no change but would have the same name for the DG ISI as put forward by the Army Chief. However, the damage done is irreversible and the fragmented same page cannot be scotch-taped again.
While though may be end of the Khan-Bajwa bonhomie, the prime minister could still survive and complete his mandated term as given the internal economic situation and external challenges especially the situation in neighbouring Afghanistan, the country can ill afford political instability.
