Pakistani politics shares a complex relation with the nation’s religious powers and the military, and currently, Islamic extremists are commanding unprecedented clout in Pakistani politics.
Pakistan’s internal politics has always been influenced to a great extent by the Islamic extremism, the seeds of which were sown at the time of India-Pakistan separation in 1947. The state of Pakistan was cut out of Indian territory, and the forefathers of the Muslim nation wanted a state based on Islamic principles and governed by Muslims. This religious emphasis in the state’s governance has, overtime, resulted in several military coups; two bloody wars with neighboring India; draining of the nation’s financial resources; and political, economic, and social unrest that is second to only Afghanistan’s and Iraq’s.
It’s important to understand how the nation’s politics is positioned against the military-religion nexus. The religious doyens and the military honchos share a common interest—political turmoil in the nation, and the uprising autonomist politicians are quickly sidelined–even eliminated.
The military has been running the nation’s politics since the days of General Zia-ul-Haq, who overthrew ruling prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, on July 5, 1977. Ever since then, the nation has not seen political stability. This political turmoil in the nation has now deepened with the death of Osama Bin Laden.
Dynamics will change post Bin Laden’s death
The military and political clout of the nation, in fact, has been going down ever since U.S. took note of the untrustworthy ways of Pakistan army. With Bin Laden’s death, U.S., which already had doubts about Pakistan’s loyalties, understood that the military nation, indeed, has a vested interest in keeping the U.S. busy with the battles in the region. Pakistan army has received $11 billion as military assistance from U.S. since 9/11. This assistance has been majorly used in strengthening its military power against arch-rival India. So Pakistan army was bluffing U.S. to keep receiving dollars, and this bluff from the Pakistani army became apparent with Bin Laden’s death. With its army weakened due to U.S. awakening, the lawless military state can see even worse political conditions in near future.
Even though Pakistan has now found another ally in China, how this alliance will play out in the long with the nation’s politicians and the religious fanatics remains to be seen.
The writer is the principal editor at Cosmos Writers.
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