Pakistan’s Dystopian Polity

Zia Sarhadi

Dhu al-Hijjah 05, 1446 2025-06-01

News & Analysis

by Zia Sarhadi (News & Analysis, Crescent International Vol. 55, No. 4, Dhu al-Hijjah, 1446)

How dystopian Pakistan’s polity has become is illustrated by the May 20 announcement that the army chief, General Asim Munir has been elevated to the rank of ‘field marshal’. The reason cited was that he showed exemplary courage and leadership in the four-day skirmish with India last month.

In reality, it was the Pakistan air force that performed well against a much larger and more powerful enemy shooting down six Indian aircraft. There was little involvement of ground troops so what great feat did Munir perform to deserve promotion to the rank of a field marshal? Did he lead his troops to hoist Pakistan’s flag on the Red Fort in Delhi?

The field marshal decision was made by Munir himself. True, it was announced by Shahbaz Sharif, the army appointed prime minister—more accurately, by the army chief—after massive and blatant rigging of the February 8, 2024 elections. The clear winner, by a wide margin, was Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI) party. Khan and thousands of his supporters languish in jail on bogus charges.

Shabaz Sharif is a mere doorman for Munir.

As the author Anwar Maqsood quipped, Pakistan called a meeting of the National Security Committee. It was attended by president Asim Munir, prime minister Asim Munir, defence minister Asim Munir, army chief Asim Munir, foreign minister Asim Munir, interior minister Asim Munir and finance minister Asim Munir. The only person absent was chief justice Asim Munir because he was busy elsewhere!

Despite controlling everything in the country—and messing them up—why does Munir need another title? These are sure signs of a deep inferiority complex.

It has now come to light that Munir had orchestrated the whole charade with India under US supvision to refurbish his jaded image among the masses because of his oppressive tactics. It went awry when India, contrary to the agreed script, attacked many Pakistan air bases killing 35 people. It was the Pakistani pilots, unaware of the plot hatched by Munir and his henchmen, who insisted on exacting revenge.

Given this reality, why people are being discouraged from praising the pilots and forced to praise Munir? He should be tried for treason for plotting with the enemy against Pakistan.

Unfortunately, there is a pervasive mindset in Pakistan that refuses to accept reality. This is especially acute among the elite. Those who point to the problems and name those responsible are immediately branded as traitors. This has been the case ever since General Ayub Khan illegally usurped power in 1958 and subverted the development of civilian institutions.

When Fatima Jinnah—sister of the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah—challenged Ayub Khan in the 1964 presidential elections, she was branded a traitor. Later she was murdered. Any criticism of Ayub’s policies immediately led to allegations of treason.

Pakistan has suffered successive bouts of martial law and each ‘strongman’ considers himself the state and above the law. We will look into the conduct of various military dictators but first let us consider the mindset it has spawned, especially among the elite.

The imposed narrative is that rulers must not be criticised because it benefit our enemies. A related argument is that the country is facing serious challenges and this is not the time to highlight the problems because it weakens state machinery.

There has never been a period of stability in Pakistan’s tortuous history because of the rulers’ ill-conceived policies. How can these problems be solved if there is no discussion about what or who caused them?

No country in the world is without problems. One does not hear anywhere else that problems should not be highlighted because the enemy would benefit from them. In Pakistan’s case, the enemy is already benefitting from the ill-conceived, self-serving policies of the rulers, especially military dictators. The country has been greatly weakened as a consequence.

Those who say Pakistan’s problems should not be discussed are mostly paid agents of the intelligence agency and bark on its orders. Those not on its payroll are no less dangerous because they prevent finding solutions to Pakistan’s myriad problems.

Let us return to the case of the military dicatators that have ruled Pakistan. When Ayub’s regime was overthown as a consequence of mass protests, General Yahya Khan took over in violation of the constitution. Unfortunately, successive chief justices of the Supreme Court have succumbed to the dictators’ whims and provided them a veneer of legality for their illegal acts.

After elections, Yahya Khan refused to accept the verdict because the East Pakistan-based Awami League led by Shaikh Mujibur Rahman had won a clear majority. The West Pakistani elite were not prepared to accept the verdict. Mujib was branded a “traitor” and Yahya unleashed the military against the people of East Pakistan resulting ultimately in the humiliating surrender of December 16, 1971 to the invading Indian army.

No general was held responsible much less punished for such a crime. This was the direct result of the narrative that doing so would demoralize the army. Shouldn’t someone have been held accountable for the military’s shameless surrender?

Failure to do so has led to other generals taking over: Zia and Musharraf. Both plunged Pakistan into the Afghan quagmire making tons of money in the process.

If general Zia’s martial law introduced the guns and drugs culture, Musharraf’s misrule spawned terrorism in Pakistan. It was Musharraf who ordered the killing of Akbar Bugti in Balochistan because he had the audacity to demand punishment for an army captain who had raped a Baloch female doctor.

Musharraf also attacked the Lal Masjid in Islamabad resulting in the death of hundreds of innocent girl students. Most of them were burnt alive with phosphorous bombs. It was the brothers and fathers of these girls that formed what is now called the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Others joined their ranks when Musharraf unleashed his army against the people of Swat and Aurakzai agency.

The present army chief is the most ruthless and dishonest, subverting the will of the people and imprisoning the most popular leader in Pakistan’s history, Imran Khan. Asim Munir and his minions have castrated the judiciary and turned it into an instrument of oppression.

No society can make progress if there is no justice or rule of law. When people lose hope in securing justice for their grievances, they will resort to other means. It is unrealistic to blame them for doing so.

Those who say such issues should not be discussed in public are the real enemies of Pakistan even if they do not realize it. They are an impediment to finding genuine solutions to Pakistan’s problems and, therefore, its progress.