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| Is Kayani the most powerful man in an unstable Pakistan? | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 8: When the Forbes magazine,in its annual power,described Pakistan's Army Chief,Ashfaq Parvez, as the most powerful man in an unstable country it had two vital messages for the world leaders in general and for the people of India and those who matter in New Delhi.
The first message the magazine wanted to convey to the world was that the Army Chief in Pakistan continues to be the most powerful person even in a country ruled by an elected Government.
Anyone having faith in the true democratic structure and functioning one would treat the country's President and the Prime Minister as the most powerful persons.On the basis of this analogy President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister,Raja Pervez Ashraf should have been more powerful than the Army chief.This not the case but the opposite of it.Well Pakistan has witnessed prolonged spells of military rule and if in that case the Army Chief was the most powerful person it was understandable because of the fact that all the executive and legislative powers are vested in the man who heads the military regime.
Though since 2008 Pakistan is Governed by an elected Government but for all practical purposes it is the Army that controls main political and security responsibilities.
The second message the Forbes magazine wants to convey is that Pakistan is an "unstable"country because of the perpetual conflict between the ruling politicians and the Army besides the Army controlled ISI.And New Delhi while making a strong plea for peace in south Asia has made it clear that a stable Pakistan would be in the interests of India.
Yet another disclosure made by the magazine is about the sweeping powers the top Army functionaries enjoy which have made it mandatory for the establishment in Islamabad to initiate measures for tackling political,security related and economic issues only after consultation with the top Army brass.
If Pakistan has been described as an "unstable"country it is because of the growing mistrust between the Army and the political leadership and on account of terrorists and extremists having found a safe sanctuary in the countrySince the Army in Pakistan is said to be controlling nuclear weapons the ruling political leaders have no other alternative but to keep the Army authorities in good humour.
Apart from the countries where we have democratic system of Government, in the countries where there is Presidential form of the Government the ruling leadership enjoys more powers than the Army Chief.If one needs an instance in support of it one can refer to the United States where the President reigns supreme.
The Army Chief in Pakistan has shown the guts of sending veiled threats to the supreme court telling the judges that the country may be in for another spell of military rule if the judicial activism jeopardised the interests of the Army.
It was in the context of these developments that New Delhi has suggested by a number of political pundits and commentators that it would be better for India to enter into a direct dialogue with the Pak Army for resolving bilateral problems because the political bosses have to secure a nod from the Army authorities in case Islamabad decided to enter into an agreement with New Delhi on issues connecting the two nations.
As long the Army enjoys greater powers than the ruling poltical leaders in Pakistan chances for amicable settlement of various problems between the two nations continue to be dim. |
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