Cracks emerge between Pak govt, military
May 21, 2022 01:33
Having come to power after an intense
political drama which saw the first no-confidence motion being
successfully carried out in the country, the Shehbaz Sharif led
coalition government seems to have developed serious differences with
Pakistan's all-powerful military establishment.
If the statements
of several leaders of the coalition government, as well as the
political experts, are to go by it is evident that the main point of
contention is the duration of the incumbent government's tenure, Express
Tribune reported.
The stalemate between the government and
military establishment is not only becoming visible with every passing
day but causing delays in the decision-making process of the government
and, thus, affecting the economy and the country itself, the report
said.
The uncertainty coupled with former premier Imran Khan's
planned rally and sit-in in the capital has also pushed Prime Minister
Shehbaz Sharif to repeatedly postpone his address to the nation where he
is expected to present his economic plan.
Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, while speaking in
Sargodha asked the rally participants should PML-N take the blame for
PTI's bad performance and should PML-N stay in government or leave it.
'It would be better to say goodbye than take the blame for the poor
performance of the previous government,' she said.
Another hint
about the stalemate between Islamabad and Rawalpindi emerged when
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Khursheed Shah clearly said that the
coalition government was ready for the elections and they would be happy
if the government was ended.
'We would thank you for freeing us in just
one month,' he reportedly said.
The fear of the establishment 'forcefully' ending the government pushed the coalition partners in the Shehbaz Sharif government to the extent that they even floated the suggestion to summon a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) to discuss the issue in detail and reach a decision.
The coalition partners maintained that the current situation was not suitable for stabilising the economy and things would further deteriorate if the caretaker government was tasked with making tough decisions, the report said.
Since its inception, the report said citing political experts, the new Pakistani government has been mulling about deciding the tenure of the government and the timeframe for the next elections but could not reach any decision as they do not have assurance from the military establishment that they would be able to complete a full term.
Apparently, the government is stuck between a rock and a hard place as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has already said that it cannot hold elections in the next few months and the military establishment wants the coalition government to go ahead with the fiscal measures without giving any assurance with regards to the duration of their government, the report said. -- ANI