Nawaz Sharif in catch-22 !

Hari Jaisingh

Nawaz Sharif with his daughter Maryam Big money and military-ISIguided politics with democratic trappings for external consumption go together in Pakistan. The arrest of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his lovely daughter Maryam at Lahore's Alama Iqbal Airport late Friday night (July 13) on return to his country in the wake of their conviction in one of three corruption cases is part of a larger military plot to eliminate Nawaz Sharif and his Pakistan Muslim League (PML) from the very process of the July 25 elections.

Maryam Nawaz (L) tweeted this photo of her father with her comatose mother Kulsoom before leaving London for Pakistan. A shrewd politician, Nawaz is a seasoned fighter. He knew what was in store back home. He could have stayed back in Abu Dabhi or Saudi Arabia. But he decided to plunge in the bloody politics of his country rather than submit meekly to the Army- controlled authorities. His idea was to keep his party going as a vibrant political force. No wonder, before leaving London, he told his followers in a video message to "stand firm" with him and "change the fate of the country". Maryam, too, posted pictures of their visit to hospital to see her ailing mother Kulsoom who is undergoing cancer treatment in London.
Apparently, Nawaz Sharif was playing a high-stakes game to boost the morale of his party followers in the face of Pakistan's powerful military which is reportedly working behind the scenes to "skew the July 25 contest" in favour of ex-cricket hero Imran Khan. I am not sure whether his ex-wife Reham Khan's autobiography as the e-book on Amazon will affect the poll prospects of the 65-year-old Imran. The book mostly gives a damaging portrayal

Supporters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chanting slogans for their leader in Lahore of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader. Reham Khan portrays the prime ministerial hopeful as a person who led "a bizarre life of "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll".
She claims that Imran cannot read the Quran and he "believes in black magic". According to her, he had once confessed that he has "some illegitimate Indian children". Interesting indeed! Imran's advantage is Pakistan military's political back-up and illiterate masses who admire the excricketing superstar. Politics in Islamabad, however is not a straight game.

Imran Khan Pakistan today is a brutalized nation. This is clear from the behavioural patterns of its Generals. It is a fact that power in Pakistan flows from the barrel of the gun. Even in normal times, the military is known to have called the shots, though for a while things seemed to be different during the zenith of Nawaz Sharif's rule when he won the February 1997 elections with the largest ever majority.
Sharif's problem then was that he wished to emerge as a uncrowned Khalifa. But in Pakistan's complex power games, he over-reached himself and overlooked the sensitivities of the armed forces. He first removed General Jehangir Karamat, superseded two other generals and installed General Musharraf as the Chief of the Army Staff. The seeds of confrontation between the civilian authority and the military were, wittingly or unwittingly, sown on that day.

Rehmam Khan Looking back, Sharif apparently underestimated the mischievous potentials of General Musharraf. He threw out Sharif in a coup. This is a typical pattern or Pak politics. Ironically, Musharraf himself is out of Pakistan's orbit of power, though he is known to be both cunning and deceptive. It is a historical fact that once in power a military ruler prefers to tighten his hold lest he should lose out to his opponents. This was true of General Zia-ul-Haq who promised to step down within nine days when he took over the reins of power in 1977 but carried on for as many as 11 years.
Pakistan today suffers from deep-rooted manifold malaise. Power, for that matter, is a bloody business in Islamabad. And when it comes to the crunch, no one spares the other either in the name of Allah or democracy. However, of late the Talibanisation of the country and the official embrace of religious terrorism have upset the old equations of power. Pakistan has been full of stories of corruption, not only within the establishments but also among the military forces.

Interestingly, when I met Nawaz Sharif during my Pakistan visit, he showed some positive signs of his thinking. During the course of my 45 minutes of one-to-one informal interaction, he regretted that Pakistan had to import even a tablet of anacin from Dubai or Singapore at a much higher price when it can be obtained for 25 paise from across the border.

General Pervez Musharraf It so happened, that Nawaz Sharif got himself on the wrong side of the Pakistani divide. No wonder, he got himself trapped by the military-supported powers- that-be in the whirlpool of the Panama Papers. It also may be recalled that Nawaz Sharif got himself in confrontation postures with the Army-ISI by blaming the latter on the 9/11 Mumbai attack by the latter. Indeed Sharif's style of functioning has not endeared him to the parallel centres of power in Pakistan.
No wonder, Pakistan is once again at the cross-roads. Its future course of events will depend on how successful is Sharif in meeting manifold challenges from the Generals. At stake is the future of democracy which is today delicately poised between the all-powerful military establishment and the feudal mindset of political players.
We need to constantly remember that despite Sharif's massive mandate, the Army's predominant position in Pakistan's administrative set-up remains as powerful as ever. That is why the political path of Nawaz continues to be very bumpy.

Zia-ul-Haq "I have the requisite political will", Sharif once told me during my meeting with him in February 1997. Surely, as a strategist, he continues to be a determined person. This is clear from the recent events that brought him back from London to Lahore on July 13, while knowing well enough the state of affairs in his country. Whether his gambit will work or not, cannot be said.
Most of the problems in Pakistan are the creation of feudal lords and Pakistan's Generals. During my visit to Pakistan, I met a number of Army officers and retired generals and asked them a straight forward question: "To improve Indo-Pak ties, do you have in mind any workable solution?"
The answer then I got from most of the army officers was: "Are we foolish? Why should we help to solve the Kashmir problem? What about our future?
The moment we take to peace course, we will be finished politically in the eyes of the Pakistani public. We have promised them Kashmir. We have to keep the Kashmir kettle boiling".
And that is what has been happening in Kashmir ever since General Zia's "Operation Topaz" that officially set in motion the proxy war of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
Interestingly, when I met Nawaz Sharif during my Pakistan visit, he showed some positive signs of his thinking. During the course of my 45 minutes of oneto- one informal interaction, he regretted that Pakistan had to import even a tablet of anacin from Dubai or Singapore at a much higher price when it can be obtained for 25 paise from across the border.

"I am for free flow of business and trade for our mutual benefits. I am even against the visa system. To begin with, we can create a system of entry and exit permits for free movement of the people on both sides of the borders". I could see Nawaz Sharif speaking like a pragmatic businessman in order to give a new turn to Indo-Pakistan relations.

Well, that was not to be. The key to Pakistan's future is controlled by the military authorities, ISI custodians and various Taliban-type terrorist and militant groups.
With the passage of time I am not sure where exactly Nawaz Sharif stands today at Pakistan's power divide. The military authorities and their civilian loyalists have played their games to totally sideline Nawaz Sharif and his party from the corridors of power, though he is still fighting it out for his political survival while his hands are in

"Are we foolish? Why should we help to solve the Kashmir problem? What about our future? The moment we take to peace course, we will be finished politically in the eyes of the Pakistani public. We have promised them Kashmir. We have to keep the Kashmir kettle boiling".

chains. The question here is not of Panama Papers exposure of corrupt practices of his and members of his family. For that matter, even the military establishment and its power partners are known to be floating on swinging corruption waves at home and abroad.
I remember that some taxi drivers had told me about deeprooted corruption links of Pakistan's Army establishment, Generals included.
Those taxi drivers used to work in government offices while driving privately their vehicle at night. They shared their thoughts with me as they thought me to be part of theirs. I spoke with them in Urdu-mixed Hindustani.
Be that as it may. A news report suggested that Nawaz Sharif got into trouble with the Army because of his reported closeness to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It is also said that Sharif refused to adopt "a muscular policy" towards India, which was being pushed by officers of GHQ, Rawalpindi.
In any case, it is the Army which has been calling the shots vis-à-vis India. Nothing new about it, Sharif or no Sharif.

The main challenge for the Modi establishment is to understand and evaluate the crafty mindset of the possessed rulers in Islamabad! Nawaz Sharif, of course, is in a crisis situation today. We have to keep our fingers crossed and try to evaluate China's role, terror groups' agenda and the changing profile of Trump's America.



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The arrest of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his lovely daughter Maryam at Lahore's Alama Iqbal Airport late Friday night (July 13) on return to his country in the wake of their conviction in one of three corruption cases is part of a larger military plot to eliminate Nawaz Sharif and his Pakistan Muslim League (PML) from the very process of the July 25 elections. Maryam Nawaz (L) tweeted this photo of her father with her comatose mother Kulsoom before leaving London for Pakistan. A shrewd politician, Nawaz is a seasoned fighter. He knew what was in store back home. He could have stayed back in Abu Dabhi or Saudi Arabia. But he decided to plunge in the bloody politics of his country rather than submit meekly to the Army- controlled authorities. His idea was to keep his party going as a vibrant political force. No wonder, before leaving London, he told his followers in a video message to "stand firm" with him and "change the fate of the country". Maryam, too, posted pictures of their visit to hospital to see her ailing mother Kulsoom who is undergoing cancer treatment in London. Apparently, Nawaz Sharif was playing a high-stakes game to boost the morale of his party followers in the face of Pakistan's powerful military which is reportedly working behind the scenes to "skew the July 25 contest" in favour of ex-cricket hero Imran Khan. I am not sure whether his ex-wife Reham Khan's autobiography as the e-book on Amazon will affect the poll prospects of the 65-year-old Imran. The book mostly gives a damaging portrayal Supporters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chanting slogans for their leader in Lahore of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader. Reham Khan portrays the prime ministerial hopeful as a person who led "a bizarre life of "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll". She claims that Imran cannot read the Quran and he "believes in black magic". According to her, he had once confessed that he has "some illegitimate Indian children". Interesting indeed! Imran's advantage is Pakistan military's political back-up and illiterate masses who admire the excricketing superstar. Politics in Islamabad, however is not a straight game. Imran Khan Pakistan today is a brutalized nation. This is clear from the behavioural patterns of its Generals. It is a fact that power in Pakistan flows from the barrel of the gun. Even in normal times, the military is known to have called the shots, though for a while things seemed to be different during the zenith of Nawaz Sharif's rule when he won the February 1997 elections with the largest ever majority. Sharif's problem then was that he wished to emerge as a uncrowned Khalifa. But in Pakistan's complex power games, he over-reached himself and overlooked the sensitivities of the armed forces. He first removed General Jehangir Karamat, superseded two other generals and installed General Musharraf as the Chief of the Army Staff. The seeds of confrontation between the civilian authority and the military were, wittingly or unwittingly, sown on that day. Rehmam Khan Looking back, Sharif apparently underestimated the mischievous potentials of General Musharraf. He threw out Sharif in a coup. This is a typical pattern or Pak politics. Ironically, Musharraf himself is out of Pakistan's orbit of power, though he is known to be both cunning and deceptive. It is a historical fact that once in power a military ruler prefers to tighten his hold lest he should lose out to his opponents. This was true of General Zia-ul-Haq who promised to step down within nine days when he took over the reins of power in 1977 but carried on for as many as 11 years. Pakistan today suffers from deep-rooted manifold malaise. Power, for that matter, is a bloody business in Islamabad. And when it comes to the crunch, no one spares the other either in the name of Allah or democracy. However, of late the Talibanisation of the country and the official embrace of religious terrorism have upset the old equations of power. Pakistan has been full of stories of corruption, not only within the establishments but also among the military forces. Interestingly, when I met Nawaz Sharif during my Pakistan visit, he showed some positive signs of his thinking. During the course of my 45 minutes of one-to-one informal interaction, he regretted that Pakistan had to import even a tablet of anacin from Dubai or Singapore at a much higher price when it can be obtained for 25 paise from across the border. General Pervez Musharraf It so happened, that Nawaz Sharif got himself on the wrong side of the Pakistani divide. No wonder, he got himself trapped by the military-supported powers- that-be in the whirlpool of the Panama Papers. It also may be recalled that Nawaz Sharif got himself in confrontation postures with the Army-ISI by blaming the latter on the 9/11 Mumbai attack by the latter. Indeed Sharif's style of functioning has not endeared him to the parallel centres of power in Pakistan. No wonder, Pakistan is once again at the cross-roads. Its future course of events will depend on how successful is Sharif in meeting manifold challenges from the Generals. At stake is the future of democracy which is today delicately poised between the all-powerful military establishment and the feudal mindset of political players. We need to constantly remember that despite Sharif's massive mandate, the Army's predominant position in Pakistan's administrative set-up remains as powerful as ever. That is why the political path of Nawaz continues to be very bumpy. Zia-ul-Haq "I have the requisite political will", Sharif once told me during my meeting with him in February 1997. Surely, as a strategist, he continues to be a determined person. This is clear from the recent events that brought him back from London to Lahore on July 13, while knowing well enough the state of affairs in his country. Whether his gambit will work or not, cannot be said. Most of the problems in Pakistan are the creation of feudal lords and Pakistan's Generals. During my visit to Pakistan, I met a number of Army officers and retired generals and asked them a straight forward question: "To improve Indo-Pak ties, do you have in mind any workable solution?" The answer then I got from most of the army officers was: "Are we foolish? Why should we help to solve the Kashmir problem? What about our future? The moment we take to peace course, we will be finished politically in the eyes of the Pakistani public. We have promised them Kashmir. We have to keep the Kashmir kettle boiling". And that is what has been happening in Kashmir ever since General Zia's "Operation Topaz" that officially set in motion the proxy war of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Interestingly, when I met Nawaz Sharif during my Pakistan visit, he showed some positive signs of his thinking. During the course of my 45 minutes of oneto- one informal interaction, he regretted that Pakistan had to import even a tablet of anacin from Dubai or Singapore at a much higher price when it can be obtained for 25 paise from across the border. "I am for free flow of business and trade for our mutual benefits. I am even against the visa system. To begin with, we can create a system of entry and exit permits for free movement of the people on both sides of the borders". I could see Nawaz Sharif speaking like a pragmatic businessman in order to give a new turn to Indo-Pakistan relations. Well, that was not to be. The key to Pakistan's future is controlled by the military authorities, ISI custodians and various Taliban-type terrorist and militant groups. With the passage of time I am not sure where exactly Nawaz Sharif stands today at Pakistan's power divide. The military authorities and their civilian loyalists have played their games to totally sideline Nawaz Sharif and his party from the corridors of power, though he is still fighting it out for his political survival while his hands are in "Are we foolish? Why should we help to solve the Kashmir problem? What about our future? The moment we take to peace course, we will be finished politically in the eyes of the Pakistani public. We have promised them Kashmir. We have to keep the Kashmir kettle boiling". chains. The question here is not of Panama Papers exposure of corrupt practices of his and members of his family. For that matter, even the military establishment and its power partners are known to be floating on swinging corruption waves at home and abroad. I remember that some taxi drivers had told me about deeprooted corruption links of Pakistan's Army establishment, Generals included. Those taxi drivers used to work in government offices while driving privately their vehicle at night. They shared their thoughts with me as they thought me to be part of theirs. I spoke with them in Urdu-mixed Hindustani. Be that as it may. A news report suggested that Nawaz Sharif got into trouble with the Army because of his reported closeness to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is also said that Sharif refused to adopt "a muscular policy" towards India, which was being pushed by officers of GHQ, Rawalpindi. In any case, it is the Army which has been calling the shots vis-à-vis India. Nothing new about it, Sharif or no Sharif. The main challenge for the Modi establishment is to understand and evaluate the crafty mindset of the possessed rulers in Islamabad! Nawaz Sharif, of course, is in a crisis situation today. We have to keep our fingers crossed and try to evaluate China's role, terror groups' agenda and the changing profile of Trump's America.