Deployment of military forces in the city of Lahore on election day (Getty)

Pakistan is a country described as democratic, in which elections are held to choose the federal parliament and regional parliaments that play their role in forming governments. Despite all this, the military is always present in any Pakistani political arena, or external or internal challenge. What is the role assigned to the army in the Pakistani state?

Last week, Pakistanis cast their votes in the general elections, and the semi-final results resulted in a clear victory for supporters of detained former Prime Minister Imran Khan with more than 93 votes out of 266 votes cast, and the Muslim League party led by Nawaz Sharif came second with 75 votes, then The People's Party led by Asif Ali Zardari came third with 54 votes, and the remaining votes were distributed among small parties and independents.

It has been rumored recently that Nawaz Sharif or his brother Shehbaz Sharif will be the next prime minister again; Because the army wants it.

Like Imran now, Nawaz Sharif was previously convicted of corruption, which led to him stepping down as prime minister in 2017 and subsequently leaving the country.

It is widely believed in Pakistan that it was the army that ensured Sharif’s rise to power and his loss of power earlier; It is what prompted the rise of Imran Khan - also - in 2018 and then his fall in 2022.

A Pakistani army force during a previous patrol in a street in Peshawar (French)

Army since the creation of Pakistan

Since the establishment of Pakistan in 1947, no prime minister has yet been able to complete a full term of 5 years according to the constitution, and 3 military coups have been carried out.

In the first Pakistani government, Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan allocated 75% of the first budget of 1948 to defense, and to cover the salaries and costs of preparing the forces.

The army was always driven by the threat from India, stimulating the militarization of the state, which provided the context for the generals to increase their influence in domestic and security policy.

Three coups

The first coup in 1958, in light of the economic and political crisis that the country was experiencing, General Muhammad Ayub Khan set aside the government and suspended political activities. There was a feeling of people's support for the army, which legitimized the seizure of power.

The second coup in 1977. Pakistan experienced a state of setback after its defeat in the war against India, and the division of the country into Pakistan and Bangladesh in 1971.

The results of the 1977 elections raised allegations of fraud against the Pakistan People's Party led by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of the opposition Pakistan National Alliance, prompting the imposition of martial law as army chief General Zia ul-Haq seized power in a 1977 coup. Bhutto was executed in 1979 after being tried.

The third coup, in 1999, saw army chief General Pervez Musharraf oust Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Lodhi: The army was forced to intervene in political life out of the best interest of the country (Al Jazeera)

The army is forced to intervene

In view of this, the former Defense Minister, retired General Naeem Khalid Lodhi, acknowledges the army’s interference in political life in Pakistan, indicating that he was forced to do so out of concern for the country’s higher interest, and to maintain security and protect it from those lurking outside the borders.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, Lodhi stated that the mismanagement of some prime ministers and political leaders and the corruption of some of them prompted the army to expand its powers and interfere in governance with the aim of protecting the interests and unity of the country.

Lodhi considered that Pakistan has a peculiarity that requires the army to have a high position, as there is a giant enemy next to it (India) that is lurking around it, and there are special security challenges on the borders with Afghanistan and Iran.

Regarding the politician who he believes is worthy of leading the country, he said that despite his respect for both Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardai, their parties ruled the country in several previous periods, and each time they are accused of corruption and mismanagement in addition to family inheritance in their parties, considering that Imran Khan is The best personality at the current stage to lead the country, especially since he is known for his integrity despite the accusations that are pursuing him.

Although he acknowledged that the army was behind the overthrow of Imran Khan in 2022 and that the military apparatus did not want him to return to power, he voted in the last elections for Imran Khan’s supporters.

Abdul Karim Shah: Pakistani governments since the country's inception have not completed the five-year period of rule stipulated by the Constitution. (Al Jazeera)

Subject to the satisfaction of the army

For his part, the director of the Islamabad Center for Political Studies, Abdul Karim Shah, said that since 1985, all those who have assumed the position of prime minister have come with the consent of the army, and when the army sees that this official has begun to renege on their will, they overthrow him.

He added in his interview with Al Jazeera Net that this explains the fact that none of the Pakistani governments since the country's inception has completed the five-year period of rule approved by the Constitution.

He added that the two main parties in the country (the People's Party and the Muslim League Party) had done wrong during their rotation of power in the country over the years, and had increased the bad conditions in the country, which had allowed the Tehreek-e-Insaf party led by Imran Khan to win prominently in the 2018 elections. The main reason for this is his hatred of the two traditional parties, which were always accused of corruption, in addition to Imran’s promises to fight corruption and improve the country’s conditions.

Regarding the recent elections, despite the many restrictions and the great plot against Imran Khan, his supporters achieved a clear victory in them, which was embarrassing for the army that overthrew him, so he called for an alliance between the People’s Party and the Muslim League, along with small parties, to form the next government.

Asima Wadud: The army was always interfering in politics, which limited the level of democracy in the country (Al Jazeera)

The army limited democracy

As for writer and political analyst Asima Wadud, she believes that the army has always interfered in politics, which has significantly limited the level of democracy in the country and weakened government institutions.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, she saw that the Muslim League Party, led by Nawaz Sharif, took advantage of the differences between Imran Khan and the army, to seek to return to power through the elections that took place recently, acknowledging the dependence.

She added that despite the persistent attempts of the army and Imran's opponents to cause the latter to lose in the elections, his supporters won significantly, achieving the highest vote among the competing parties, despite the fraud that took place.

Asima said that in the recent elections, the Pakistani people voted against hereditary family parties, referring to the People's Party and the Muslim League, and the unconstitutional participation of the army in politics.

She expressed her regret that instead of acknowledging the people's choice, the army pushed parties that were historically in conflict with each other to form a coalition government, considering it to be popularly rejected.

She continued to say that with the majority sitting in the opposition, it will be impossible for the government to issue legislation or constitutional amendments without the support of the military establishment, which will empty Parliament of its content and threaten political stability in the country.

Source: Al Jazeera