Pakistan never fails to astound onlookers

Pakistan never stops surprising me. Their just held elections made this clear. Days passed between the results and the selection of the candidates the Rawalpindi clique of generals had selected. Under false pretenses of security, mobile communication services were cut off, but the true reason was to allow for rigging. Every attempt to undermine Imran Khan’s PTI, including as imprisoning its leaders, removing its emblem, and dismantling the party organization, was unsuccessful.

Imran’s PTI was stopped at all costs, despite some campaigning by other political parties. Internet problems prevented its online meetings, and gathering restrictions prevented public demonstrations. However, the electorate supported independent candidates sponsored by the PTI, compelling the generals to reconsider their approach and engage in extensive vote-rigging. The PTI’s large voter turnout was an uprising against the generals. Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the head of the JUI-F, said that the army of Pakistan, the establishment, “broke all records of interference.” Another surprise from Pakistan came when Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, a prominent politician from Pakistan, resigned after winning a province seat in Karachi and claimed the results were manipulated in his favor. Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha has acknowledged interfering with votes to reject PTI candidates. Chattha resigned on moral reasons and was later taken into custody.

He accused the Chief Election Commissioner and Chief Justice of Pakistan of being involved in the process. Interestingly, there was no mention of the army. The all-powerful deep state then “convinced” Liaquat Chattha, the whistleblower, to reevaluate his accusations. From a “unknown location by email,” he responded, asserting that there was no rigging and basing his assertion on the PTI leader Imran Khan’s offering a lucrative role. It seems that he was coerced into having this change of heart, yet he is still missing today. Days after it was filed, the Pakistan Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit demanding fresh elections on the grounds of systematic vote fraud, calling it a “publicity stunt.”

This was due to the retired brigadier who was the petitioner’s failure to show up for two sessions. The brigadier had unexpectedly disappeared “on a one-way ticket” overseas and retracted his petition via email. It was surprising that no one in his family knew about his leaving. Incredible Pakistan. What further amazes me is Imran Khan’s move to contact the IMF, requesting that they do an impartial audit of the elections before negotiating further loans with the new administration.

The IMF declined to get involved in the dispute. This is an invitation for foreign entities to meddle, in addition to confirming the notion that elections were manipulated. The manipulated elections are well known around the globe. The EU, the US, and the UK voiced their worries and called for an inquiry. Nothing will be done, knowing Pakistan. Ironically, however, Anwaar Kakar, Pakistan’s “selected” interim prime minister, praised the country for holding “another peaceful, free, and fair election.” Its President remained silent. For more than six days, X, the old Twitter, was banned in Pakistan because to concerns that information about rigging may spark demonstrations.

All mobile network services were interrupted throughout the election and vote-counting process, most likely because of security concerns. It’s interesting to note that no government official in Pakistan has accepted accountability for X’s lengthy restrictions. Thus, it looks that the Pakistani army is taking the initiative once again. Part of the plan to elevate those the army wants to power includes rigging.

Even more fascinating things happened once the results were announced. No political party was granted a majority in order to guarantee the generals’ control, which led to the establishment of a coalition government that is essentially a resemblance of the one that overthrew Imran in February of last year. Nawaz Sharif’s obvious dissatisfaction was clear when he chose to designate his brother Shehbaz as prime minister instead of taking on the role himself. It was Nawaz Sharif who had explicitly returned from England to take over as PM. More intriguingly, candidates supported by Imran Khan’s PTI but running as independents chose to join a political party that was only barely able to make it.

They are going to create the same government that they have in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. But if the party’s name and emblem are brought back and its independent members re-join, they may become a danger to the present administration. Can anything change now that the incredible and entertaining election process is over? The only thing that would be different about the next Shehbaz administration is that Asif Zardari, their nominee for president, will replace the current one. There would be little leeway since the government would be an alliance of opposing parties. The Shehbaz administration accomplished little to advance Pakistan’s economy during its last term and is unlikely to take any fresh initiatives today. The military oversaw the previous administration and would do so once again.

Nothing will change in terms of Indo-Pak ties until Asim Munir has a change of heart, which is doubtful. Pushing Imran into self-exile under stringent guidelines is now the top objective for the Pakistani government and deep state. They could do without the fear of having him inside. The Pakistani army is divided by the pro-Imran stance of junior and medium level army cadres, which is an additional cause for worry. The majority of ex-servicemen’s groups support him. The elections that just ended demonstrated his capacity to lead the people, even in prison.

He may be a catastrophe if free. It is unclear how long Shehbaz will hold the position of prime minister. Since none of the Pakistani prime ministers have served out their whole terms, everyone wants to be the first. Shehbaz appointed Gen. Asim Munir, who ousted all the others. Shehbaz is the army leader he chose. Even though he was running for the PM’s seat, Bilawal would only watch from the sidelines, hoping that he would be given the opportunity.

As he approaches retirement, Zardari, who is now serving as president for the second time, has shown himself to be resilient in the cutthroat world of Pakistani politics by selecting a secure position. After some difficulties, General Asim Munir and his generals would rejoice at having their preferred government. The Pakistani army has continued to oversee each election as it has in the past.