Are you aware that Pakistan is ‘Ripe’ for another military coup? Pakistan exist now because of past coup d’etats.
According to Wikipedia, Pakistan declared itself an Islamic republic in 1956, but civilian control was stalled by a military coup d’etat in 1956 by Ayub Khan. He ruled during a period of internal instability and a second war with India in 1965.
Economic grievances and political dissent in East Pakistan led to violent political tensions and army repression, escalating into civil war followed by the third war with India. Pakistan’s defeat in the war ultimately led to the secession of East Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh.
Now we have word that, because of terrible flooding in Pakistan, the Taliban and its allies are trying to convince some of the nuclear-armed nations that only a military coup would restore order.
Does that sound familiar? Do you remember Obama telling Americans the same thing, that only the government can solve the economic problems we face. Evidently, telling people the solution to their problems is government is a common tactic to win over support for a change.
People are led to believe that they cannot solve the problems they face on their own, and that they must accept a particular government or program to solve it. This comparison is NOT suggesting that Obama is the result of a coup but that telling people government is the solution has its merits.
With that being said, Pakistan is fighting a bitter counter-insurgency campaign against the Taliban and its allies. “If ever a country were ripe for a coup, it is Pakistan,” Con Coughlin writes in Britain’s Telegraph.
“The besieged government of President Asif Ali Zardari is assailed on all fronts by man-made conflict and natural disaster and there is a palpable sense in Islamabad that the return of the generals to the presidential palace would come as something of a relief.”
Before the floods, Zardari was already in conflict with the United States and its allies to do more to fight the militant Islamic groups in the country’s tribal areas that are a threat to Pakistan and other countries.
The devastating flooding that has left millions of Pakistanis homeless, has created severe criticism of Zardari and the government’s inept response to the disaster. Again, we see a comparison to the disastrous flooding from the hurricane in Louisiana. Blaming the inept response Katrina on President Bush. I find these comparisons interesting.
The insufficient response has led to instances of riots and looting of aid convoys by hunger-stricken people. Zardari was also criticized for going ahead with visits to meet leaders in Britain and France at a time when his nation was facing catastrophe.
“The misery being experienced by millions of dispossessed and impoverished citizens is inevitably going to stoke the fires of dissent,” Coughlin writes.
Altaf Hussain, exiled leader of an opposition group, has issued a call to “patriotic generals” to fulfill their duty by establishing martial law.
Since gaining independence in 1947, Pakistan has experienced more years of military dictatorship than civilian rule, most recently during Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s nine-year rule.
“However, what is different about this crisis is that, for once, the generals don’t appear at all interested in taking responsibility for a country that is teetering on the verge of collapse,” according to Coughlin.
He concludes: “Extreme measures will be required to rebuild large swathes of the country once the waters have receded — but building the effective and inclusive government that Pakistan deserves will be an ever greater challenge.”
Editor’s Note:
With Pakistan being vulnerable to a coup and the Taliban gaining ground in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, we should be concerned about the safety of nuclear weapons in Pakistan. India should be concerned about it as well.
We should also consider “What India will do if Pakistan falls into the hands of terrorist groups?” They are neighbors who will be a target if Pakistan decides to challenge the territory owned by India.
The world is becoming a volatile place to live these days, so this is one situation we need to keep an eye on to see if it becomes a dangerous situation.
