New Delhi: India’s neighboring country Pakistan is once again on the verge of major political turmoil. The underlying cause is a behind-the-scenes power struggle between President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir.
At this point, no one in Pakistan is seems to be powerful enough to challenge Asim Munir. On one side is Munir, and on the other is Imran Khan – Pakistan’s most popular leader, who is currently in jail – while Munir has made preparations to sideline the rest.
According to the reports, Asim Munir has decided to remove Zardari and become the next the President of Pakistan himself. Interestingly, the month of July holds a special significance in Pakistan’s history of coups. To recall, on July 5, 1977, Zia-ul-Haq had crushed Pakistan’s democracy under his military boot. Now, once again, July has sparked speculation of another possible coup in the country.
In last year’s elections, PTI emerged as the largest party by winning 93 seats despite all the efforts made to defeat Imran Khan. However, the army made PML-N, which won 75 seats, form the government with the Prime Minister, and Asif Zardari, whose party won 54 seats, became the President.
But now, according to the reports, Asim Munir wants to go beyond the rank of Field Marshal and become the President, just like Pervez Musharraf did.
Donald Trump and Asim Munir Meeting:
Bilawal Bhutto, the son of Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari, recently criticised Asim Munir. It is believed that the Pakistani military is secretly working against Asif Zardari, which explains why Bilawal’s fear and anger have surfaced directly against Asim Munir.
In addition, Munir’s presence in Trump’s circle has earned him a sort of American endorsement within Pakistan. This could embolden him to further consolidate his power. The key question now is: will Munir stop at Zardari, or will he go further by removing Shehbaz Sharif from the Prime Minister’s post and take full control of power himself? After all, Pakistan’s military chiefs have overthrown civilian governments in the past. Munir may now be heading in that same direction.
Imran Khan’s Sharp Eye…
From behind bars, Imran Khan sees his return in the people’s struggles. That’s why, earlier this week, he sent a message from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail to his supporters, calling them to take to the streets over issues like inflation, repression, and dictatorship. Imran Khan’s main target is Asim Munir. Before Imran and the people can settle scores, Munir might choose to stage a coup in order to save himself.