Pakistan military

It has signaled to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf that it will crackdown on the party despite its popularity.

At a recent rally – its first outside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province since the general elections – the PTI adopted a confrontationist posture vis-à-vis the civilian government and the military leadership.

The Corps Commanders' Conference sent out a strong message that any attempt to undermine the military institution would face severe consequences.

Ongoing protests in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa fail to strike a chord in Punjab and Sindh, where most Pakistanis live.

Key ministries have been assigned to those the establishment deems reliable.

The big question is who will be the new prime minister? Both parties have their eyes on the top prize.

The three main political parties must evolve a political consensus through a grand dialogue.

Interestingly, his jailed rival Imran Khan’s supporters showed up in large numbers in Sharif’s traditional stronghold of Lahore.

The invasion sparked an internationally supported process of militarization and Islamization that cemented the military's power.

The army seems to have given a green signal to Nawaz Sharif to become the face of forthcoming general elections in Pakistan.

It signals a fair level of confidence in upcoming elections being fair and inclusive, and that he will be treated fairly by the courts.

Last year, Imran Khan’s ouster and the end of the “hybrid regime” briefly gave hope to those seeking true democracy in Pakistan. But the military managed to further consolidate its grip on power. 

Talks with the TTP, for example, allowed some factions to return to Pakistan and gain legitimacy as well.

As things stand, it seems neither Khan nor his political party will be permitted to contest elections.

The Pakistani military supported and nurtured Imran Khan, but later realized it was a failed experiment. 

Charging political protestors under counterterrorism laws, even as extremist outfits are allowed to march in support of the military, will undermine Pakistan’s democracy.

Amid a crackdown on his party, the former cricketer turned Islamist politician is on the back foot.

There is a powerful surge of public anger against the military's political interference. But Pakistan's civilian politicians are too caught up in their personal feuds to capitalize on the movement.

Chaos erupted after Imran Khan's arrest. His release brought an uneasy calm, but the stage is set for a more serious clash.

The arrests followed mob attacks on government buildings, military installations, and public places in response to Khan’s arrest on Tuesday.

The last year has been been a microcosm of Pakistan’s seven decades of dysfunction, now culminating in ambiguity over the most fundamental of democratic exercises: holding an election. 

“If India and Pakistan keep emotions out of it and approach their problems logically, there is room for advancing the relationship.”

He ruled Pakistan through the first six years of the US military operations in Afghanistan, tensions with India, a nuclear proliferation scandal and mounting Islamic extremism at home.

Will the Pakistan military under Gen. Asim Munir favor peace talks with the TTP, or a return to military operations?