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The Army is once again playing with fire in Pakistan

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8 years ago

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The Army is once again playing with fire in Pakistan

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Army’s role in first defying government orders to restore normalcy and then brokering peace with the protestors is a disturbing development in Pakistan

~By Seema Guha

A little known Islamic group, Tehreek-e-LibaikYa Rasool Allah Pakistan (TLYR) had virtually brought the government of Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to its knees. By bowing to their demand for the sacking of the federal justice minister Zahid Hamid, the government finally succeeded in getting protesters out of the streets.

The angry mobs had virtually paralysed the authorities and brought life in the cities and towns of Pakistan to a halt.

The Abbasi administration had got some breathing space for the moment, but the take away from the crisis is a damning indictment of the current situation in Pakistan, where a hand full determined fanatics can plunge the nation into a monumental crisis.

It is a well known fact that the Army calls the shots in Pakistan, mainly on foreign affairs and particularly on relations with India, US and Afghanistan. It usually plays a more subtle role in internal politics, but this time round the gloves were off.

Army chief Qamar Jawed Bajwa openly flouted government orders and instead of putting its forces on the ground to clear the streets off protesters, as ordered by the executive, the Army played peace maker. The Army chief met Prime Minister Abbasi and lectured the government to handle the agitation peacefully. The Army then got into action and got the government and the Islamic group to negotiate.

In the end the protesters had their way and Zahid Ahmed had to step down.

The negotiations are said to have continued all Sunday night and into the wee hours of Monday morning. The government was represented by Interior minister Ahsan Iqbal. It is only in the fitness of things, that when the leader of the Tehreek-e-Libaik announced lifting the sit-in protests, he thanked the Army chief for diffusing the crisis.

What is more, in the agreement that was signed by Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the chief of  Tehreek-e-Libaik, the Interior Secretary Arshad Mirza, and Major General, Faiz Hameed who facilitated the negotiations , there is reference to the Army chief. “We are thankful to him (General Bajwa) for saving the nation from a big catastrophe,” the document said. The Army chief and General Hamid are both guarantors to the agreement.

The Army’s support of the fundamentalist group is not surprising considering these outfits have often been used by the military ever since military dictator General Zia ul-Haq decided it was in his best interests to play the religious card.

The Islamasition of the Pakistan army began during General Zia’s time. Since then, whenever it suited the generals, they played footsie with religious leaders.

Yet ever since the brutal slaughter of school children in an army school in Peshawar, the Army had cracked down on the Pakistani Taliban and other extremist groups. Yet at a time, when the PML (N) is at its weakest, with Nawaz Sharif debarred from politics and facing trial for corruption and a weak man in the country’s top executive office, the Army’s support for the Tehreek-e-Libaik is somewhat surprising.

This group of fundamentalists grew out of the protest movement against the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri, the security guard who gunned down Punjab Governor Salman Taseer in 2011, for standing up for a Christian woman facing death under the country’s tough blasphemy laws. When Qadri was hanged, a cult grew around what supporters described as his “martyrdom.’’ The group hopes to take part in national elections and promises to rule Pakistan by shariah law, if voted to power.

The current agitation by this fringe outfit is also seeped in Sunni orthodoxy. The law minister has become the target for a slight change to an oath – the finality of Prophethood – that lawmakers in Pakistan must take to run for office. The oath declares that the spiritual leader of the Ahmadi movement, a Muslim minority group, is a false prophet. The change to the oath, was slight : “I believe” from the original “I solemnly declare.” The wording was quickly changed to “I solemnly declare” but the religious group led by Khadim Hussain Rizvi bayed for the minister’s head.

The Army may be supporting the group but liberal Pakistani’s are angry at this craven submission by the PML government and the Army’s role in this sorry affair. In fact, Justice Shaukat Aziz of the Islamabad High Court did not mince words, when he questioned the government on its inept handling of the recent protests. “Is Gen Qamar Jawed Bajwa above the law and constitution?” he questioned. “It appears as though the Army was actively involved with the sit-in,” he stated.

“How long can we allow this to happen with the government?” Justice Aziz had asked.

“Army officials interested in politics are welcome to resign from the Army and join politics,” the Islamabad High Court had added while commenting that the “Government has been made into a joke of sorts.”

The Army cannot be reined in by the Court. The Army will continue to do what it pleases. But this action of playing to the extremist Islamic sentiments can come back to haunt it in future.

The Pakistan Army chief is on a visit to Saudi Arabia. Here he may find that Riyadh is also changing its stand on several key issues, including religious bigotry.

The new power centre in Riyadh, the 32-year old Crown Prince, is working towards making Saudi Arabia a moderate Islamic state. The religious police that created havoc on the streets are no longer in evidence in cities and towns. The Saudis who have long supported the austere Wahabi ideology is trying to move away from it. Why is the Pakistan Army now embracing the fundamentalists? The Pakistan Army is playing with fire.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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BJP releases first list of 47 candidates for Kerala assembly polls

The BJP has released its first list of 47 candidates for the Kerala Assembly elections scheduled for April 9, including three former Union ministers.

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8 hours ago

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March 16, 2026

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BJP releases list of candidates

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday released its first list of 47 candidates for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections scheduled for April 9.

Voting will take place for all 140 seats in the state assembly, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4. A party or coalition needs at least 70 seats to secure a majority in the House.

Among the candidates announced in the first list are three former Union ministers — Rajeev Chandrasekhar, V. Muraleedharan and George Kurian.

Key candidates announced

Kerala BJP chief and former Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has been fielded from the Nemom assembly constituency. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Chandrasekhar lost the Thiruvananthapuram seat to three-time MP Shashi Tharoor, but he led in the Nemom assembly segment during that contest. The party believes this performance strengthens its prospects in the constituency.

Nemom has held political significance for the BJP since 2016, when senior leader O. Rajagopal won the seat and became the party’s first-ever MLA in the 140-member Kerala Legislative Assembly. The victory marked the BJP’s initial breakthrough in the state assembly.

However, the seat returned to the Left camp in the 2021 Assembly election when V. Sivankutty defeated BJP leader Kummanam Rajasekharan.

Former Union minister V. Muraleedharan will contest from the Kazhakoottam constituency, while George Kurian has been nominated from Kanjirappally.

Other candidates in the list

According to the list released by the party, several other candidates have also been announced for key constituencies. P. C. George will contest from Poonjar, R. Sreelekha from Vattiyoorkavu and Padmaja Venugopal from Thrissur.

The BJP has also nominated Sobha Surendran from Palakkad, Navya Haridas from Kozhikode North and Kavitha K. S. from Sulthanbathery, a reserved constituency.

Raji Prasad will contest from the Kunnathur seat reserved for Scheduled Castes, while R. Rashmi has been fielded from Kottarakkara.

Political backdrop in Kerala

Kerala’s electoral politics has traditionally alternated between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). However, the BJP has been attempting to expand its presence in the state.

The alternating trend was interrupted in the 2021 Assembly election when the electorate returned the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government to power for a second consecutive term.

The BJP believes recent electoral performances and local body successes have strengthened its position as it prepares to contest the upcoming assembly polls.

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Fire in ICU at SCB medical college hospital in Cuttack kills 10 patients

Ten patients died after a fire broke out in the trauma ICU at SCB medical college hospital in Cuttack early Monday morning. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced compensation and ordered a judicial probe.

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18 hours ago

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March 16, 2026

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A major fire at the trauma care intensive care unit (ICU) of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, Odisha, early Monday morning left ten patients dead and several hospital staff members injured.

According to officials, the fire broke out between 2:30 am and 3:00 am in the trauma ICU where critically ill patients were undergoing treatment. Emergency teams rushed to the scene soon after the incident, and multiple fire engines were deployed to control the blaze and assist in rescue operations.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said hospital staff were injured while evacuating patients from the affected ward during the emergency.

Patients shifted as rescue operations continued

Following the fire, 23 patients were moved to other departments and wards within the hospital to ensure their safety and continued medical care.

Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister said seven critically ill patients died while being shifted to other ICUs and wards, while three more succumbed later.

“A total of 23 patients have been shifted to other departments. Seven serious patients died while shifting to other ICUs and wards, while another three patients died later. I have directed the concerned officers for proper treatment of the injured patients,” Majhi said.

Chief minister visits hospital, announces compensation

Soon after the incident, Majhi visited the hospital along with Odisha Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling to review the situation. They also met patients who were undergoing treatment at the facility.

The Chief Minister announced financial assistance of ₹25 lakh for the families of each deceased patient.

He also ordered a judicial probe into the incident to determine the cause of the fire and examine safety measures at the hospital.

Authorities continue to monitor the condition of injured staff members and patients who were shifted from the ICU.

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Arvind Kejriwal moves Supreme Court against Delhi High Court order in excise policy case

Arvind Kejriwal has approached the Supreme Court challenging a Delhi High Court order related to proceedings in the excise policy case and alleging violation of his fundamental rights.

Published

18 hours ago

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March 16, 2026

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Arvind Kejriwal

Aam Aadmi Party chief and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has approached the Supreme Court of India challenging certain proceedings in the Delhi excise policy case and alleging a violation of his fundamental rights.

In a petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, Kejriwal has questioned a decision of the Delhi High Court that put a freeze on remarks related to the investigation conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The petition also challenges an order of the High Court Chief Justice rejecting Kejriwal’s request to transfer the case to another bench.

Plea seeks change of bench

Earlier, on March 11, Kejriwal and several others submitted a representation to Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya seeking reassignment of the case to what they described as an “impartial” judge.

In the representation, Kejriwal stated that he had a “grave, bona fide and reasonable apprehension” that the matter may not receive an impartial hearing before the current bench.

However, the Chief Justice declined the request and said the petition had been assigned as per the existing roster.

According to the communication sent by the High Court’s Registrar General on March 13 to eight individuals including Kejriwal, the Chief Justice noted that any decision on recusal must be taken by the judge hearing the matter and that there was no reason to transfer the petition administratively.

Order on trial court proceedings also challenged

Kejriwal has also challenged a March 9 order passed by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court.

In that order, Justice Sharma had stayed a trial court direction that called for an investigation into a CBI officer who handled the excise policy case. The High Court had also asked the trial court to defer proceedings connected to the anti-money laundering aspect of the case.

Justice Sharma had further rejected certain observations made by the trial court while discharging Kejriwal and 22 others, stating that some of those remarks were erroneous.

Hearing expected on CBI plea

Meanwhile, Justice Sharma is scheduled to hear a petition filed by the CBI challenging the discharge of Kejriwal, former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and others in the excise policy case.

The matter remains under judicial consideration as the legal challenge now moves to the Supreme Court.

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