ISLAMABAD
The new chief of Pakistan’s army had a tough act to follow when he took the baton of command in November 2016. His predecessor had been a widely popular figure, credited with dramatically curbing both attacks by militants against civilians and political corruption and extortion. There was apprehension that the army’s next leader could never match these successes and might struggle to exert control.
But since assuming what is considered the most powerful position in the country, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa has left no doubt about who is in charge.
A little more than a year after he took command, there is already talk in the country of the “Bajwa Doctrine,” with Pakistan’s approach to foreign and domestic policies reflecting the army chief’s vision.
Bajwa has served during a time of great political upheaval, even by the tumultuous standards of Pakistan. He was chosen as army chief by the prime minister at the time, Nawaz Sharif, with a critical factor in his selection being the general’s strong support for friendlier ties between the military and civilians. But Sharif was ousted by the Supreme Court over corruption charges, in a controversial decision in July.
Relationship with US
Then, this month, the Trump administration announced it would suspend nearly all security aid to Pakistan, an across-the-board freeze that is the most tangible sign yet of Washington’s frustration with what it sees as the country’s refusal to crack down on terrorist networks operating there.
The decision, which could affect as much as $1.3 billion (Dh4.7 billion) in annual aid, came three days after President Donald Trump complained on Twitter that Pakistan had “given us nothing but lies & deceit” and accused it of providing “safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan.”
Statements from the Pakistan army’s media wing have described Bajwa as being outspoken in conversations with US generals and government officials. In a call this month with Gen. Joseph L. Votel, head of the US Central Command, for example, Bajwa talked of a “sense of betrayal” within the country over Trump’s tweet, the army said.
The relationship between Pakistan and the United States has been one of “allies with an up and down history,” said Maj. Gen. Asif Gafoor, spokesman of the Pakistani military.
Since the announcement from the Trump administration, Bajwa has stressed that Pakistan will not seek the resumption of US security aid and that the country is not dependent on it. Since last year, he has been reaching out to countries like China, Iran, Qatar, Russia and Saudi Arabia — building contacts that could help him cement his grip on power and reduce Pakistan’s reliance on the US. In the view of the Pakistan military, Bajwa and his predecessor, Gen. Raheel Sharif, can point to victories against militants who have attacked the country’s civilian population, which has increased the army’s popularity.
Afghan border fence
Raheel Sharif during his tenure “cleared leftover strongholds of terrorists in northwestern Pakistan,” Gafoor, the military spokesman, said. “General Bajwa is taking it forward to enduring peace and stability not only in Pakistan, but the region as well.”
Bajwa is also pursuing fencing along the 2,700-kilometre length of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to help curb cross-border movements by militants. And he has pushed for the repatriation of Afghan refugees to keep militants from hiding in the country by mingling with refugees in settlement camps.
And Pakistan, Gafoor said, “remains committed to continue contributing all efforts to bring peace in Afghanistan and understands US concerns.”
On the domestic front, critics say Bajwa is essentially following the same institutional policies that have made the military an overarching influence in the country.
There is speculation within the governing party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, that the military will not allow a level playing field in the next general elections, which are five months away. There are also worries that the vote may be delayed.
Gafoor, the military spokesman, played down the fears of a disruption of the coming vote. “Democracy is the way forward,” he said. “Elections should take place on time.”
— New York Times
News Service
BOX
One of the country’s leading opposition politicians, and a bitter foe of Sharif, raved about the job the new army chief has done.
“I have more praise for General Bajwa than General Raheel Sharif,” the opposition politician, Imran Khan, said at his political office in the suburbs of Islamabad. “Never has an army chief so openly supported democracy.”
Khan, a contender to be Pakistan’s next prime minister, said Bajwa had doubled down on his predecessor’s efforts to curtail militant violence and political corruption.
As an example, Khan pointed out that there had been suspicion among the business community of Karachi, the country’s commercial hub, that actions started by the former army chief against criminal political gangs and extortionists in the city might come to a halt. “But there has been no letup,” Khan said.
New York Times News Service
