Crisis management: Politicians rule out army intervention

A coup is in the interest of neither the military nor the country

ISLAMABAD: Military intervention in political affairs will not be in Pakistan’s best interest and the armed forced are not in a position to interfere, representatives from various political parties said on Tuesday.

Earlier, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain cautioned the nation of a possible military coup triggered by gridlocks between the government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT).

However, Pakistan People’s Party leader Qamar Zaman Kaira dismissed the likelihood of a military takeover – especially after the Eighteenth Amendment. The presence of a proactive judiciary, media and civil society will prevent the army from interfering in politics, he added. According to Kaira, a former military ruler has already been charged with flouting the writ of the state and it is unlikely that another military regime would be accepted.

Nevertheless, the PPP leader insisted that the current political crisis has left the government in a quandary. He urged the government to take a proactive stance and find a solution to the crisis.

Commenting on Altaf’s statement, Awami National Party (ANP)’s Senator Haji Mohammad Adeel said that a military coup is in the interest of neither the military nor the country. The army, he added, is caught up in a military offensive in North Waziristan and is not in a position to tackle the political crisis.

“The ongoing military operation will be adversely affected if the army diverts its attention towards political matters,” he said. Furthermore, Adeel insisted that the army would lose the support of the political parties who have backed its efforts to eliminate militancy.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27^th, 2014.