challenges to Pakistan's domestic security, The

Journal of Third World Studies, Spring 2002 by Hilali, A Z

There are armies that defend their nation's borders; there are armies that are concerned with protecting their own position in society; and there are armies that defend a cause or an idea. The Pakistan Army does all three. From the day Pakistan was created, it has been active in helping to establish internal order and in protecting Pakistan's permeable and often ill-defined borders.48

Thus, Pakistan's military have played an important role in maintaining stability domestically and they also represent themselves as nation-builders as well as the architects and guardians of the state. Throughout Pakistan's continuum of martial laws or military-led regimes (1958, 1969, 1977 and 1999), military elites always dominated in national politics and in the formulation of regional and foreign policies. The people have hardly ever known a smooth and normal transfer of power from one set of rulers to their successors, the transition having been invariably marked by unpredictability, abruptness, a tug of war in the corridors of power and lack of transparency. In general, military governments in Pakistan have destroyed the political fabric, frequently justifying their actions as a means of eradicating corruption, guaranteeing national security and improving law and order. The military elites rule their affairs by secret agencies rather than open participatory activity and have sowed the seeds of brutalisation of the political atmosphere.49 The military emerged as power-brokers and moved to take complete control of domestic politics. In fact, no civil government in Pakistan can survive without the support of the military and its domination is also reflected in the character of civilian participation. Military domination in Pakistan has been deeply entrenched since General Ayub Khan took effective power without a 'bloodbath' in October 1958 and imposed martial law because the country's socio-economic and political situation was simply intolerable and deteriorating.50 Moreover, western support to military regimes also enabled Pakistan's military to strengthen its position domestically and it emerged as the strongest institution in Pakistan.

On 25 March 1969, a second martial law regime imposed by General Yahya Khan was once again justified in terms of the military's inherited role as the custodian of law and order. General Yahya Khan held fair and free elections in December 1970 which proved unpalatable to the military. The Awami League which had a strong hold in East Pakistan, led by Sheikh Mujib, won 167 out of 313 seats and emerged as the majority party in the Assembly. But senior military leaders and West Pakistani elites were reluctant to hand over power to the Awami League. Eventually the result was complete failure and the situation culminated in a civil war which constituted a great tragedy in the modern history of South Asia. The Bengalis claimed that they had simply changed one alien exploiter (the British and Hindus) for another (Punjabis). Moreover, the Awami League's Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took control of East Pakistan and started a struggle for power. The result of the crisis was absolute disaster because the military regime could not prevent dismemberment of Pakistan. The army suffered a severe defeat by India and the break up of Pakistan took place as a result of the misconceptions of military leaders and of the dubious roles of unscrupulous and inordinately ambitious politicians.