Differences between Pakistan PM and Army chief set to escalate into a clash

Islamabad – Opposition leaders in Pakistan have demanded elections in the country. They accused Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan of causing damage that even the Prime Minister of India would not have done to their country. The demand made by opposition leaders gathered under the Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM) umbrella has caused a stir in Pakistan. Pakistan’s army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who has been at loggerheads with Imran Khan, is claimed to be cooperating with the opposition parties. Therefore, according to some journalists, the conflict which, on the surface, looks to be between the government and the opposition, is actually between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army Chief General Bajwa.

Both Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Shahbaz Sharif, the former chief minister of Punjab province in Pakistan, accused Imran Khan of causing heavy damages to the Pakistani military. Pakistan’s army chief General Bajwa had dismissed Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed from the post of ISI chief. Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum replaced him. Faiz Hameed had bypassed the army chief and intervened in Afghanistan. Discussions had started in Pakistan that his removal from the post of ISI chief was his punishment. However, Prime Minister Imran Khan backed Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed and refused to sign this order.

Pakistani analysts had said that this was a direct attack by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Army Chief General Bajwa. As a result, a divide has been created in the Pakistani military. One faction of the Pakistani army now favours Prime Minister Imran Khan and the other opposes him. The possibility of this conflict flaring up soon is being predicted. Earlier, some journalists from Pakistan had reported that Army Chief General Bajwa was preparing to oust Imran Khan from the post of Prime Minister. But after the controversy over the appointment of the ISI chief, General Bajwa is claimed to have joined hands with the opposition to teach Imran Khan a lesson.

That is why the election demands made by Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Shahbaz Sharif are becoming noteworthy. The Leader of the Opposition made severe accusations against Imran Khan, accusing him of causing so much damage to Pakistan that even the Indian Prime Minister would not be able to cause. Imran Khan has failed on all fronts like foreign policy, economic issues, internal security and if elections are not held now, Pakistan will be in dire straits, claimed these leaders. It has also sparked a debate over whether Pakistan’s military will take control of the country once again. Or, instead of taking power directly, there is a strong possibility that General Bajwa will put the opposition forward and oust Imran Khan.

However, disgruntled officers like Faiz Hameed in the Pakistan Army have made it difficult for General Bajwa to take action against Imran Khan. If this conflict is ignited in Pakistan, it will be the biggest internal challenge for Pakistan so far.