ISLAMABAD : August 10,2023: Shahbaz government finally ended after making the people lives miserable and setting a new standards of corruption in Pakistan during its 16-month tenure as president Alvi signed the advice sent by the prime minister for dissolution of the national assembly on Wednesday.
Shahbaz took over in April last year after voting out Imran Khan’s quarter to four-year rule on April 9,2022.
Imran Khan had lost his rule as a result of unending fued with powerful military of Pakistan. Imran had come into power in 2018 through controversial elections . Those elections are considered as one of the most controversial elections of Pakistan’s history.
Since Pakistan ‘s military which had provided unparallel support to Imran Khan’s government till he had denied to then army chief , Qamar Bajwa, over appointment of a new Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) chief to replace General Faiz Hamed , PTI chairman’s most favourite guy in uniform .
Imran Khan wanted to keep Faiz Hameed as ISI chief . Several months long tug of war between Imran Khan and Qamar Bajwa resulted in Turing the former as a persona -non- Greta for the army as an Institution .
Although the army prevailed in the end and Imran Khan had to accept a new ISI chief, but by then the army, as an institution, had reached to a conclusion that Imran Khan was the most unreliable and unpredictable politician and he can not be trusted to become the leader of the house in the national assembly again .
Imran Khan too did not bug down. Rather ,he opened up a deadly campaign against the army in the public . He probably had got an impression that he was so powerful and popular that on his order the public will come to the streets to fight against the army. In vengeance Imran Khan forgot to differentiate between the state and the politics. He mixed up things and finally decided to go for pitching the public particularly his supporters to fight against the army. He got success to great extent when his party workers attacked army installations in violence against his arrest on May 9 last.
Imran Khan ‘s level of confidence indicated he was sure to mow down the army as institution and then play his actual game to expose Pakistan’s nuclear security.
By May 9 this year , Imran Khan had created a challenging situation by bringing his party workers face -to -face to the army. Imran Khan actually did not want to see General Asim Munir as chief of the army staff . He wanted to create division among top military brass and then manage to throw General Asim Munir out from his office . PTI chief wanted to see any other general of his liking as Gen Asim Munir’s replacement.
The army played its card wisely and it’s chain of command remained intact . Had Imran Khan become successful in his original plan it would cost Pakistan its survival . At that stage , the army had two urgent tasks . One to tackle with Imran Khan’s poisoned political miscreants and second protect its own house as bugs had infested it also . In particular , some retired army men and a racket of some senior judges were publicaly targeting the army as an institution. Some opportunists like Gen Amjad Shoaib were publicaly claiming of two opinions in the institution . This malicious campaign was enough to damage the army as an institution and put Pakistan’s security at risk.
Finally , the events of May 9 put the army into action . That was a do or die moment for Pakistan’s nuclear army. Though actions against those who intentionally targeted the army on May 9 gave a clear message to Imran Khan and his supporters that they will be crushed if they again crossed the red line . No matter who does it he/she will pay its price . This warning worked and the long on-going anti military campaign of Imran Khan started to perish in post May 9 scenario.
Perhaps at this stage , the judges who were providing shelter to Imran Khan for unlawful acts were also given some warning .
At one hand , the army was fighting for Pakistan’s survival and at the same time put in place a strategy to taper Imran Khan and his hardcore gang and on the other Shahbaz Sharif ‘s ruling elite was leaving no opportunity to make ill-gptton money .
His government allies have piled up ill-gptton money without taking into account Pakistan ‘s weak economy. Shahbaz Sharif and his Foreign minister set a new record of having pleasure trips in the name of international assignments during the last 16 months. Majority of foreign tours of Shahbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto and other ministers were for their personal gains .
Shahbaz Sharif government did only one thing without any break and it was making the people’s lives like a hell by increasing bills of gas and electricity on regular basis during its 16 -month tenure.