Government Versus PTI Combat
The forces of development and progress are locked in mortal combat with anti-development forces. The former are spearheaded by the coalition incumbent govt led by Shahbaz Sharif (SS) and fully backed by the Army under General Asim Munir, and the latter are led by PTI under Imran Khan (IK).
Under the policy chartered by interned IK (jailed for 14 years) and his core team, PTI’s social media and its lobbyists in western countries are mandated to undermine all the good deeds of the government and the army and to magnify the weaknesses. Taking a leaf out of the history of former East Pakistan crisis in 1970-71, its media operators have been trying to draw parallels by equating Gen Yahya Khan with Gen Asim Munir and painting the latter as the new monster.
The tasks of PTI affiliated Pakistani expatriates in the USA and in Europe are to insult and degrade the rulers, the State institutions and particularly the Army leadership, and to spoil the reputation of Pakistan.
PTI’s Tirade
PTI’s tirade started in Apr 2022 and the pitch was upped through 60 public meetings, in which IK and his henchmen resorted to abusive language against the political leaders calling them thieves and looters, and the former army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa, who was given names of Mir Jaffar, Mir Sadiq and a traitor. He had remained the daddy of IK and the best army chief and the best democrat till his ouster from power.
His hostile posturing aimed at inciting the youth and the cult followers to rise and wage a Jihad against all the power centres including the Army and the USA to achieve real freedom. The cults were indoctrinated to worship him like a spiritual god.
In order to intensify jihadism and confrontation against the State, he first converted his Bani gala residence into a fortress, which was defended by militants and PTI’s tiger force, and then his Zaman Park residence at Lahore. His diatribe continued unabatedly, viciously and maliciously till he was arrested in May 2023.
He took spiritual guidance from his wife Bushra Bibi (undergoing 14 years jail sentence), who claimed mastery over black magic and control over Jinns. Ex DG ISI Lt Gen Faiz Hamid undergoing court martial was his professional guide and dual nationality advisers were his strength. They kept pumping him to slay the hydra headed monsters and regain power.
Offensives of PTI Activists, Social Media
After his arrest, the battle was taken forward by the zealots of PTI joined by TTP and Afghans militants by staging violent long marches in order to topple the govt. The worst acts were on 9 May 2023 and 24-26 Nov 2024 which had nearly unhinged the government. 9 May countrywide vandalism was designed to trigger a mutiny in the Army by pitting the lower ranks against the senior officers.
PTI’s social media has fomented hatred, political polarization, societal divisions, fissures within the army and the veterans, chaos, uncertainty and insecurity. It took guidance from the India Chronicle Disinformation, which had functioned as a factory of fake news to demonise Pakistan. The U-Tubers in their bid to paint a doomsday scenario, predicted that the fate of Pakistan will be similar to Sri Lanka, Sudan, Iraq and Syria, and that it will split into three parts. They received heavy amounts for glamorising IK and projecting him as a Messiah and saviour of Pakistan.
PTI’s Reliance
For the achievement of their sinister motives of discrediting the ruling govt and the army chief, and to fail Pakistan, PTI relied upon IK’s popularity, street power, heavy foreign funding and power of social media. It relied upon the pro-PTI higher judiciary (Saqib Nisar, Asif Saeed Khosa, Bandial and like-minded judges).
Collusion with anti-Pakistan Forces
After failing to achieve its objectives with the help of these tools, it started colluding with all the anti-Pakistan forces inside and outside the country including the hostile intelligence agencies, terrorist groups, fifth columnists etc.
PTI is soft towards TTP, BLA, BYC, hostile Baloch Sardars and the interim regime in Kabul which has become hostile towards Pakistan. It disfavour military operations in KP and Baluchistan where the security situation has almost spun out of control. For PTI, the terrorists and their facilitators are acceptable, but the army is bad and is unacceptable.
Foreign Powers Approached by PTI
PTI approached the IMF, the US, EU, UK, human rights , and even Israel through the Goldsmith family to help in releasing IK. It earned the goodwill of Indian media, which termed IK as an asset of India. Pakistani expats were told not to send remittances.
Unchanged Objectives of Indo-US-Israel Nexus
It must not be forgotten that the US, Israel and India are on one page to disable Pakistan’s weapon oriented nuclear program and to scuttle CPEC. The three strategic partners with common objectives have a big role in plunging Pakistan in multiple challenges and crises.
Failing to achieve its objectives in the 20-year war on terror, it was decided by the conspirators to clandestinely weaken the trunks of Pak Army and ISI, which stand as guardians over Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. For this purpose, Pakistani media was expanded and empowered in 2003/04 to build choice narratives and perceptions. The cult culture under IK was promoted from 2011 onwards. PTI was mandated to first demolish the two party political structure in two phases, and then crack the trunk of the army.
PTI’s Conspiratorial Ballgame
PTI’s hostile acts are designed to badmouth Pakistan, the incumbent govt and the army through social media, and to keep Pakistan politically destabilized and economically weak by staging protests and creating anarchy.
Disunited PTI
PTI is plagued by internal rifts and power struggles, intrigue and corruption scandals. In KP, the party leaders are accusing each other for their malpractices. These frailties have deepened the malaise and are threatening the credibility and political relevance of PTI. The party leadership is unwilling to introspect and do course correction. It has become a party of rhetoric and is surviving on social media.
It is no longer the largest and most popular political party of Pakistan because of its deep internal divisions and infighting and is in no position to form a grand alliance of opposition parties.
Government’s Performance
On the contrary, the sitting Govt which has been declared as a bunch of good-for-nothing plunderers, is delivering and is producing pleasing results. Their good performance is indigestible for the chronic haters and they are trying their best to underplay and downgrade their achievements.
SS led Govt has turned the tables by saving the country from default, from bankruptcy and is lifting the macroeconomics from negative to positive. The inflation is at the lowest ebb, bank rates are down from 22 to 12%, rupee value is stable, foreign investments are flowing in, foreign exchange reserves are increasing, exports are increasing and imports reducing, smuggling has been curtailed, CPEC is regaining its old vigor, ministries and govt departments are being right/downsized, austerity measures implemented, IPPs issue tackled, governance improved, and Mining, IT, Agriculture, Energy and Defence production given higher priority. The Govt has started giving some relief to the people in electric bills.
The performance of Punjab, the heartland of Pakistan is worth praising. It is progressing and every week, new projects are being launched for the betterment of the people. So far, there is no corruption scandal. It is owing to Punjab’s outstanding progress and people friendly social welfare projects that the province has slipped out of the hands of PTI.
Ongoing Battle
The battle between pro-Pakistan and anti-Pakistan forces has now reached a critical point. On the socioeconomic front, the battle will be won the day the price hike in daily commodities is controlled. A beginning has been made, and much more will be achieved once the PTI is restrained from creating hurdles.
On the security front, the battle will be won when TTP, BLA, PTM and BYC are defeated and reined in. The army has vowed to root out the scourge of terrorism in KP and Baluchistan, and intends to complete its mission by the end of this year.
On the media front, new PECA laws, installation of firewalls and toughening of laws on freedom of speech and expression have shrunk the space for poison spitting vloggers, U-Tubers and journalists. The day is not far when the absconders on the payroll of PTI and foreign agencies would be brought back and punished.
Army’s Response
In his address to the National Security Committee in the parliament, Gen Asim Munir had reminded and shamed the parliamentarians that for how long the soldiers and officers of Pak Army would keep shedding blood on account of the softness of the State. What he meant was that the legislators on both sides of the fence, bureaucrats and the judiciary were responsible for making Pakistan a soft state due to their compromising attitude , lackadaisical approach and ineptitude.
He made it clear to other stakeholders to make equal contributions in fighting and eliminating this existential threat of terrorism.
Operation Azm-e-Istehkam
Unlike previous army operations, Operation Azm e Istehkam is all encompassing, since it is not restricted to the military prong only. It envisages activation of judicial and civil administrative prongs, together with the people’s support, and strict implementation of the remaining 14 points of the National Action Plan.
These will have to be implemented in letter and spirit with no ifs and buts. It is now or never.
PPP’s Double Dealing
The PPP which is a coalition partner, instead of politicizing the Cholistan canals project and demanding a bigger share in Punjab, should set aside its personal interests, and must play a positive role at this critical juncture when the very survival of the State is at stake.
