A silver lining for India in Pakistan's political drama replay
The people of Pakistan appear to have spoken – if not resoundingly enough, at least loudly – against the army's overwhelming dominance in the country's politics. However, with the recent election results returning a hung parliament, it seems the Pakistan Army remains influential regardless of the popular verdict.
Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was banned from contesting the polls, yet he managed enough popular support to have over 100 ‘independents’ elected to the Pakistan Assembly, surpassing the numbers for both his rival parties - Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). It's expected that the Pakistan Army will encourage the PML-N and PPP to come to some sort of an agreement, reminiscent of their cooperation following Khan’s removal in 2022, with a few independents included.
However, Khan's ability to overcome the several institutional hurdles placed in his way over the past year and more to still emerge as the most popular political actor in Pakistan indicates a potential decline in the army's influence over the country's politics. Any government without Khan at the helm will likely struggle to gain public trust and to carry out the necessary economic reforms and stabilize diplomatic relations, which are crucial for Islamabad.
Having first to come to power on the back of army's support, Khan had soon turned against his benefactors believing his mass popularity would be enough to insulate him from further machinations of Pakistan’s deep state. However, this wasn't sufficient to keep him in office, though it did fuel significant unrest, including protests targeting the army.
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