People versus state - Part 1

The scope of current political chessboard is so huge and fog of peace is so dense that it has never been so difficult to start a blog as it has become now. But we should  be able to cut through the noise of narratives and see what is good for Pakistan.

Is everything ok? The "constitutional" change of govt has settled all the issues? Or is it a classic regime change op by US? 

Things are not looking good. Situation on Western borders both North (KPK) and South (Balochistan) is bad. Internal unrest has never been as intense since debacle of 1971. Not so many tears have been shed in pain and helplessness since APS Peshawar incident.

It seems like a dream come true for the  enemies of Pakistan to have been able to create the wedge between the people and the state, something that couldn't be achieved previously. Henceforth, there is no doubt that current political turmoil is about people versus state. Before we move further, let's pray that it ends sooner than later without damage. Ameen

These days game of narratives determines the game of thrones. Market your narrative better than the others and get charge of the situation.

State level narrative is that 5th Gen Info Ops are misleading people, hence anti state/ institution slogans are being chanted by unemployed youth and grumpy veterans. These yes boys will not only embarass their leadership but harm Pakistan. Paying heed to such feedback could be a fatal miscalculation. 

At macro level, something extraordinary has happened next door in Afghanistan. Ragtag motely groups of Afghan freedom fighters/ terrorists (both tiltles shall work, depending upon your orientstion) brought the superpower to its knees. US' humiliating exodus in haste wounded her false pride. Seeing jaded US, Russia ceased the opportunity of its resurgence as a power broker by attacking Western stooge in Ukraine. Our heart goes to the innocent life loss in the battle. However, US desperately wants to stay relevant in regional power matrix of South East Asia to keep a check on China, stop spilling over of Isamic movement from Afghanistan to Pakistan, keep India relevant in the equation and teach lesson to the one who dared to orietate his nation with Russia and had the tenacity to say, 'Absolutely Not'. So it reverts to its non kinetic strategy of regime change without putting its 'brave men and women the harms way'. Hence, a 'non-involved' coup was deliberately planned and successfully executed. In fact, it over achieved and likely to backfire. Probably, intensity of people versus state/ institutions situation was not conceived  correctly. For US, it comes as bonus and for its facilitators a headache. I used to make fun of my US obsessed friends who would carryout analysis and draw conclusions based on US' interest or direct/ indirect involvement in security matters of Pakistan. Here I am, fully convinced based on observation, reflection, logic and commonsense that US is not only involved but calling the shots in present situation. However, this admission doesn't make me youthia, it only makes me a concerned Pakstani. Being realistic, if you ask for one reason of this mess, my spontaneous answer would be 'extention' which makes both IK for giving and chief for accepting guilty. Lion's share of mistake goes to the Chief Executive who consciously took this decision despite his reservations on Gen Ashfaq Pervez' extension. Now fixing blame cum responsibility on IK doesn't make me a patwari either, I'm still a concerned Pakistani.It remains to be authenticated whether IK gave extension or Gen Bajwa took it or both. In first case of Chief Executive exercising his authority to grant extension would make IK guilty big time whereas, latter two options change the whole perspective on the issue. 

Army has niether been apolitical nor neutral when it came to politics in the country. Rather, it played better politics than the politicians by tagging along popular sentiments. The exception in given situation is that Army has gone against peoples' wishes. It raises many questions particularly when anti US sentiment is as strong as it is now. Answers to these questions in next entry, Insha Allah.

Only Allah knows the whole Truth.