India Today: Pak General's bloodless coup

[Viking 63]

Finally this army general is doing what should have been done 7 years ago, both big idiots Mushy and Kiayani fucked it up !!!

 

[Hurter]

Stop quoting if dont have any factual response .. Shoo...

Abay chal chootiye... Stop coming on PDF. Go to your indian defence forum and shit there... shooo

 

[Bratva]

Well that is a non-starter itself. This is an institution whose uses nothing but anti-Indian rhetoric to justify their pillaging and looting of the Pakistani coffers, it is not in their interest to talk with India or improve ties with India. Listen to the statements all COAS of the PA have made regarding India and Kashmir- they are not exactly paving the way for peace nor are they indicating that is part of their long term agenda.

What a sage statement to begin your post with. Pillaging and looting Pakistani coffers, pray tell us, didn't you describe indian army indulges in similar rhetorics and pillaging and looting of indian coffers ?

When India doesn't inch away from it's stance of Akhand Kashmir, what's to talk about or chance of peace remains ?

Your war mongering mentality reflects overall indian mentality which is the real cause of hindrance in peace talks

 

[Echo_419]

INDIA TODAY

Pak General's bloodless coup

Army chief General Raheel Sharif is in the driver's seat, winning a counterinsurgency campaign at home and guiding foreign policy, including relations with India

It is not Prime Minister Sharif, but the other Sharif, the general, who dominates the front pages of Pakistani media. Whether it is spending Eid with the troops in North Waziristan, visiting the flood-hit areas or meeting world leaders, it is always the ubiquitous general.

It was the general and not the political leadership who was there to greet the students of the Peshawar school when they returned to their classes, haunted by the memory of the massacre of their schoolmates. Symbolism does matter, particularly, at a time when a national tragedy has occurred.

But it goes beyond symbolism. General Raheel Sharif now seems to be in the driving seat, taking the lead on every major issue. The contrast is more glaring when it comes to the government's lacklustre attitude and the much stronger and definitive stance of the military leadership against violent extremism and militancy. Not surprisingly, the hyperactive general has pushed the military's rating in popular opinion to a new high.

It was not unexpected when the prime minister chose a dark horse as the country's new army chief just a few months after his return to power for the third time in June 2013. General Sharif was third on the seniority list and was not considered a frontrunner for the coveted job. It was Nawaz Sharif's way of playing safe and picking a relatively low-profile officer for the most critical and powerful post.

Having been ousted by his handpicked army chief once and given his history of tumultuous relations with all others holding the post during his past two terms, Nawaz Sharif was more cautious and unsure. Hence an unassuming man with no past baggage and lower down in the seniority list was considered a safe bet. General Sharif's appointment signified a complete break from the Pervez Musharraf-era military hierarchy. But it is not so simple. It is more about institutional rather than individual interests.

The general comes from an illustrious military family that has produced many war heroes. His brother, Shabbir Sharif, received two of the country's highest military awards after he was killed during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. As head of the Pakistan Military Academy and director general (training), General Sharif played a key role in presiding over a change of military thinking since 2007, under which the focus of the army's work is geared more towards fighting Taliban militants.

General Sharif's reputation as a professional soldier notwithstanding, the distrust between Nawaz Sharif and the military was too wide to bridge easily. The standoff between the civil and military leadership over the treason trial of former military ruler General Musharraf was a grim reminder of an uneasy relationship. The prime minister had no choice but to back down on the issue.

The message from the military leadership was loud and clear-it would not let a former army chief stand trial on treason charges. For several weeks, General Musharraf was whisked to the military hospital in Rawalpindi to avoid appearance before a special court that was set up to try him. He stayed there for several weeks and finally appeared before the tribunal after a deal. The tribunal is wound up now and Musharraf is now living freely in his house in Karachi.

General Sharif has proved to be more assertive and decisive than his predecessor General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani who was more calculating and avoided risk taking. While the chain-smoking former chief was subtle in his approach, treading a cautious path when it came to hard decisions, General Sharif is more self-assured although less of a strategic mind. The contrast is too stark.

General Kayani, having served as Inter-Service IntelÂligence chief as well, had a much better perception of the political and internal security situation. He continued to follow the old policy of differentiating between good and bad militants. But Sharif is more clearheaded on the issue: there is no distinction. While General Kayani preferred the civilian government to determine policy direction, General Sharif does not hesitate to take the initiative. For instance, it was his decision to go into North Waziristan and not wait indefinitely for government approval, as had happened under his predecessor.

It is not the first time a military operation is being conducted in the agency that has been described as a "witch's brew"-ridden with all kinds of local and international terrorist groups making it their safe haven. The prolonged indecisiveness of General Kayani and national leadership had made the battle to reclaim the territory more difficult.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (right) with General Raheel Sharif

What is most significant, however, is that the military offensive in North Waziristan has brought down the level of militant violence in the country, indicating a direct link between the various terrorist groups to the agency. Although sectarian and religious violence has continued unabated, the capacity of the militant groups to launch major attacks has certainly been curtailed. This has been the biggest achievement of the Pakistani military under General Sharif.

The military's role in internal security has hugely expanded after the Peshawar school massacre last December. Many analysts, however, believe that the military is overstretched now with not only fighting in the tribal areas but also tackling militancy in the mainland.

One of biggest such operations is underway in Karachi, Pakistan's main economic and financial centre with a population of 20 million. Military commanders are now presiding over the provincial action committees set up to implement the National Action Plan against terrorism. It is a further reflection of the civilian administration conceding more and more ground to the military on internal security matters.

Military coups in Pakistan have had a certain element of predictability and imminence. One could see them unfolding. There was nothing subtle about them-always a swift and hard power play. This time, perhaps, a different phenomenon is at play: an incremental shifting of power without tanks rolling on the streets.

The high-profile visit of General Sharif to Washington in November 2014, London and Beijing in January and Moscow in June seems to have further reinforced the perception of a power shift. It is not the first time a Pakistani army chief has visited those capitals, but the kind of interest General Sharif attracted during the trips has been rare, if not unprecedented.

There is a noticeable public perception that the Western allies now consider the Pakistani military as the main decision-maker and are therefore seeking its cooperation in the quest for regional security. Although the military has always had a strong say on key aspects of foreign policy, it now seems to be much more overtly defining overall policy direction. With no full-time foreign minister, the initiative now seems to have completely swung towards General Headquarters.

Relations with India remain a thorny issue between the two Sharifs. It is more about the approach than the substance. The military is believed to have strong reservations over what is described as a one-sided Ufa declaration. But it will not obstruct any move to resume comprehensive talks between the two countries. For sure, there has been a hardening of the military's tone in recent months with the growing tension on the Line of Control and the working boundary.

The allegation of the involvement of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in fuelling insurgency in the troubled Balochistan province and the western border regions have resulted in further stridency in General Sharif's tenor. The tough stance has struck a chord with the general public sentiment in the country. This situation makes it more difficult for Nawaz Sharif to pursue a conciliatory approach without any positive move from the Narendra Modi government. The upcoming NSA meeting in New Delhi will be monitored very closely by the military leadership.

Another key change has been the improvement of relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has struck a rapport with General Sharif. Afghan army officers are now being trained in Pakistan as the security cooperation between the two countries has increased. Recently, Afghan forces launched operations against Pakistani militants taking sanctuary across the border in response to Pakistan's long-standing demand.

There had long been a perception of the Pakistani military establishment as being an obstacle to peace in Afghanistan because of its ties to Taliban leaders operating from the border areas. But there has been a marked change in the situation now with General Sharif playing a key role in facilitating talks between the Taliban and representatives of the Afghan government.

The Murree meeting, the second round of which is currently underway in a hill station outside Islamabad, is being seen as an important first step towards reconciliation and has renewed the possibility of a political settlement in Afghanistan. What gives the Murree meeting real significance is that not only did the two Afghan sides send authorised representatives, but that two other key stakeholders-China and the US-were also in attendance. The death of Mullah Omar and the ensuing power struggle in the Taliban movement has stalled the process. But most analysts agree that the talks could be resumed soon with the possibility of Mullah Akhtar Mansoor being elected as the new Taliban chief. He was instrumental in getting the Taliban to the negotiating table.

Although China and Pakistan have long been strategic partners, their cooperation has hit a new high over the last few years. The relationship has taken a new dimension with greater emphasis on economic cooperation and connectivity. The military has the key role in the implementation of the $46-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Pakistan has announced setting up a 10,000-strong special force to protect the projects and the Chinese workers involved in them.

Pakistan is also negotiating a multi-billion-dollar arms deal with China that includes the purchase of eight submarines. According to some analysts, it will be the largest ever defence deal that China has ever signed with any country. This growing cooperation has assumed much greater importance in the fast-changing geopolitics.

It is more of a power-sharing arrangement with the civilian government increasingly being dependent on the army for internal security. The rising profile of General Sharif may be a source concern to Prime Minister Sharif, but he does not seem to be threatened by a possibility of a full military take over. The government's confidence is reinforced by the judicial commission report rejecting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Imran Khan's allegation of planned and organised rigging in the 2013 elections. The absence of a strong opposition has also given a respite. Nawaz Sharif would not mind the military taking greater space so long as his own government is secured. This arrangement seems to have worked well for both the Sharifs - at least for now.

Army chief General Raheel Sharif is in the driver's seat, winning a counterinsurgency campaign at home and guiding foreign policy, including relations with India : NEIGHBOURS - India Today

News about national security plan is encouraging

 

[Bratva]

After the PA's war crimes in, then, East Pakistan forced millions of Bangladeshi refugees into India, India was forced to respond.

It is a historical fact that the accession papers were signed in a haste because of Pakistani tribals/proxies entering into Kashmir and attempting to capture the entire state, the IA managed to push them back but not entirely before winter set in. This is all a matter of historical record, what alternate timeline are you taught in Pakistan?


After learning the PA was preparing to capture Siachin the IA launched a pre-emptive operation.


Well a lot of Indians have died at the hands of Pakistanis and vice versa, all sides need to be "big". Having said that a war is one thing- there is some honour and level of comprehension behind that, the innocent lives lost because of acts of terror on Indian soil at the hands of Pakistani-state terrorists is much, much harder to forgive.

What your Indian MI, it's TSD unit and later on RAW been doing in Balochistan and FATA with the help of NDS is being repaid in kind.

There were no war crimes, Mukti bahini rebeled, started killing,looting and raping Biharis on large scale. PA crushed them, India came to save their proxy Mukti bahini.

It is shameful you would ignore mukti bahini war crimes on Non bengalis. But what can we expect indians from.

 

[Echo_419]

Well that is a non-starter itself. This is an institution whose uses nothing but anti-Indian rhetoric to justify their pillaging and looting of the Pakistani coffers, it is not in their interest to talk with India or improve ties with India. Listen to the statements all COAS of the PA have made regarding India and Kashmir- they are not exactly paving the way for peace nor are they indicating that is part of their long term agenda.

I tend to disagree army is the only remaing functional institute in Pak if we hope to have peace with them we need to talk to the army ,this daily drama on LOC is not sustainable in long term either we make Peace with them or we take the whole Kashmir

 

[Areesh]

After the PA's war crimes in, then, East Pakistan forced millions of Bangladeshi refugees into India, India was forced to respond.

Not going into the debate of lies perpetuated about these so called crimes in East Pakisan. The fact is that when Pakistan uses same logic of Indian crimes to interfere into Kashmir then India starts whining like an 18 years old blonde who is on periods.

It is a historical fact that the accession papers were signed in a haste because of Pakistani tribals/proxies entering into Kashmir and attempting to capture the entire state, the IA managed to push them back but not entirely before winter set in. This is all a matter of historical record, what alternate timeline are you taught in Pakistan?

The historical fact is that Indian history on Kashmir is completely bogus since it starts with invasion of Kashmir by tribals while totally ignores historical Muslim genocide in Jammu. The fact is that even before tribals invaded Kashmir the tyrant illegal hindu ruler was massacring his Muslim subjects in Jammu and that too with the support of hindu extremists like RSS and other hindu rulers like that of Patiala. And while this is the historical fact, the current reality is that you Indians not only believe in this bogus and sham history of Kashmir, you shamelessly bring it in front of us Pakistanis thinking that we would believe in it and would stop supporting Kashmir freedom struggle.

How dumb of you Bharatis.

After learning the PA was preparing to capture Siachin the IA launched a pre-emptive operation.

Another lie. The fact is that it was Ladakh Scouts who was caught with its pants down while tresspassing in Siachen like rats and that too years before Siachen conflict actually started.

PS: Now you know. We don't need PA to be anti India. Your crimes are enough for us to hate your country.

since you are not Raheel Sharif, you could well have been describing yourself..Some certificate issuer.........

nope. Just explaining difference between you and a professional soldier like Gen Raheel.

 

[Zarvan]

Are u sure ? Where ever the Chinese makes deal there will be lots of corruptions . Including their own armed forces .

Yes I am pretty sure

 

[saurav]

Abay chal chootiye... Stop coming on PDF. Go to your indian defence forum and shit there... shooo

Tch tch tch... Jal gayi bechare ki..

 

[Hurter]

Tch tch tch... Jal gayi bechare ki..

Jali to teri hai.... Ab jaa munna, daaru pee k so jaa.

 

[Indika]

This man should stay for a long time... The civilian govt is just a lollipop under his command as it is mentioned in this article. Another 5 years would change the game dramatically.

This quote from Batman sounds too good.
BATMAN: "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
Musharaff started the same way, then faded out. Problem is that pakistan is relying too much on military to clean up the mess. As such civilian institutions will never become mature enough handle the country. What pakistan needs is good democracy which throws up ppl who can guide the country. Instead of that it is falling back on army every now and then leaving democracy as an infant even after 60 years.

You can you throw out a civilian got in an election if they perform badly. But you cannot wish away the military govt if they are bad.

 

[Hurter]

This quote from Batman sounds too good.
BATMAN: "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
Musharaff started the same way, then faded out. The problem is that Pakistan is relying too much on military to clean up the mess. As such civilian institutions will never become mature enough handle the country. What Pakistan needs is good democracy which throws up ppl who can guide the country. Instead of that it is falling back on army every now and then leaving democracy as an infant even after 60 years.

You can you throw out a civilian got in an election if they perform badly. But you cannot wish away the military govt if they are bad.

You must've witnessed that there are only 2 main political parties which have been ruling in Pakistan for decades and there is no other mainstream leadership to come forward and take over. Even if they want to, the corrupt system won't let them do that.

In my opinion, Musharraf's govt was the best as compared to 2 clown parties. But Raheel Sharif has done a better job as a COAS. The outcome is front of everyone.

If they reform a system, then only the civilian govt can be successful.

 

[Indika]

You must've witnessed that there are only 2 main political parties which have been ruling in Pakistan for decades and there is no other mainstream leadership to come forward and take over. Even if they want to, the corrupt system won't let them do that.

In my opinion, Musharraf's govt was the best as compared to 2 clown parties. But Raheel Sharif has done a better job as a COAS. The outcome is front of everyone.

If they reform a system, then only the civilian govt can be successful.

Agree with your facts but you are not looking at the longterm.
What will happen after the current COAS retires ? Will the incoming guy be good as his predecessor ?
System will never reform itself completely it should balance itself. In democracy there should more checks and balances so that an individual or group does not abuse power and get away with it.

In india also there are two principal parties but myriad of regional parties. But the regional parties make sure that national parties never run away with power. Recently AAP(however their performance may be) kicked out both the parties. It all needs ppl's participation, ppl should stop looking for heroes, if they are it is a sign that democracy is failing.

 

[saurav]

Jali to teri hai.... Ab jaa munna, daaru pee k so jaa.

Maine to daaru pini Hi hai bachche... Tum bhi pi Lena jab bare ho jaoge..

 

[Spy Master]

Well that is a non-starter itself. This is an institution whose uses nothing but anti-Indian rhetoric to justify their pillaging and looting of the Pakistani coffers, it is not in their interest to talk with India or improve ties with India. Listen to the statements all COAS of the PA have made regarding India and Kashmir- they are not exactly paving the way for peace nor are they indicating that is part of their long term agenda.

Oh yeah, we have seen how Modi uses anti Pakistan tactics to win Elections...You are a senior member please have some shame before writing BS...!