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    OPINION                                                               AUGUST 28, 2026      |  The Indian Eye 12

            several terror camps in Pakistan Oc-
            cupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK)
            as well as in Punjab province, which
            included inter alia Sawai Nala Camp
            and Syedna Bilal Camp in Muzaf-
            farabad, Gulpur and Abbas Camps
            in Kotli, Barnala Camp in Bhimber,
            Markaz Taiba Camp in Muridke,
            Markaz Subhanallah Camp in Baha-
            walpur, Sarjal and  Mahmoona  Joya
            Camps in Sialkot. India also targeted
            11 airfields in the Punjab and Sindh
            provinces of Pakistan, including Nur
            Khan/Chaklala (Rawalpindi), Rafiqui
            (Shorkot), Murid, Rahim Yar Khan,
            Chunian, Sargodha, Pasrur and Si-
            alkot, Sukkur, Bholari and Jacobabad.
                Despite the stunning success of
            Indian armed forces during the four-
            day military action, Pakistan made
            unsuccessful attempts to build a nar-  Despite the stunning success of Indian armed forces during the four-day military action of Operation Sindoor, Pakistan made unsuccessful
            rative as if it had achieved some vic-
            tory.  To  lend  its  peddled  narrative                  attempts to build a narrative as if it had achieved some victory (File photo)
            some credence, on 20 May 2026, the
            Pakistani cabinet decided to promote   dictate terms.               League-Nawaz (PML-N) over the re-  dismissed the proposal as a stereotype
            Asim Munir to the rank of Field Mar-  The Troika system was disrupted   cently concluded elections in POJK’s   which would not be acceptable to the
            shal.  In  less  than  six  months,  politi-  when  Gen.  Pervez  Musharraf  abro-  Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and so-called   people of Sindh.
            co-security elites introduced the 27th   gated the constitution in October 1999   ‘Azad Kashmir’.         Amid a fast-changing geopolitical
            constitutional amendment, which cre-  and assumed  direct control of the   Recent developments in Pakistan   situation in the Middle East, Pakistan
            ated a new constitutional post, Chief   country’s affairs. In the wake of a unit-  have cumulatively led to growing dis-  has put its diplomatic machinery into
            of Defence Forces (CDF), to be held   ed political opposition and an insur-  gruntlement in the broader society,   action to facilitate understanding be-
            concurrently by the COAS for a peri-  mountable challenge in the Supreme   which may, in the coming time, trans-  tween the United States and Iran so
            od of five years.                 Court during Iftikhar Muhammad    form into a severe crisis. It is import-  that  the  ongoing  crisis  can  end.  Its
                In a completely changed situa-  Chaudhry’s Chief Justiceship, a highly   ant to note that these developments   top political and military leadership,
            tion, the CDF became one of the most   unpopular Musharraf first had to shed   are unfolding at a time when at least   including Prime Minister Shehbaz
            powerful constitutional authorities in   his uniform and later the Presidency.  four South Asian countries, including   Sharif,  Field  Marshal  Asim  Munir
            the country, as individuals holding the   Unlike Musharraf, Asim Munir is   India, have  witnessed Gen-Z move-  and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi,
            position could only be removed with   well aware of history and is operating   ments.  Munir  knows  this  well,  and   has engaged with relevant stakehold-
            a two-thirds majority in parliament. In   in a different environment. At a time   that is why he is looking for ways to   ers to defuse tensions. However, de-
            contrast, the requirement to de-seat   when politico-security elites in Paki-  defuse internal tensions and address   spite several rounds of interaction, no
            the Prime Minister remains a simple   stan are busy taking credit for their   the growing unease in society.  lasting agreement has been reached
            majority.  Besides,  CDF  now  enjoys   role as peacemakers in the ongoing   The speech created a political   between the two parties.
            lifelong immunity from arrest and   Middle East crisis, the internal polit-  storm in Pakistan that none of the po-  Besides PTI, PPP have also locked
            prosecution. Additionally, the amend-  ical and security situation at home has   litical parties was prepared for. This   horns with ruling PML-N over the
            ment granted sweeping powers to the   increasingly  been  deteriorating.  The   was seconded by Director General In-  recent elections in POJK. So far, the
            executive and legislative branches by   economy  has  somewhat  stabilised.   ter Services Public Relations (DG-IS-  security establishment has somehow
            authorising the creation of a Federal   However, there are no signs of real   PR) on 31 July at a news conference   managed the situation. However, it is
            Constitutional Court with the author-  growth and development. Two out of   during  which  Gen.  Ahmad  Sharif   not entirely confident in its ability to ef-
            ity to override decisions of the Su-  four provinces, along with the POJK,   Chaudhry stated that “… good gover-  fectively address the multifaceted cri-
            preme Court. Amnesty International   are in turmoil.                nance is due for the security and sta-  sis that is giving rise to societal unease
            termed the amendment a grave threat   The Baloch Liberation Army    bility of Pakistan…without this, none   and internal tensions. It is also wor-
            to judicial independence and the rule   (BLA) in Balochistan and Teh-  of our issues could be resolved”.  ried about the possibility of a Gen-Z
            of law in Pakistan.               reek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Khy-  Mohsin Naqvi, in the present dis-  movement in the country. In the re-
                The recent political, legal and   ber Pakhtunkhwa have pushed the   pensation in Islamabad, is considered   cent past, South Asia has witnessed
            constitutional moves have undoubt-  security  establishment  on  the  back-  quite close to the security establish-  at  least  four  youth-led  movements.
            edly strengthened Asim Munir’s grip   foot by repeatedly attacking  military   ment. Therefore, his remarks reflect   Dr Ashish Shukla is Associate Fellow
            on the country’s political system and   installations in the respective provinc-  the anxiety within the security estab-  at MP-IDSA, New Delhi. Prior to
            undermined important democratic   es. Deadly protests and clashes have   lishment about a possible Gen-Z up-  joining MP-IDSA, Dr. Shukla was
            institutions, including parliament and   been reported in parts of POJK where   rising in Pakistan. Both PML-N and   associated with Amity University, Noida
            the judiciary. However, it has also in-  the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Ac-  PPP are uncomfortable with such a   where he taught courses in Defence &
            advertently  led  to  significant  unease   tion Committee (JAAC) has locked   proposition  and  consider  it  a  recipe   Strategic Studies
            within society, as people’s hopes for   horns with Islamabad over several   for disaster that could negatively af-
            good governance, economic growth,   issues.[13] Apart from Pakistan Teh-  fect their political prospects in the   The full version of this article
            and development have remained un-  reek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) intermittent tar-  future. PPP’s Nayyar Bokhari has said   first appeared in the Comments section
            fulfilled.  The  military  in  Pakistan  is   geting of the federal government and   that the Central Executive Committee   of the website (www.idsa.in) of Mano-
            an image-conscious institution, as it   the security establishment, Pakistan   will take up the question of new ad-  har Parrikar Institute for Defense
            knows very well that with a dented   People’s  Party  (PPP) has opened a   ministrative units. In contrast, Sindh   Studies and Analyses, New Delhi, on
            image it may not be in a position to   new front against Pakistan Muslim   Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah   August 19, 2026

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