The “conspiracy” to get rid of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been exposed. Although the circumstantial evidence was compelling, no one, not even the government and parliament, had hard-core facts to prove who was doing what and why. That’s why the government’s political and administrative response to the unfolding crisis was confused, weak and vacillating. Then the Heavens parted and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf President Javed Hashmi descended like an angel to “save” the government by making a clean breast of things. The story can now be stitched up safely.
The old guard in the military left behind by General Ashfaq Kayani – a master spy who occupied both high offices in ISI and GHQ by turns and fashioned the military’s strategic policies for over a decade – was unhappy with the proposed foreign policy initiatives of Nawaz Sharif towards India, Afghanistan, USA, and his stance on non-state actor “assets” and the war against the Pakistani Taliban. Mr Sharif’s choice of General Raheel Sharif as COAS, number three in the lineup and totally apolitical to boot, also queried their pitch. The dye was cast when Mr Sharif hauled up ex-army chief General Pervez Musharraf for treason because this move threatened to drag in General Kayani and many other senior military officers who had backed the coup maker. It was also feared that, come October 2014, when several key generals from the “Kayani guard” would face retirement, Mr Sharif would appoint another relatively apolitical general to the powerful DG-ISI post, thereby seizing the “national security” initiative from the military. It may be recalled that the fear was not unjustified: on two previous occasions as prime minister, Mr Sharif had taken exactly such steps when he sacked Lt Gen Asad Durrani in 1991 and appointed Lt Gen Javed Nasir as DG-ISI and when he appointed Lt Gen Ziauddin Butt as DG-ISI in his second stint as prime minister and later tried to make him COAS and triggered a coup by General Musharraf.
According to the Kayani doctrine, a serious “threat” of a coup is a better instrument of military policy than a coup itself because coups can be messy business in this day and age with a weak economy, an independent judiciary, ubiquitous media, obstreperous civil society institutions and bullying international state and non-state actors. Far better, they say, to pull strings via the military’s intelligence agencies from behind the political scenes and achieve the required objectives by pitting one actor against another and bringing things to such a pass that a coup seems like a real possibility. This is exactly how Gen Kayani brought the Zardari regime to heel on foreign policy and the war against terrorism on matters such as relations with India, USA and Afghanistan, Kerry-Lugar Bill, Memogate, etc. And this is exactly how his remnants wanted to deal with Nawaz Sharif when he threatened to disrupt or disown their doctrines.
Accordingly, a plan was hatched to oust Nawaz Sharif, with the threat of a coup, and before October when some of the key conspirators were due to retire. On the one hand, Imran Khan and Tahir ul Qadri, two desperadoes dying to become prime minister by hook or by crook, were roped in with the assistance of evergreen military “assets” like Sheikh Rashid, the Chaudhries of Gujrat and notorious elements in the media. On the other hand, potential oppositionists in the media like the Geo-Jang group were attacked and put down, while Supreme Court judges were scared off from interventionism by an attack from Imran Khan on ex-CJPs Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and Tassaduq Hussain Jilani and ex-CEC Fakhruddin G Ibrahim. The pretext of a “rigged and polluted” election was perfect because in one fell swoop all potential oppositionists were routed at the hands of the country’s leading “populist” forces in the shape of Imran Khan and Tahir ul Qadri. Unfortunately, both Geo and PMLN played into the hands of the conspirators by outraging the nation, the first by directly targeting the DG of an “esteemed national security institution” like the ISI and the second by precipitating a bloody crisis in Model Town, Lahore.
Fortunately, three things went wrong for the conspirators. First, the million-strong crowds didn’t materialize. Second, the scared government didn’t resort to further violent measures to stop the marchers, thereby denying a pretext for Mr Sharif’s head as in the case of Shahbaz Sharif. Third, just when things seemed to be slipping out of the government’s hand, Javed Hashmi came along to spill the beans, expose the mala fides of the conspirators and galvanise parliament and civil society to unite behind the prime minister.
Mr Sharif has made errors of judgment and policy that have weakened him considerably. Imran Khan has been exposed as a “match-fixer”. The conspiratorial rogues have been identified. Only General Raheel Sharif has come out looking reasonably good. Along with PM Sharif, he needs to help restore Geo and the credibility of all those unfairly targeted by the conspirators and build a trust-worthy civil-military relationship.
Will ask only one thing:
Why on earth this ‘clean and genuine’ Govt has failed to raise mass support from rest of the Pakistani public to clear Red Zone so far?
Even the finest spin doctors seem to be unable to put a convincing story together.
you want government to send in masses to clear the red zone…Thats a funny thing to say.
they have public support, but pti/pat have arrived at the venue with a plan and weaponised.
it is for no reason dr qadri has women and children as his human shield.
qadri is an example of what is wrong with cult leaders, abusing his power to enable his political claims.
Well thought out theory, mostly, by one of the facilitators of root cause of this standoff.
One could digest most of the conspiracy theory if the writer hadn’t made some glaringly obvious misstatements:
1. “The pretext of a “rigged and polluted” election”:
Elections were rigged, plenty of evidence to prove that posted on social media on polling day, plus what people witnessed themselves at polling stations across the country.
2. “Second, the scared government didn’t resort to further violent measures”:
Either the writer is blind, or the massacre in Islamabad, broadcast live to the world, was not violent enough to satisfy his vengeful appetite.
My dear friend what mascare, it happened only at ARY and some other channels. What do u think if people were died had IK & TUQ remained silent. As per the scrip they were looking for dead bodies but denied by the govt.
Evidences for rigging must present to the concerned courts rather posting them to social media.
I agree with NS that army and govt must sit togather and redefined the lines betweet civil milatry relationship to avoid such situation in future.
what evidence are you pointing to? people “observing” rigging is hardly proof of rigging everywhere. You say you saw rigging. I say i saw no rigging. Whose voice holds more sway? In society negative voices always rise above the calm voices. that is the nature of the society, and by extension the internet. When something is wrong people come out and say it. when something is wrong nobody is really out there to say anything because theres nothing to complain about.
have a look at this link. Being a PTI supported I doubt you’ll read it though. You’ll automatically resort to the “you are supporting the status quo, you must be corrupt too”, or the “but i saw it with my own two eyes” reasoning. thats the most unfortunate thing about PTI followers. they’re jsut like religious zealots. No questioning. Just following.
http://www.eueom.eu/files/pressreleases/english/eu-eom-pakistan-2013-final-report_en.pdf
Citing reports and placing links does not mean much, if you haven’t bothered to go through the report yourself. If you had, you wouldn’t have made the mistake of posting above link. Recommend that you read it yourself first buddy.
What a shoddy comment. Election malpractice exists everywhere in the world, Dubiya won against Gore my unfair means! There should be electoral reforms, yes! But where is the proof of this rigging??? Go prove it in a court or stop spewing this toxic propaganda! Also, who does in Islamabd and while doing what? People attacking police officers and trammelling civil institutions should have been crushed with the full force of law; fact is that the government acted very week in dealing with these paid goons and hired mercenaries…
Good satire ! The author is confused to the core.
Must add ‘JK’ in the last line !
The anti-conspiracy theory looks quite logical if only it was not for the use of non-facts as the premise. Nawaz Sharif does not want to place apolitical generals in army. He has shown in past how he always tries to ‘break’ key institutes to his political advantage. Be it Supreme court attack, or stopping Musharraf’s plane to land. The people who supported him all are seriously dubious. Ex CJP’s was called a political activist by his own die hard supporters.
Nawaz being punished for not following Army’s doctrines sounds somewhat funny, given his own actions are sufficient to justify a punishment. I still don’t have answers what his son was doing in Indian visit with him when all Pakistan got was some nasty welcome. And I still don’t have an answer on the huge gift they received from Saudis this year. This is such a mess!
by breaking the indian border through trade can only enhance pakistan in terms of growth and modernisation . the threat of extremist indian leaders is diminished severely.
afghanistan will and is always dependent upon pakistans sea ports. it has to live with pakistan and its whims. power through economic strength rather than the bullet is far more powerful.
pakistans china relations and the upcoming demise of usa economic influence means that being affable with the usa is good politics in the short term.
Some of Pakistanis can never tire dreaming trade with India, India never ever will trade for the benefit of Pakistan. Such theories can be visualize after excessively viewing Indian Massala films.
Absurd comment if COAS of a nuclear possessing country and having seventh largest army did not know in his institution and their efforts of ousting Nawaz then it really raise questions on effective command and control of Army. Sethi knew well how army operate making an argument to have soft corner for COAS and maligning other is dangerous and malafide
Fantastic. You have summed it up so nicely. Our country cannot afford anymore
“Punctures” 😀
Your musical chair with PCB. whose conspiracy was that? lol
Probably another “Sethi’ is needed to solve that mystery 😛
Mr. Sethi what a pathetic article you just lost your credibility on this one remember you are an interested party in this one and accused of 35 punctures , not much difference between the planners of this soft coup and you . Sad to see this happen !
What a load of waffle. Not an ounce of fact. No references. Nothing
All in support of a fraud system which is on its last legs.
One of the most biased piece of writing. You are no longer a respected journalist that you were. It all went wrong with the caretaker CM role. This is not the conspiracy theory either. Its fact. Your venom for IK is apparent. I despise him too, but I am not an editor of an ‘Independent Weekly’.
I think its high time for you to think again whether you want to continue to be the editor of this prestigious weekly that you not only created but ran with success for many years. I personally can say I grew up reading this when I was in my early 20’s now am more than double the age. Every one make mistakes and we not only have to learn but to accept them with consequences.
Sorry Mr. Sethi you are not a neutral & fair journalist and its high time to act upon the lesson that you give to politicians; step down to save an institution name The Friday Times.
Many thanks.
he has merely restated the tale told by javed hasmi. i dont see where the controversy arises.
Dear Mr. Sethi,
Your article suggests the casting of dye. If this were the case, perhaps we would be further colouring the matter beyond its current muddied state. Perhaps what you meant was a more Roman “alea iacta est,” a different kind of “die”?
Haider Ali Hilaly
Zinda baad.
The most truthful article written on the matter yet. Imran Khan is power-hungry and will stop at nothing to become PM and acted according to a script written by the powers-that-be. Well done Najam Sethi! And ignore all the PTI haters. They think their leader is an angel even when he behaves in the most despicable way. And they have adopted his tactics of bad-mouthing anyone who disagrees.
“Along with PM Sharif, he (Gen Raheel) needs to help restore Geo” hahaha
Geo bach jaye kisi tareekay say bas
Excellent piece! Brings so much clarity to the whole messy situation. Thank you, Najam Sethi.
Some one said: “Sorry Mr. Sethi you are not a neutral & fair journalist”, I was watching IK speech and he mentioned Mubashar Luqman is best journalist. So if this is true and if this is your standard, then you are right to say that “Sorry Mr. Sethi you are not a neutral & fair journalist”
thank you
No need to write such a lengthy story. Just ask your Boss NS to improve governance. No one is ready to buy your line.
Dear Mr Najam.
Your hypothesis cum breaking story appear rosy and soothing to those who had already perceived conclusions even before outbreak of Hashmi.’s onsalught.
Dear Mr Najam. Is this not funny? You too have jumped to early conclusions since you have also been party or alleged (right or wrong). Therefore, your article morally looks revenge episode 1. Lets wait and see. If it all happened as per your script, where is the govt, where is PM, where are others who also walk in power corridors and why they are silent so far. Are you trying to give lead or provoking another controversary?
Shahid Malik.
almost there: coas has a role more than stated here.
tuq last year was trial run to see effectiveness of sit in and pti was wisely told to sit it out at that time to see out the elections.
pti failed to make gains it believed would give it power (it received the outcome that was predicted in pre election polling surveys) .
post election plan was hatched and move 12 months forward to present – was placed into action.
biggest fail was lack of public appetite for coup, but mostly the unsatisfactory saviours were a big turn off. this can be witnessed by the lack of civil disobedience across pakistan.
before hashmis revelations .. musharaf outlined the process at which the coup would succeed and his chosen champion dr qadri in an ary tv interview.
imran khans role was solely to satisfy the western powers in supplying the image of modernity progressive neo conservative influenced islam.
qadri has a history of playing to a neo con audience.
It was a plan hatched by Ahmed Shuja pasha that never had the full backing of Corp Commanders (Current DG ISI being the only exception). As far as the whole Raheel Sharif being a good sport and apolitical, see how quickly he changes his tune when he has his own handpicked DG ISI and 5 more new corp commanders in place. While Raheel main be apolitical now, he owes his own career to Musharraf and will not allow Mush to be tried for treason.
It was NS fault to picking on so many battles at the same time. He might want to paint the whole Musharraf thing as rule of law etc, it just smacks of revenge. Also, he was being extremely reluctant to take on the Taliban until there was no other option left. Simply because he did not want to deal with the IDPs who will be heading for Punjab.
this is effectively a musharraf plot .. just look at the key players.
maybe raheel will be bigger than the game .. but others suggest as you do .. its a wait and see ..
A very well written article, thank you for exposing the facts regarding October retirements
Wow. How simple was that? Isn’t it? Javed Hashmi came as rescuer of the “democracy” and the govt after his “very clean conscious” suddenly was awake. BULL SHIT. And what about media? What role it played? SILENCE…GEO is innocent.. U all (GEO, PML N and other parties) have sided with status quo because it suits u to protect your dirty faces and practices. After may be 20 years next generation will accuse u of being anti change. Woe to u Sethi……
its true one could say that hashmi jumped ship as it became clear the plot was not going to be a success. however regardless he has brought out into the open what was already suspected by many.
i suspect we only have half the script from hashmi. he has been a player for far too long to slip up .
Author:
Here is an excerpt from my post on editorial titled -lessons of mass movements
“Present army chief is not only highly professional soldier but a brave and wise man too meaning capable of thwarting all kinds of unwanted pressure from his subordinates.He is definitely a different man so one can expect a different future both in short term and in long term. No fear. ”
This is tip of the iceberg there is lot more to be exposed let the time come and it’s not very far.
Sir, with all due respect, as much as this analysis is closer to the truth, but as a Pakistani I feel that an imminent threat of a coup is good tool to keep the arrogance and a King like mentality of people like Nawaz Sharif in check.
They must raise their standards, rather, they raise bigotry furled by the extreme narcissism they inherit.
At least this kind of tool might be effective in “making” them fit to lead.
You might be write about your great conspiracy theory,, but one thing is sure just admit it, that you along with GEO group have left NEUTRALITY long ago. You are strongly biased against IK, unwilling to accept the positive points about him, and GEO are carrying out the government agenda, manipulating everything that appear.
It should be operation get enemies of NS.
Nice try … story not bought :p
People don’t change in a few days: you must have always had this ‘democratic’ mindset. You have exposed yourself by the double, triple games you have played as CM and as head of the cricket board. We are sick of such dishonesty. We want a new honest breed to have the guts to come forward and take correct decisions.
I agree with what Q. zahid has written.
Excellent article! You have documented what every body with more than a few gray cells had suspected.
If wishes were horses and PM of pakistan were elected by numbers of ‘likes’ on facebook (BTW,’Like’ is the only option available!), Imran T. Khan would have been the PM and Mushy his side-kick! 😀 😀
absolute nonsense.
From a journalist who jumped at the post of PCB,
AS A reward OF SERVICES RENDERED in ELECTIONS.
Imran Khan and the bad eggs in army are totally exposed now! These people should be properly tried and punished under article 6 along with musharaf, this is the only way to stop these sort of conspiracies happening in future!
In the comity of nations , it cannot be said and ignored that of tragic happenings, in countries like Bifara, Nigeria, Syria…… and many such countries. some one can tick me off by saying it is none of your business.
But earthquake, tsunamis, flood, poverty, cholera upheavals, disturbance to democracy, genocides, religious riots affects all human beings wherever it happens and whenever it happens. especially in the nearest proximity. It disturbs . It saddens, It upsets progress of all.
members of opposition must be applauded for supporting the value of freedom . Great. NS may be good or bad. NS may be corrupt or clean. make him accountable in the floor of parliament for all his failures, harass him, accuse him, but allow him to perform. He has been paid to produce results. But hang him democratically .
Balachandran, you are wasting your energies. You cannot pull wool over the eyes of anybody. You guys haven’t given a single relief throughout history. You guys have never been serious in resolving any issue. You will quote Kargil. You will quote Bombay Blasts. But how many times we have tried to move ahead? Did you guys ever supported our efforts to rectify past mistakes and move ahead? I’ve been living for about 40 years among expatriate Indians abroad. I am a firm believer that partition was the best thing for both of us. Best thing is to close the border between two countries. Stop interfering in each others affairs. Mind our own business and put our own houses in order. Period!
Pakistan today…
Mr Sharif: The power behind the PM’s chair.
General Sharif: The power behind the power.
America: The power behind the power behind the power.
Imran: Just behind power.
Nawaz Sharif: Head of democracy.
Raheel Sharif: Head of army.
Imran Khan: Head of anarchy.
Imran Khan and Arvind Kejriwal are twins.
The only difference is that while the former is backed Generals, the latter was backed by Editors.
Pakistan main Army kabaab hai aur democracy haddi.
Sethi Sahib, your Prime Minister is his own worst enemy. He loves to shoot himself in foot. He lies on the parliament floor. I await your spin on the exposure of another lie; drama of the alleged cancellation of the visit of Chinese President due to ongoing public protests. Chinese authorities have announced that no such visit was scheduled!
Well, I actually had a different theory that I think is more plausible. I think the military needed a free hand in FATA – this is a distraction and important one. 1,000 militant battle deaths and several hundred soldiers – that’s a bloody full throttle war. The only update – two paragraphs in the media. Secondly, it’s a bigger expansion of military landscapes – into frontier where they are now destroying then taking the charge for rebuilding p, reconstruction- they are setting up a quasi military state in FATA. Many repercussions geopolitically but also nationally it’s a great place to accumulate land and proximity to natural resources. media is blind and focused on the center of politics while the future is built on its peripheries.
This article makes much sense! It is hard to understand why Imran will take such a risk at only 14th month point of Government. I like the way things are turning out, it is important for sake of Pakistan that Pakistan Army steps away from goverment and play its vital role of defense.
Absurd story published by the editor of this article. PTI and PAT are the voice of the masses covertly or overtly. Javed Hashmi even though he left PTI stated in the parliament against PML-N and gave the reasons of voices outside the parliament which the author has completely ignored before writing.
Secondly military has the power of boots on ground and no doctrines are required to dislodge a government if the COAS decides to take the power on the onset of crises. Therefore it’s irrelevant if senior generals are retiring.
Read the statement of Ch Nisar about 60000~70000 votes are bogus in a constituency then are the parliamentarians representative of the populous? are we suppose to agree to the enactments they pass when they are not the true representatives of the people. Whether it’s PTI,PAT or any one else they have to true representatives and voices of the masses, instead of depriving them of their rights.
Najam Sethi is a master of distorting facts hence the name spin doctor #Mr35Puncture. No matter whate he writes at the end sucks up to Gen Raheel & Nawaz just to help them in restoring GEO, notorious!! one can actually see through sethi the satirical genius
Past history of Pakistan will always create such confusions in the mind of people regarding intervention of Army to dislodge a political government. The system is fragile and major stake holders want power sharing. The power sharing formula will have to be decided by major stake holders for times to come till the parliament achieves its complete freedom as it has happened in Turkey. This is a fact and must be realised by Parliament to move on smoothly for good of the country.
Javed Hashmi was part of the “conspiracy” until the very end if it was a conspiracy as you define it, what makes his “revelations” credible? If Imran was acceptable to the army, they would have manufactured a victory for his party in the elections, they did not, even though they tested the party was because of Imran being a wild card and his stand against the American War on Terror. Qadri is an army person not so Imran, Qadri latched himself unto Imran with a purpose, and bad advice from inside PTI misled Imran to do the same. No change in Pakistan is possible until tier 1 and tier 2 powers are challenged, America and the Army, the civilian politicians occupy tier 3- by just attacking tier 3 and trying to outdo each other to support tier 1 and tier 2, all proponents of “change” are merely promoting the status quo.
But if election were rigged then whatever Imran does ,is always fair.
brilliant analysis!
measured and objective
Um, Mr. Sethi you say : “Then the Heavens parted and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf President Javed Hashmi descended like an angel to “save” the government by making a clean breast of things. The story can now be stitched up safely.” I read your entire article from there on for some iirefutable evidence coming from you, but I saw none.
So I repeat, Mr. Sethi, where is your proof?
Sir. Plz write an article about the reason behind zardari supporting nawaz. How can he forget what nawaz has done to him regarding ” memo gate scandal”. We as a nation possess a very short memory. Nawaz drag zardari to courts…why they r together. Why any one should support this govt despite its bad governance. Plz do give ur insight on above mentioned questions. Thank you
it is amazing to see that a clear case put forward by Mr Sethi is contest by so many people here. How much brainwashed are People in Pakistan.
I personally wish Mr Sethi should have been an Indian and he would have helped many Indians (muslims)
“TIME” is the best answer to all your questions. Just wait n watch. And we are almost there…..
Yea, Top generals was supporting Imran Khan but I think Raheel sharif did vise decision not to act just like they were demanding. Decocracy is a way to go for Pakistan