Opinion | India-Pak Peace Is Possible - Only If Pak Army Takes A Back Seat

Following the controversial February general election, it seems Pakistan is going through a period where a nominal civilian government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is working under the strict control of the army. But while the military exerts its influence behind the scenes without accountability, the government, involved in the day-to-day running of the country, is still answerable to its people. The Pakistan military has directly ruled the country for over half of its existence, with generals such as Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, Zia-ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf holding power for 43 years in total. For the remaining years, when the military was not in power, it maintained significant influence over political parties and indirectly controlled elected governments. Today, it is one of the most powerful, feared and unpopular institutions in Pakistan.

It may seem hard to explain how an army that was so badly humiliated on the battlefield, lost one big chunk of the country and was made to surrender en masse to its arch-rival in 1971, went on to become the country's main power centre. But, there is an explanation: the Pakistan army owes a lot to the US and China, both of which helped in rebuilding it. It also got a new fillip under General Zia, who began to Islamise the country and the armed forces. It got a boost when nuclear tests were conducted, and another shot in the arm when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979. The US poured arms and money into Pakistan and bolstered the army's capabilities, supplying its air force with F16 fighter jets. Following 9/11, the Pakistan army even joined the US-led global war on terror. For years, America paid the Pakistan army $2 billion a year for being at the forefront of the global war on terrorism and supporting its operations and logistics in Afghanistan.

In practice, much of Pakistan's security issues and foreign affairs are reported to be shaped not in the capital Islamabad but at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, where the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) plays the role of a kingmaker. The military has significant economic interests, with control over large sectors of real estate, agriculture, corporations and industry.