Army, govt at loggerheads over Taliban
ISLAMABAD: Disagreement over how to handle an escalating insurgency has put Pakistan’s all-powerful army on a collision course with the government, with the military increasingly vocal in its criticism of civilian leaders, officials and diplomats said.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has promised to tame Islamist militancy through negotiations, but talks have yet to start and attacks continue daily.
The army, which has ruled the country for more than half its history, has avoided open confrontation with Mr Sharif and his government but tensions are rising.
Military-civilian discord has been the source of tension throughout Pakistani history but Mr Sharif’s election in June raised hopes the government would get a larger say following Pakistan’s first transition between civilian administrations.
Mr Sharif promised during the election campaign to hold talks with the militants, a welcome vow for many Pakistanis who, while abhorring the bombers, have never been convinced of the necessity of joining the US-led campaign against militancy.
The army opposes talks with the Pakistani Taliban, saying previous attempts to bring the militants to the negotiating table yielded no results.
Frustration spilled into the open on Sunday when a roadside bomb killed a general and another officer near the Afghan border, just days after government officials promised to launch peace negotiations with the Pakistani Taliban soon.
‘‘This incident has dealt a serious blow [to the peace process],’’ Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar told parliament this week. ‘‘We have come to a standstill.’’
The tension comes at a crucial time when speculation is mounting over who will replace army chief Ashfaq Kayani after he retires in November.
‘‘While reaffirming the army’s support for the political process, [Gen Kayani] also said, unequivocally, that terrorists will not be allowed to take advantage of it,’’ the army said in a statement.
‘‘The army has the ability and the will to take the fight to the terrorists.’’