ISLAMABAD: Pakistani President Dr. Arif Alvi said on Wednesday there was no chance of martial law being imposed in Pakistan, saying he believed the military, led by new army chief General Asim Munir, was committed to being apolitical.
Pakistan has been ruled by the military for nearly half its history. Even when the military is not directly in power, it has retained an outsized role in politics and national security. The last time the military toppled the government was in 1999, launching an era of direct and indirect army rule that ended in 2008.
Since then, three general elections have seen three different parties make the government at the center and despite widespread speculation, the military has not directly taken over even in moments of intense political crisis.
“Martial law cannot be imposed in Pakistan,” President Alvi, who is a close aide to opposition leader and ex-PM Imran Khan, said in an interview Pakistan’s ARY news channel. “The democracy has strengthened, so there is no chance of martial law.”
“I understand the new military leadership is committed to stay away from politics,” Alvi added.
There has been intense debate in Pakistan in recent months over the army’s role in the country’s political system, particularly since Khan was ousted in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in April. The ex-PM blames the military for not blocking his ouster by his rivals. The army has responded by saying it will no longer meddle in politics.
The appointment of a new army chief is thus being watched closely by analysts, as it could impact Pakistan’s fragile democracy at a time of street protests and amid widespread calls for early elections. Munir will also most certainly lead the path of Pakistan’s ties with neighbors India and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, and choreograph the delicate dance of Islamabad’s relationship with Beijing and Washington.
