The Sharifs, 2 Generals, And Deja Vu For Pakistan
While General Asim Munir has not confronted Shehbaz Sharif's position as the leader of Pakistan, history repeats itself by putting a Sharif and a fiery military general once again facing questions over their future.

In early 1999, the subcontinent stood at a precipice. Both India and Pakistan had declared nuclear capabilities the previous year. The region's future depended on whether statesmanship could override military adventurism. Then Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif attempted to seize the moment with the Lahore Declaration, a framework aimed at resolving disputes, including Kashmir, through dialogue and restraint.
But as Mr Vajpayee's bus rolled into Lahore and hands were being shaken at grand state banquets, Pakistani troops, under the command of General Pervez Musharraf, were already occupying strategic heights across the Line of Control in Kargil. These positions had been vacated by Indian troops for the winter.
Mr Musharraf, whom Mr Sharif had appointed as Army Chief in October 1998, had neither consulted nor informed the civilian leadership of his operation. What followed was a full-fledged war in the heights of Kargil, and India's eventual military control in July 1999. By October 1999, Mr Musharraf had staged a coup. Mr Sharif was arrested, his government dismissed, and Pakistan was once again under direct military rule.
Fast-forward to 2025. Pakistan remains a hybrid democracy at best. While civilian governments are elected in Islamabad, the locus of real power lies elsewhere in Rawalpindi, the headquarters of the Pakistan Army.
With India unleashing its military might deep inside Pakistani territory, targeting terror camps, Pakistan's General Asim Munir, who became Army Chief in November 2022, finds himself under pressure to match his words with action after tall talks of defending his country by any means necessary.
Offer To Shehbaz, Rize Of Munir
One less-discussed facet of the 1999 coup was Mr Musharraf's back-channel offer to Shehbaz Sharif -- replace Nawaz as prime minister and receive the military's backing. Shehbaz declined and alerted his elder brother. This choice may have preserved the Sharif family's unity, but it did little to stop the military's overreach.
Shehbaz, now in the role once held by his elder brother, finds himself standing next to General Munir, the ideological successor of Mr Musharraf.
Where Mr Musharraf styled himself as a liberal moderniser, General Munir embraces a more overt religious nationalism. General Munir has often invoked Islamic imagery and terminology in his speeches. General Munir recently said Kashmir is Islamabad's "jugular vein" and that Pakistan "won't forget it".
"Our stance is absolutely clear, it was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein, we will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle," he had said.
The Shadow of 1999 in 2025
As in 1999, Kashmir remains central to the India-Pakistan dynamic. Following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, where 26 people were killed, India launched airstrikes on Pakistan, which it accuses of sponsoring and safeguarding terrorist groups. Operation Sindoor was not only the most expansive cross-border strike conducted by India since the Balakot operation.
According to government sources, Indian intelligence combined satellite imagery, human sources, and intercepted communications to establish the use of specific compounds by groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Pakistan responded by carrying out cross-border shelling. A day later, India targeted and neutralised Pakistani Air Defence Radars and systems in several locations, including Lahore.
Right now, the pressure is on General Munir, with all his bluster, about what he will do next.
While General Munir has not confronted Shehbaz's position as the leader of his nation, history repeats itself by putting a Sharif and a fiery military general once again facing questions over their future with Kashmir as the backdrop.
-
Opinion | Protests, Pakistan, And A Yunus-Army Showdown: Why Bangladesh Is On Edge
An embattled Gen Zaman has much to contend with, courtesy a mischievous 'Chief Advisor' who seems to be trying to ingratiate himself with multiple countries - including China - to extend his stay in office.
-
NDTV Explains: Everything About India's New 5th-Generation Stealth Fighter
India's first fifth-gen fighter will be a single-seat twin-engine jet with advanced stealth coatings and internal weapons bays like those on the US-made F-22 and F-35.
-
NDTV Ground Report: Drugs At Centre Of China's 'Three Warfares' Strategy
The Chinese fund and support Myanmar's military junta. The junta in turn hire NSCN (IM) and ZRA to fight on their behalf and provide protection to poppy fields
-
India To Dust Off 1971 War Air Base To Counter Bangladesh's China Turn
If Beijing does fund the renovation of Lalmonirhat then expect the Chinese to have military assets - fighter jets, radars, surveillance equipment, etc. - stationed there as part of the deal.
-
NDTV Explains: India vs China In Race For Arctic Oil, Gas, Shipping Routes
Unlike China, India is seen as slow-playing its Arctic card, choosing to cooperate with the Council and present itself as a 'responsible stakeholder' by engaging with all sides on key issues.
-
Opinion | No, Sirs. South Africa Is Not 'Killing' Its Whites
The "white genocide" myth serves no one. It stokes fear among white South Africans, trivialises the pain of Black South Africans, and hands a loaded weapon to racists in America and Europe.
-
NDTV Ground Report: Extortion Part Of China's Unconventional War On India
Up to 22 per cent of the salaries of state government employees is deducted as an unofficial "sovereignty tax" imposed by armed insurgent groups.
-
Opinion | A Month After Pahalgam, Have We Lost Sight Of Kashmir And Kashmiris?
While we establish a new normal of military deterrence between India and Pakistan, we seem to have forgotten that our most valuable allies have to be the people themselves.
-
Opinion | So, Why Has Apple Stuck To Its Chennai Plan Despite Trump's 'Warning'?
Tim Cook is likely bothered more about what shareholders and analysts think of the way he manages his company's huge cash pile - estimated at well over $300 billion - than an oddball statement from Trump about moving all production to America.
-
NDTV Explains: India And The US' Awkward 'AAA' Ratings Cut, Debt Story
The US' federal debt is a staggering $36 trillion and its debt-to-GDP ratio is among the highest in the world; as of 2025 only seven countries owed more money than they earned.
-
News Updates
-
Featured
-
More Links
-
Follow Us On