Pakistan's Army deceptively runs the government from "behind the curtain", a former top diplomat has said
Pakistan's civilian government is just a facade for the world, and it is actually the countries army that calls the shots and runs the show. This is what Pakistan's former envoy to the United States Hussain Haqqani meant when he said that Pakistan's Army has "mastered the art of a non-coup coup." While there is a prime minister and a government in place, all major decisions and policies in Pakistan are decided deceptively, "behind the curtain" by the army chief and Pakistan's notorious spy agency ISI.
Explaining his remark, Mr Haqqani said, Pakistan's Army knows "how to run affairs without actually taking over power directly...for this they use an assortment of Pakistani political characters and operators."
Mr Haqqani spoke about Pakistan's chaotic administration but singled out Pakistan's evicted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as not being one of those "operators".
Mr Haqqani, who is currently a Director for South and Central Asia at the Hudson Institute, made these comments while speaking in New Delhi at an event organised for the launch of his book 'Reimagining Pakistan: Transforming a Dysfunctional Nuclear State'.
At the event, which was also attended by Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria, the former Pak diplomat cautioned India about the current "unstable" state of affairs in Pakistan.
He also said that Pakistan should not be obsessed about India and its rise, saying, Pakistan should "take a cue from Belgium, which is not obsessed with matching their military might with France."
Mr Haqqani went on to say that Pakistan needs to "absolutely shut down" terror infrastructure and terror outfits if it aspires to become a prosperous nation.
On being questioned about facing charges of treason back in Pakistan, Mr Haqqani said he did not have any serious charges against him. He went on to say that Pakistan labels so many officials as traitors that it has lost its essence.
(With inputs from ANI)