The post-election maneuvering has begun in Pakistan with Nawaz Sharif suggesting a “participatory government”. He has already reached out to the PPP of Asif Zardari and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, and won over a PTI independent.
This situation is ideal for the army, says Tilak Devasher, former special secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat. A weak coalition government means they will be more in control of the situation, and the politicians will defer to them.
It matters little that Imran Khan’s independents have won a larger number of seats, says Devasher. Under the law, they have to merge with another party and those that seek to stay the course set by Imran, will pay the price, the army will see to that.
All the army wants at this stage is a government that will stick to governance and put the economy back on the rails. But as Devasher notes, Pakistan’s problems require major surgery, which would not be palatable for any of those running the country.
