Pakistan's Armed Forces

Pakistan has been fighting one war while preparing for another. It is keen to point out that its war with terrorism internally has been costly to both the military and civilians, but it has never taken its eye of what it perceives as the bigger threat, India.

- Brian Cloughly

President Trump’s ‘Remarks on the Strategy in Afghanistan and South Asia’ of 21 August, 2017 were regarded unfavourably by Pakistan. The government, opposition politicians, media and the army reacted forcefully to Mr Trump’s observation that the United States could “no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organisations. We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars, at the same time, they are housing the very terrorists we are fighting . . . that must change immediately.”

Official refutation by Pakistan’s foreign ministry included the avowal that “No country in the world has suffered more than Pakistan from the scourge of terrorism, often perpetrated from outside our borders. It is, therefore, disappointing that the US policy statement ignores the enormous sacrifices rendered by the Pakistani nation in this effort.” The National Assembly, in a rare show of cross-party unity, declared that it “unanimously rejects the unacceptable targeting of Pakistan by US President Trump . . .”

In a media release the Chief of Army Staff(COAS), General Qamar Bajwa, said “We have done a lot towards (achieving peace in Afghanistan) and shall keep on doing our best, not to appease anyone but in line with our national interest and national policy,” and the prominence of the army in Pakistan was demonstrated on 23 August when the US ambassador in Islamabad, Mr David Hale, called on the COAS and “briefed [him] about new US Policy.” It is the army that has most influence on Pakistan’s defence posture and even other aspects of government policy, to an extent unusual in democracies, and the implications of the US president’s strictures and especially his supportive stance regarding India have been acutely felt by the armed forces.