Pak defence minister Khawaja Asif praises 'hybrid mode,' claims doing wonders to economy
Lahore, Jun 21 (PTI): Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and a close aide of ruling PML-N president and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has said the country is being governed under a “hybrid model” in which the military enjoys the major power share.
This is the second time this week that Asif, a prominent member of the incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif cabinet, admitted to the hybrid model, criticised as not mixed but a “fixed government to serve subsidiary interests” by analysts.
The defence minister's candid words during an interview with Arab News aired on Friday evening are being considered as an admission that Sharifs' Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has the blessings of the powerful military establishment in Pakistan.
Asif described the civil-military hybrid system as co-ownership of the power structure as he said: “This is a hybrid model. It’s not an ideal democratic government. So, this hybrid arrangement, I think it is doing wonders. This system is a practical necessity until Pakistan is out of the woods as far as economic and governance problems are concerned.”
He added if this sort of hybrid model was adopted way back in the 90s (when Nawaz Sharif was prime minister, twice), things would have been much, much better because the confrontation between military establishment and the political government would retard the progress of democracy.
The defence minister claimed that “the only realistic option” for the PML-N and the Sharifs is “to compromise with the military.”
Earlier, a day after Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir met US President Donald Trump at the White House, Asif on Thursday said in a post on X described the meeting as “the most important turning point in the 78-year history of relations,” and added that the development is the success of the “current hybrid model of governance”, involving the elected government and the army.
Sharifs' arch rival and former prime minister Imran Khan has maintained since last year that the February 8 general elections witnessed the ‘Mother of All Rigging’ that deprived his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), from forming the government. Khan also called the PML-N and its ruling partner, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as “mandate thieves.”
After Asif's open admission, the critics claimed that it has further buried the PML-N's earlier slogan of “vote ko izzat do (give respect to the ballot),” setting a future course of politics for the Sharifs that they would continue their politics as subservient to the powerful military.
“This (Trump-Munir) meeting has lifted the thin, see-through veneer of ‘elected’. What the world has known for quite a while is now in the open... where is the centre of power in Pakistan and who is in control of real state powers? The political allies (military) in power have presented themselves as the ‘government’ now.
“Khawaja Asif and others now have to seek some legitimacy to praise the merits of the hybrid model, which actually doesn’t mean a mixed but a fixed government to serve subsidiary interests,” said senior analyst Dr Rasul Bakhsh Rais.
He said the current setup is, in fact, the third “hybrid regime” since the ouster of Imran Khan in 2022.
“Today the difference is that while Gen Ziaul Haq and Gen Pervez Musharraf created political fronts by cannibalising major parties, this time around the two major parties -- PMLN and PPP -- have willingly served as political facade,” he said referring to the past two army generals who later became presidents.
Dr Rais said by handing victory to the PML-N and PPP in the previous elections, the military establishment has “reduced these parties to the status of an appendage in the hybrid order.”
He said the political capital of the PML-N and PPP is buried alongside their anti-establishment narrative. “Now, the priority of the Sharifs and Zardaris as well as the military establishment is to neutralise the third force — Imran Khan's PTI --- which is perceived as a danger for all of them,” he said.
Senior journalist Matiullah Jan said on X, “What a fall from grace for a politician. This defence minister takes oath to defend the constitution which makes no mention of the so-called hybrid form of government.”
“The fact is that this system is not even a hybrid system but a pure and simple dictatorship with political pygmies at the heels of affairs,” he added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
National Herald case: Shivakumar to seek time next week to appear before Delhi police
New Delhi/Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday said he will ask for time from Delhi police to appear before them next week, to provide required information as part of the probe into the National Herald case.
He said he will seek time after the ongoing winter session of Karnataka legislature ends on December 19. He will also ask the Delhi police to provide him the FIR copy.
Shivakumar, who is in the national capital, had earlier said that he will appear before the Delhi police on Monday. But, he postponed the plan in order to rush back to Karnataka to participate in the last rites of veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa, scheduled later in the day in Davangere.
"I had to go (to appear before the Delhi police), but I have to go back urgently. I'm asking them for time, stating that I will come next week," Shivakumar told reporters in New Delhi.
"They (Delhi police) have not attached the FIR copy while issuing notice to me. I need FIR copy, because we had already given all the required replies to the ED. I don't know what the FIR says, I only read in papers. They have given notice, I will ask for a FIR copy. I will come next week after the Assembly session."
The Delhi Police had issued a notice to Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress chief, seeking financial and transactional details as part of its probe into the National Herald case.
The notice issued by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) states that Shivakumar is "supposed to be having vital information" pertaining to the National Herald case registered on October 3 this year, against top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
In the notice dated November 29, the EOW had asked Shivakumar to appear before it or provide the requested information by December 19 latest.
Investigators have sought details about his personal background, his association with the Congress party, and a complete break up of funds allegedly transferred by him or associated entities to Young Indian.
To a question on meeting AICC General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, amid the ongoing power tussle between him and CM Siddaramaiah over the Chief Minister post, Shivakumar said when he comes to Delhi, he usually meets every one.
"Whether it is Surjewala or Kharge (AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge) or Venugopal, I will meet everyone. During lunch yesterday I met Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. I have met everyone. What's wrong?" he asked.
Shivakumar was in Delhi to take part in Congress' "Vote Chori" rally on Sunday, and had also participated in the lunch organised by the party for its leaders.
Responding to a question, whether any meeting is planned with leaders today, the Deputy CM said, he and Kharge will be travelling together to Karnataka, to pay last respects to Shamanuru Shivashankarappa.
Asked if he will seek time for a separate meeting with Congress leadership including Rahul Gandhi, during the next visit to Delhi, Sivakumar said, "such things will be there between us in the party.... you don't worry."
