India Factor for Pakistani Army

The Pakistan Army is a major stakeholder in India Pakistan rivalry. The Pakistan Army's generals have retained a central position in Pakistan's chequered politics thanks to the India factor.

Thanks to India, Pakistan has a giant defence economy, with proceeds of this benefiting Pakistan's generals and classes linked to them.

The concerns expressed by General Kayani at Brussels may not be Pakistan's concerns wholly but Pakistan's generals class concerns.


A report thus stated

"The general was particularly keen to highlight the threat posed by India’s ‘Cold Start’ doctrine. Turing the traditional theory of war on its head, ‘Cold Start’ would permit the Indian Army to attack before mobilising, increasing the possibility of a “sudden spiral escalation”, according to Gen Kayani. The Pakistan Army’s concerns about ‘Cold Start’ are well known, but Gen Kayani went as far as to put a timeline on its implementation: two years for India to achieve partial implementation and five years for full. If true, the strategic impact could be of the highest order: defence analysts have speculated that ‘Cold Start’ may lead the Pakistan Army to lower its nuclear threshold as a way of deterring any punitive strikes or rapid capture of territory by the Indian armed forces. "

General Kayani pleaded that peace and security not be linked to evil acts of non state actors at Bombay. This is theoretically neat and outwardly harmless but the fact remains that the Pakistani military has had a long history of sleeping with non state actors and employing them as proxies with names like Good Taliban.


Thus a reporter stated :---

"The comments on India, though, came only later in an extended Power Point Presentation that covered everything from the operations in Swat and South Waziristan to the “way forward” in Afghanistan. Gen Kayani seemed relatively pleased with the reaction his presentation received when first unveiled at a meeting of chiefs of defence staff of Nato and its allied countries in Brussels late last month. "

Pakistan's military for many years has actually survived and thrived on US and Saudi charity for Afghanistan. All in the name of Islam with benefits directly landing into streets of Potohari cities like Islamabad and sprawling defence housing schemes in Pindi, Lahore and Karachi.

All along the Pakistani military establishment has used Islam and Pakistan in danger to get institutional benefits and class benefits!

Are these soldiers of Islam ?

When my great great grandfather's unit was stationed at Rawalpindi in 1857 the unit was disbanded thanks to machinations of Muslims of Rawalpindi in getting this unit disbanded by playing on British fears that it may rebel. My great great grandfather ended as an inspector of Punjab police at Chauntra in Pindi District.

The game was about privileges and benefits to a class and not about Islam.

What Pakistan's generals are claiming is not about Islam or Pakistan but about narrow institutional and class interests of Pakistani generals and their attached civil servant, feudal and business classes.

Seen in this context the battle is not about religion but personal and class interests and in the final outcome it now appears that the issue will be decided by wars, both high and low intensity!

This is all about narrow and selfish interests rather than ideology or ideas.