Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has warned of military presence if the political and economic crisis continues in the country. Citing the country’s history of “long-term martial law,” Abbasi said the military had taken control of Pakistan under “difficult conditions” and the current situation was dire.
A senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party said that martial law is always an option if the system fails or if there is a conflict between the authorities and the political leadership, according to The Dawn.
However, he expressed hope that any additional constitutional measures would not be considered as an option, saying that military occupation would only make the situation worse.
He said political division was the only way forward and called for talks with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and army chief Asim Munir. He also said that the effective role of the military in solving the political crisis is an “extraordinary solution”.
“Elections in most democratic countries, even in Pakistan, always have a solution, but unfortunately this time it didn’t work,” he told a Pakistani newspaper.
Pakistan is experiencing a severe economic crisis, which has led to political tension between Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his predecessor, Imran Khan. The country’s foreign exchange reserves have dwindled to $4 billion and it is currently in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a major bailout.
Relations between the ruling coalition and the country’s Supreme Court have deteriorated since the PML-N government introduced a bill that would limit the powers of Pakistan’s chief justice.
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