The military is often considered the cornerstone of a nation's sovereignty and security, entrusted with protecting its people and borders. It is an institution that commands respect and admiration from the public. In Pakistan, this reverence for the armed forces has historically been no different. The people have held their military in high esteem, placing their faith in its role as the protector of the nation's borders. However, behind this façade of national pride lies an unsettling reality—Pakistan's military, from its inception, has been not only an instrument of defence but also a tool influenced and manipulated by foreign powers, particularly the British, whose imperial legacy continues to haunt the nation.

When Pakistan was carved out of British India in 1947, the foundations of its military were laid under British tutelage. British (or English from Australia) officers held key positions in Pakistan's newly formed army, and even the country's premier intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was moulded under the same influence. For several years after independence, British generals served as the heads of Pakistan's armed forces, ensuring that the young nation's military remained aligned with British interests.

At the time, Pakistan's civilian leadership and its people, particularly in West Pakistan, were politically inexperienced. There was little understanding of the need to build robust democratic institutions that could safeguard the country's future. The priority should have been to keep the military as a professional institution, separate from state affairs.

Unfortunately, this vision never materialised. Instead, in 1951, General Ayub Khan was appointed as the first native Army Chief, and, in a telling sign of things to come, he also assumed the role of Defence Minister—a position of dual power that allowed the military to meddle directly in civilian administration. This critical moment marked the beginning of the army's........

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