Military or Mercenaries? Pakistan a Dual Role Actor on Global Political Theatre |
There is a saying in my native language, Sindhi: “There are people who ask the thief to steal, and then warn the owners that thieves are coming.” This aptly describes Pakistan—more precisely, its military, which is the real power behind the state. There is a famous joke: most countries have a military, but in Pakistan, the military has a country.
Pakistan’s military has long acted as a double player on the stage of global geopolitics. Rather than functioning as a conventional national army, it has often behaved like a mercenary force, pursuing shifting alliances and interests. In the context of a potential US–Israel war with Iran, Pakistan’s military has reportedly positioned itself as a “mediator” between the United States and Iran. Yet history complicates this role. It was under General Mirza Aslam Baig that Pakistan allegedly provided nuclear know-how to Iran. At the same time, Pakistan maintains influence over Sunni religious groups in Iranian Balochistan while also sustaining working relations with Iran’s Shia regime.
This duality is further exposed domestically. Shia organizations, such as Imamia Students Organization, groups like zainbian, have at times been linked to violent protests in Pakistan in response to US–Israel tensions with Iran—violence that has even targeted Pakistani soldiers and civilians. These developments reportedly compelled Pakistan’s current army chief, General Asim Munir, to warn Shia clerics that violent reactions to international events would not be tolerated, bluntly stating that those who “love Iran should go and live there.”
Shias constitute roughly 10–15 percent of Pakistan’s population and are also represented within the military, though the institution remains predominantly Sunni and Punjabi in composition. This imbalance has historically led to grievances over discrimination. The last widely recognized Shia army chief was General Musa Khan in the 1960s. Given recent tensions involving Iran, disenchantment among Shias within Pakistan army could deepen further.
Pakistan has often benefited from global crises while officially aligning with the United States but quietly advancing its own strategic interests. During the Korean War (1950–53), for instance, a class of Pakistani nouveau riche emerged through the export of jute and cotton—much of it sourced from what was then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Sheikh Mujibur Rahman once remarked, “I smell jute on the roads of Islamabad,” highlighting economic disparities between former East and West Pakistan.
These inequalities contributed to the 1971 separation of East Pakistan emerging as independent Bangladesh on the world’s map.........