Islamabad, Pakistan — It was a rare admission. In November 2022, then-army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa conceded that Pakistan’s military had meddled in politics for decades. In his farewell speech, General Bajwa promised that in the future, the army would steer clear of interfering in Pakistan’s democratic functioning.
Just 14 months later, that assurance appears to have evaporated. As Pakistan gears up for its February 8 general election, the military’s familiar shadow hovers over the process.
