(Part 7)
Dr. Humam Khan
History of the Military Regime After the Establishment of Pakistan
Reorganization of the Pakistani Military:
On August 14, 1947, a state named Pakistan appeared on the map of the world. This country was formed from the regions of western India where Muslims were in the majority, such as Punjab, Sindh, the Frontier (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Balochistan, and Kashmir, while the region of Bengal in the east was also part of it.
Muslims made enormous sacrifices for the creation of this state, and in their hearts they carried the hope that a system would be established there in accordance with Islamic principles, especially the demands of “La ilaha illa Allah.”
But when one looks at the practical reality, it becomes clear that no fundamental change took place within the structures of the state, especially within the military. The army that came to Pakistan as a result of the partition of India was, in essence, the same “Royal Indian Army” of the British era, which for a long period had served to protect the interests of British colonial rule.
The organization, training, discipline, and even the thinking and military strategy of this army remained largely based on the British model.
According to the formula of partition, Pakistan received nearly thirty-six (36) percent of this army and its assets, which included eight (8) infantry brigades, eight (8) artillery brigades, and eight (8) armored brigades. In addition to this, a number of important training centers and naval installations in Karachi and Chittagong also became part of Pakistan.
(“The Pakistan Army: History and Organization” by Stephen P. Cohen, p. 3)
For this reason, at the time of Pakistan’s creation, the military institution was the country’s largest, most organized, and most national institution. In the early days, the country faced severe administrative, economic, and defense-related challenges. In dealing with these conditions, the military played a major role, and the logical outcome was that in the coming years and decades this same institution would take complete control of the affairs of the country.
However, instead of reforming and developing the state, the military itself came to dominate the state and pursued its own growth and strengthening. Moreover, the military did not allow any fundamental change in the colonial system that had existed before the creation of Pakistan.
But one important question remained: did the intellectual and ideological foundations of this military also change or not? The reality is that no significant steps were taken in this regard. Although, to some extent, the process of training and appointing local officers began, the overall structure, educational curriculum, and administrative thinking largely remained the same as they had been during the British era.
If, at that very time, a comprehensive reform process had been initiated, through which the ideological direction of the military had been aligned with Islamic principles, the training curriculum had been changed, and the leadership structure had been reorganized according to regional needs, it is possible that an entirely new and different kind of military could have emerged.
With the passage of time, the role of the military continued to expand. Political instability, internal conflicts, and continuous crises pushed the military to become increasingly active in state affairs. In this way, the institution did not remain merely a defensive force, but also became influential in policymaking and in every aspect of governance.
If serious steps had been taken after the establishment of Pakistan, and this military which had been loyal to the British, had been fundamentally transformed; if its training curriculum had been redesigned under the guidance of distinguished religious scholars, the Mujahideen of the frontier regions, and modern military specialists; if the military had been completely reorganized; and if the class of pro-British officers had been removed from office, then perhaps it would have been possible for this military to become a truly “Islamic army.”
But the practical reality is that neither was this done, nor was much serious thought given in that direction. As a result, after the creation of Pakistan, the same Royal Indian Army remained without change or reform; the only difference was that this very army, whose hands were stained with the blood of Muslims, came to be known as the “Pak Army.”