Review: Fallout by Salman Masood

In October 2016, Cyril Almeida, assistant editor at Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper was tipped off by anonymous sources regarding the details of a national security meeting held between Nawaz Sharif’s government and military officials at Prime Minister House in Islamabad. Despite the army’s denial that such a meeting took place, Dawn went ahead with the story.

“In a blunt, orchestrated and unprecedented warning, the civilian government has informed the military leadership of a growing international isolation of Pakistan and sought consensus on several key actions by the state. The message: military-led intelligence agencies are not to interfere if law enforcement acts against militant groups that are banned or until now considered off-limits for civilian action,” Almeida wrote in a front-page article.

Speculation quickly swirled around that a few members of Nawaz Sharif’s government were responsible for the leak. Pakistan’s military top brass released a press statement that expressed concern at the dissemination of what they described as a fabricated account. They viewed this as a “breach of national security” and the incident marked the beginning of discord between the army and Nawaz Sharif’s government. Frustration with dynastic politics and shambolic governance had reached a peak, and corruption was rampant. The army believed a reset was necessary. It was decided that Nawaz Sharif had to be removed. This is where the search for a new civilian leader, who possessed charisma, a clean reputation, and grand promises of reform, began. Imran Khan emerged as the ideal candidate and the concept of a ‘hybrid model’ of governance was conceived. It was intended to last for the next decade until the country transitioned to a presidential system of governance.

In November 2016, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointed Lt General Qamar Javed Bajwa as the new army chief. In his inaugural address, Bajwa stated that the army had no role in running the government and must adhere to its constitutionally-defined responsibilities. However, in July of the following year, the Supreme Court delivered a significant blow to Nawaz Sharif in the wake of the Panama Papers leak, ordering his removal from office and the initiation of criminal proceedings against him and his family. While it appeared to many political observers that the army had moved past the Dawn Leaks issue, this was merely a tactical retreat. Strategically, Nawaz Sharif remained an obstacle. The Supreme Court judgement was exactly what the army needed.

In his gripping new book, Fallout: Power, Intrigue, and Political Upheaval in Pakistan, journalist Salman Masood weaves sharp wit and keen insights into a tale of political drama. The book chronicles the dramatic ouster of Nawaz Sharif, the blossoming alliance between Bajwa and Imran Khan in 2018, and their inevitable clash and spectacular falling out in 2022.

In July 2018, with the full support of the army, Imran Khan’s PTI secured the most seats in Pakistan’s National Assembly, though it did not get an outright majority. The party then formed a coalition government with several smaller parties, leading to Imran Khan’s appointment as the 22nd Prime Minister of the country in August that year. The army’s hybrid project seemed to be assured for the next 10 years. Who could have known then that this carefully conceived experiment would crumble in less than five?

Expecting Imran Khan’s PTI, a first time entrant in the corridors of power, to pull off a miracle, was delusional. In the first 100 days, the administration faltered from one blunder to another, and ministers often seemed out of depth, responding to critics with hostility and sarcasm. The supporters, who had helped Khan become prime minister, watched this early mismanagement with growing concern, though they remained hopeful about their choice. A few weeks after taking office, Bajwa invited Khan to speak at the Defence and Martyr’s Day ceremony at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. As Khan entered the venue, he was welcomed with a standing ovation and enthusiastic applause from the audience, mostly military families, who saw him as their favoured candidate.

A year into his tenure, Imran Khan launched a direct assault on his political opponents. He seemed fixated on past issues rather than on addressing the pressing challenges ahead. In his speeches, Khan insisted that the corruption of previous leaders was the root cause of the current economic crisis. This failed to neutralize the rising discontent on the streets and detractors of the government saw the ongoing difficulties and persistent missteps as signs of a slow but steady descent. This stalemate threatened the stability of the democratic system, with the risk of a political logjam potentially bringing the whole edifice down.

Tensions emerged between the government and the military over the appointment of the new intelligence chief, the Director-General of the ISI. The outgoing DG, Lt General Faiz Hameed, was known for his close ties with Imran Khan, while the newly-appointed Lt General Nadeem Anjum had a markedly different approach.

On March 27, 2022, in front of a fervent crowd in Islamabad, Imran Khan claimed that a foreign conspiracy was unfolding against his government. He brandished a letter and asserted that it provided evidence of a plot orchestrated by the United States to overthrow his administration. He had been denouncing the US in recent rallies and accusing his political rivals of being “slaves of America.” Anti-American rhetoric has long been a feature of Khan’s politics, with his supporters arguing that the country has been unjustly treated by the US. Khan’s visit to Moscow, timed just as Russian forces invaded Ukraine, heightened concerns in Washington DC. Official sources revealed that Khan had ignored advice from Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security advisor, to avoid going to Moscow amid escalating diplomatic tensions between Russia and Western nations. The army, on the other hand, seemed more receptive to a continued partnership with the US.

The growing rift between Imran Khan and General Bajwa over the following months set the stage for the former’s dramatic fall from power, not through the courts like Nawaz Sharif in 2017 but via a No Confidence Motion. And so, the army’s ‘Imran Khan Experiment’ collapsed long before its anticipated end. Fallout: Power, Intrigue, and Political Upheaval in Pakistan, which presents this period of Pakistan’s recent political history, makes for an interesting read.

Saleem Rashid Shah is a researcher and a critic of non-fiction books. He lives in Kashmir.