Pakistan’s Supreme Court tells military and intelligence agencies to stay out of politics
- Pakistan’s constitution ‘emphatically prohibits’ members of the armed forces from ‘engaging in any kind of political activity’
Pakistan’s Supreme Court rebuked the powerful military and intelligence agencies on Wednesday, calling for them to uphold free speech and stay out of politics in a country ruled by the generals for nearly half its existence.
The unusually strong criticism was issued in a judgment criticising the role of the intelligence agencies in anti-blasphemy protests which paralysed the capital Islamabad for several weeks in 2017.
“If any personnel of the Armed Forces indulges in any form of politicking or tries to manipulate the media he undermines the integrity and professionalism of the Armed Forces,” stated the judgment, posted on the Supreme Court website.
Pakistan’s constitution “emphatically prohibits” members of the armed forces from “engaging in any kind of political activity”, it added, ordering the government and the chiefs of the army, air force and navy to take action against anyone found violating their oaths.
All intelligence agencies … and the [military’s media wing] must not exceed their respective mandates
The 2017 protests were led by a then little-known Islamist group called the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP), and were only dispersed after violent clashes led to a military-brokered deal which forced the resignation of the country’s law minister.