Pakistan's military, particularly the Army Chief, has consistently prioritized its institutional interests and vast commercial empire, like the $5.9 billion Fauji Foundation, over the nation's well-being for 68 years. This logic, from Ayub Khan to Asim Munir, involves leveraging state resources, tax exemptions, and foreign aid to expand influence without parliamentary oversight.
Ayub Khan fostered an internal economy, Yahya Khan expanded commercial holdings post-1971 secession, and Zia ul-Haq secured $3.2 billion from Washington and Saudi financing to reshape society, creating networks that later caused over 70,000 Pakistani deaths. Pervez Musharraf received $14.6 billion in Coalition Support Funds and $5.5 billion in economic aid post-9/11, while maintaining Taliban ties. Current Army Chief Asim Munir's role in a US-Iran memorandum of understanding is a "postman" function, orchestrated by Qatar and Saudi Arabia, reflecting Pakistan's debt-driven foreign policy. This exposes the country to regional conflict costs, borne by citizens through rising petrol prices (Rs270 to Rs415 per litre), while the military suppresses protests in Azad Kashmir and Balochistan, and allocates 18% of the federal budget to defense, versus 2.3% for education.
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