The Coup You Didn’t Hear About in Pakistan and Why You Should Care

The Coup You Didn’t Hear About in Pakistan and Why You Should Care
Supporters of former Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif drive towards the airport ahead of the arrival of Nawaz from London, in a rally led by Shahbaz Sharif, Nawaz's younger brother and the head of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-L) party, in Lahore on July 13, 2018. Photo credit should read AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images
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Pakistan, a key ally in the war on terror, is experiencing what some analysts are calling a “soft coup.” This coup may not have featured tanks seizing key buildings, but any power struggles suggest a dangerous trend for a key ally in the war on terror. The country has upcoming elections on July 25, but the free and fair process has been hobbled by the military establishment, warned analysts.

These efforts include putting former Prime Minister Pervez Musharraf, himself the benefit of the last coup in 1999, on trial for conspiring to kill another politician, Benazir Bhutto. The most recent prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, was removed from office last year over a misdemeanor. It’s rumored that Pakistan’s military intelligence agencies delivered that tidbit to activist judges as part of a probe into the prime minister’s financial affairs.