In the last few months, after Kiyani assumed office as army chief, a virulent propaganda campaign has been launched against India, accusing it of using its consulates in Afghanistan to support insurgencies in Baluchistan, and even of supporting Taliban militia leaders in the tribal areas. Pakistan and their friends in the US consider Indian presence in Afghanistan as encirclement of Pakistan. This thesis has been propagated by the ISI under Kiyani’s jurisdiction as army chief. Musharraf mellowed quite a bit after he came into contact with the wider world. ISI chiefs and army chiefs of Pakistan make the fundamental policies of Pakistan within the labyrinths of General Headquarters. Therefore the rest of the world has a basic problem in dealing with Pakistan. Establishing civilian control over the Pakistani army is essentially a task for the Pakistani people and political parties. That needs a unity of purpose that is still not evident. Musharraf’s exit may be a limited gain for democracy in Pakistan but the real struggle to free the Pakistani polity from the army’s grip is yet to begin.

The writer is a senior defence analyst express@expressindia.com