Operation Midnight Jackal
| ||
|---|---|---|
Elections Prime Minister of Pakistan
|
||
Operation Midnight Jackal or simply as Midnight Jackal[1], was a first of two major political scandal that took place in the first term of the Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 1988–89 that was in a view of ISI's Internal Wing triggering the vote of no-confidence movement in the Parliament to paved away for new elections in favor of conservative politicians.:146[2]
Background
Following the death and state funeral of President Zia-ul-Haq, Benazir Bhutto was elected as the Prime Minister of Pakistan after successfully campaigning in the nationwide general elections held in 1988.[3]
As early as 1989, the army staff under General Aslam Beg, then-Chief of Army Staff, had been at odds on the policy matters relating the handling of the security situation in the Afghanistan, immediately after Prime Minister Bhutto disposing Hamid Gul from the intelligence agency over his failure to sustained the Pakistan's national interests in the country.[3] According to the ISI's insider information, it was President Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg who wanted the administrative changes in the civilian government to control the government in their favor.[3]
In September of 1989, Internal Wing of the ISI, allegedly working under the directions from Gen. Aslam Beg, then-chief of army staff, attempted to mount an effort to bring the vote of no-confidence movement in the Parliament in order to remove Benazir Bhutto that would force new nationwide elections in 1990.:146[2] This covert military intelligence program actively ran under Brig. Imtiaz Ahmad, then-Add.-Dir. of the Internal Wing, who oversaw with Amir Khan (the FIA agent on counterintelligence).[4]
Counterintelligence and exposure
Despite its covert nature and secrecy, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) under its director Masood Khan was able to track the program based on the benefitted secret information on the activities of the Internal Wing on political matters.:146[2] Eventually, the Intelligence Bureau was able to tapped the telephones and further videotaping the conversation of Brig. Imtiaz Ahmad and Amir Khan trying to financially influence and convince the two senior parliamentarians belonging on the platform of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).[1]
When the scandal exposed in the civil society by the IB through the news media, the major allegations were directed toward Gen. Aslam Beg, then-army chief, and also implicating President Ghulam Ishaq Khan and S. R. Kallu, then-Director ISI.:146[2]
Efforts to authorize the court martial of the Gen. Beg failed due to lack of evidence as Gen. Beg denied his involvement but authorized the Pakistan Army's JAG Corps to establish the court martial hearings of Brig. Imtiaz who was dismissed from his one-star general rank in the Army.[5][4] Military investigations and prosecution leveled charges and held Amir Khan of responsible of this scandal, who later testified in his court hearings that the primary objective were to support Nawaz Sharif as the establishment was said to have "liked" or preferred Sharif as a country's prime minister, and was a part of his political camp.[5]
As Amir Khan told his military lawyers that: "Nawaz Sharif was more acceptable to the [Pakistan] Army than Benazir Bhutto, and the establishment was against of every leader who had people’s mandate behind them. They prefer weak leaders like Sharif, which the Army could control".[5]
Despite the scandal was exposed, the conspiracies against Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto continued until another political scandal was reported in 1990.:146[2]
References
- 1 2 Dawn, Report (8 April 2009). "Return of the Midnight Jackal?". DAWN.COM. Dawn Newspaper. Dawn Newspaper. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Sirrs, Owen L. (2016). "Intelligence wars". Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate: Covert Action and Internal Operations (google books) (1st ed.). United Kingdom: Routledge. p. 303. ISBN 9781317196099. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- 1 2 3 Khan, Kamran (30 January 2014). "Major Amir has a murky past". Dunya News. News International. News International. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- 1 2 ANI, News Agencies (27 August 2009). "Former IB chief claims operation 'Midnight Jackal' launched to dislodge Benazir Govt". Asian News International. Thaindian News. Thaindian News. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- 1 2 3 Aziz, Shaikh (27 November 2016). "A Leaf From History: When the 'Midnight Jackal' didn't howl". DAWN.COM. Dawn Newspaper. Dawn Newspaper. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
