Pakistanis celebrated what many saw as a military triumph this week following a ceasefire agreement with India, with nationalistic fervor reaching a peak not seen in years. Yet as the jubilation filled the streets, opposition leaders began to ask an uncomfortable question: If Pakistan’s military can strike a truce with its historic rival, why not with its own people?
As reported by The Washington Post, the celebratory mood has amplified the power and popularity of Pakistan’s military establishment, which has long overshadowed the country’s civilian leadership. Posters of Army Chief General Asim Munir now blanket Islamabad’s streets, many paid for by sympathetic businesses and politicians. The government even declared May 10 — the date of the ceasefire — a national day of commemoration.
“This operation by India has united Pakistan,” said Masood Khan, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States. “It was a blessing in disguise.”
But for many, the unity remains superficial. The country’s most prominent opposition leader, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, remains in prison following his dramatic 2023 arrest, which triggered violent protests and direct confrontation between his supporters and the army. Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), remains politically sidelined, even though it performed strongly in last year’s general election.
Critics argue that the military’s recent surge in popularity offers a perfect opportunity for national reconciliation — but the leadership appears reluctant.
“If you’re willing to talk to [Indian Prime Minister Narendra] Modi, who tried to damage and destroy Pakistan, why not talk to your own people?” asked Mushahid Hussain Sayed, a senior ruling party politician and former chair of Pakistan’s Senate Defense Committee. “The big picture demands that the government reach out to the political opposition and release political prisoners, including Mr. Imran Khan.”
Khan, convicted of corruption, faces a raft of other legal cases, which his supporters insist are politically motivated. PTI, once condemned by the current government as a “terrorist organization,” retains a large youth following — the same demographic now being courted by the military.
In what some viewed as a subtle olive branch, military leaders lauded Pakistan’s youth during ceasefire celebrations. For many, this was interpreted as a nod to the PTI’s predominantly young base. Zulfi Bukhari, a close Khan ally, emphasized the role PTI activists played during the recent conflict, stating, “Those regarded as traitors, disrupters, and social media terrorists were the ones defending the army and the country the most.”
Still, mistrust lingers on both sides. PTI leaders remain cautious, wary of military overreach. “We will consider it our adversary if it commits unlawful and unconstitutional acts,” said Irfan Saleem, a PTI regional official from Peshawar.
Some voices within the governing coalition are also hesitant to pursue rapprochement. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, head of the Pakistan People’s Party and a potential future prime minister, acknowledged PTI’s support during the crisis but dismissed the idea of reconciliation. “A few PTI members still obsess over freeing Imran Khan,” he said, cautioning against political opportunism.
Public sentiment, however, appears more fluid. Young citizens like 19-year-old Khurram Bashir, from Pakistan-administered Kashmir, say the military’s role in the India standoff restored some faith. “It feels like people’s opinions are changing everywhere now,” he told The Washington Post.
At a modest phone repair shop in Islamabad, 24-year-old Waqar Abbasi expressed a quiet hope for stability. While sympathetic to Khan’s plight, he said the army has, for once, focused on its true mission. “Finally, they’re back to doing what an army should be doing,” he said, beside a hanging Pakistani flag. “That’s all we ever wanted.”
Whether the military’s current goodwill can be channeled into meaningful domestic reconciliation remains uncertain. But as Pakistan finds itself at another political crossroads, the question looms large: Will unity forged through conflict be enough to heal a deeply divided nation?
