Why Haykal Came to Rawalpindi
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Lebanese Army Chief, General Rodolphe Haykal, has visited Pakistan at the invitation of Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir. This was the first visit of a Lebanese Army Chief to Pakistan and hence significant. Lebanon is located in an important and sensitive area; I have visited this beautiful country several times. It borders Syria and Israel, has a Mediterranean coastline, and is known for its topographical diversity and confessional pluralism. Its capital Beirut has long been the center of Arab media, education and finance. A significant portion of its population has deep emotional ties to Arab causes. Currently it finds itself at the center of a geopolitical vortex.
The power-sharing system in Lebanon is a peculiar confessionalist framework wherein the Presidency is always occupied by a Maronite Christian, the role of Prime Minister goes to a Sunni Muslim and the Speaker of Parliament is invariably a Shia Muslim. This arrangement, based on a population census, dates to the French Mandate period. No fresh census has been held since then and its validity is therefore often questioned. Hezbollah, a pro-Iran Lebanese party, rose to prominence after forcing Israeli forces to withdraw from South Lebanon in 2000. It is now the target of Israeli attacks as a significant area south of the Litani River has again come under Israeli occupation.
