Pakistani leaders have failed in their recent attempts by civilian leaders to curb military political power. The generals can still veto political decisions, such as efforts to curb military support for Islamic terror groups that operate but do not attack inside Pakistan. The military considers these groups para-military assets because they can be used to attack India, Afghanistan and anyone else seen as a threat to Pakistan. This situation has gotten worse as India and Afghanistan have become more public, persistent and detailed in their efforts to get Pakistan to exercise control over its military. What makes the Pakistani military so confident in defying its own people and its elected government is the growing support from China, which will supply high-tech weapons that the United States (and other Western nations) refuse to provide because of Pakistani support for Islamic terrorism. The Chinese don't care about that as long as Pakistan does not harbor anti-Chinese Islamic terrorists. Pakistan has, with some effort, managed to do that over the last few years and China is rewarding Pakistan for that.
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