Daily Times

From one letter to the next. Former prime minister Imran Khan’s tale of history-making ouster had begun with waving a letter at a public rally two years ago as he shared details from a “huge foreign conspiracy against Pakistan.” That the entire plot soon fell flat on its face would go down as the umpteenth reason to do one’s homework before springing to controversial conclusions in matters of national significance.

Nevertheless, the lettergate continued as American Congressmen – the same actors alleged to have orchestrated his downfall – kept calling upon President Joe Biden to openly advocate Mr Khan in what may be termed a naked attempt to interfere in the strictly domestic issues of a sovereign country. An extraordinary letter from US Members of Congress has prompted uproar from their colleagues in Pakistan who expressed their concerns over the alleged interference in a letter penned to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Even though the correspondence may have come as a great boost in the opposition’s narrative building, over 100 lawmakers sitting in Islamabad view it as a one-sided view that fails to take into account the complexities of the situation. Could it be that Washington is deliberately adding to the fumes in light of the ongoing election season?

After all, it is far easier to point fingers at others and direct the public outrage their way than to answer pressing questions about internal issues. American courts continue to hand sentences to rioters involved in a mob attack on the US Capitol nearly four years ago yet do not allow sociopolitical commentaries from other countries.

Since the rules of the game apply equally to all sovereign states, why is it that Pakistan’s judiciary is not trusted to deliver justice in line with its own set of rules? All this is not to make light of any political deliberations or throw a spanner in the works of those desperately trying to restore the status quo.

These pages have, at the expense of sounding repetitive, urged political parties to keep finding solutions for their grievances with the system through harmony and sustained investment in what the masses want. However, no good can ever come out of developments that smack of selective lobbying and only tend to rub a great many people the wrong way. *