Daily Times

The elections are over and the governments in Islamabad and all four provinces are in office. However, the political moaning and groaning is still ongoing.

The speech made by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman on July 26 was hailed as the greatest victory speech in the country’s political history. His first speech as Prime Minister (PM), made in the National Assembly (NA) however, was considered one of the worst ever. Imran Khan’s third speech — which was broadcast live on national television, has set the tune for the method in his madness.

Let’s dissect his address to the country.

Social development- or the lack of it — was the only real highlight of the speech. Please correct me if I have missed any important aspect. Internal security was missed, external relations were forgotten, financial reactions or actions were overlooked, international relations and their implications were also not given room in the speech.

Who will deal with all of the above mentioned issues?

At the oath taking ceremony, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) met the only notable Indian attendee, Navjot Singh Sidhu, and offered to open the Pakistan-India border for Sikh Yatrees.

At the oath taking ceremony, the COAS met the only notable Indian attendee, Navjot Singh Sidhu, and offered to open the Pakistan-India border for Sikh Yatrees

Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the new Foreign Minister (FM), held his first press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) building after the oath taking. He declared that MOFA will be the only place where Pakistan’s foreign policy will be made, with consultations of “stakeholders” with their institutional memory. These two policy statements, both having far reaching international political and defence implications, were not made by PM Imran Khan but by the COAS and Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

It seems the method in the madness will involve trusted handlers dealing with delicate issues of finance, foreign policy and defence relations. Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s statements are early examples of this.

The so-called civilian government will not be allowed and seen (I didn’t use or) to be allowed to deal with these issues. CPEC, US relations, relations with India, policy on the Afghan Taliban and internal accountability will not be areas where the PTI government will be allowed to operate independently.

Suffice to say, this is hardly a new method in this country.

The writer is a political and security analyst

Published in Daily Times, August 30^th 2018.