Prime Minister Imran Khan is about to face the most daunting test of his political career. Yet, he remains confident enough to succeed. Whereas the opposition parties seem to be in a fix despite their decision to oust him via a “no-confidence” motion, which is expected to take place after the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers’ summit later this month.
This isn’t the first time they chose to go after him because there have been at least four attempts in the past four years alone, which all failed for one reason or another. Whether it was ill-advised long marches or in-house attempts (remember the twice failed moves against Sanjanri). All those predictions of doom and gloom went haywire for the opposition alliance and its apologists.
I, for one, have remained one of the biggest critics of the Khan government throughout my writings, especially when it came to missteps in foreign policy, tackling an unruly bureaucracy or dealing with rising extremist tendencies. However, I strongly feel that the opposition is playing the wrong cards for its own benefit rather than for strengthening democracy.
PM Khan, despite his political imperfections, is still a better choice to lead the state than those who actually brought it to its knees.
While I won’t specifically go into the opposition’s tainted past, the echo chamber that it thrives on is causing its ultimate decline as a political force. Sections of the media itself are promoting a cause that holds no ground in the eyes of any sane viewer or reader. Not only this, the mismatch amongst these opposition parties, specifically the JUI-F, PML-N and PPP, renders this endeavour dubious.
Notably, their apologists in the media are trying hard to portray them as “champions of democracy,” when the truth is that if PTI is removed from power, then these parties would return to their old habits of grabbing each other by their collars.
Another aspect of this situation is as to who is liberal and who is conservative in terms of left or right. Factually speaking, none of the parties in Pakistan is perfectly aligned with either end of political spectrums and can act liberal for one crowd and conservative for another. There is no striking balance in this regard, which is one of the biggest drawbacks for a country that faced extremism. This is a country where even a leftist like Bhutto tried to appease the clergy for political gains but Zia’s ascendance alongside the Soviet-Afghan War caused further polarisation.
PM Khan, despite his political imperfections, is still a better choice to lead the state than those who actually brought the state to its knees. His tragedy is that a hung parliament forced him to walk a tightrope. Unsurprisingly, he still enjoys mass popularity, which should be a cause of concern for some opposition leaders who damaged their own political credibility through underhand wheelings and dealings.
In terms of foreign policy, the standoff between Moscow and Kyiv was something that Islamabad could not afford to absorb if it took sides. It has defence and trade ties with both capitals and its decision to remain neutral and abstain from the UNGA vote was a sound move. As a developing country that has to steer its foreign policy based on its own interests, it cannot drag itself into something that is not beneficial in the long run.
This is something I wish the opposition parties understood instead of launching a senseless anti-Khan tirade. They even failed to realise the fact that the prime minister wants a foreign policy that makes Islamabad a partner in peace with all allies, whether in the East or West.
There is no such thing as anti-West sentiments in Pakistan’s policymaking circles. Criticising Washington or its allies on their foreign policy blunders never meant that ties should abruptly be cut off. A majority of Pakistanis wish fruitful ties with the West based on mutual respect and strong economic cohesion. Only if those at the helm of affairs in DC’s Beltway or Pakistan’s opposition camp understood this basic fact better.
The coming days for the political arena shall grab much traction both internally and externally but one thing remains clear: politicians seldom learn from the past and stir trouble at the expense of their own dignity or whatever’s left of it.
The writer is Associate Editor (Diplomatic Affairs), Daily Times. He tweets @mhassankhan06