Imran Khan’s speech on Friday at UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) 74th session was appreciated by all segments within Pakistan. It was his maiden speech to the UNGA, which went on for about 50 minutes, far exceeding the 15-20-minute time limit that leaders are expected to adhere to while making their national statements during the busiest time in the UN Headquarters. According to me, he delivered an emotional speech in an evident attempt to revive his rapidly growing unpopularity at home. In his 45-minute address, Khan invoked the spectre of a potential nuclear war between India and Pakistan over the disputed Himalayan region if the UN and the international community did not act soon.
Just to highlight for my readers, the longest timed speech was made by Fidel Castro of Cuba at the plenary meeting of the General Assembly on September 26, 1960. The time listed was 269 minutes. I hope Imran Khan wasn’t copying the great Fidel Castro. In the past, the speeches of every leader in the past, including Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and even now, that of Imran Khan covered every part related to Kashmir and Muslims. Talking about Kashmir issue is not a political agenda rather an establishment line. But here, the question that comes to my mind is why these leaders don’t talk about Chinese Muslims who are in pain and also how they can forget to mention the plight and suffering of Muslims in Yemen. Why Mr Khan did not talk about the Chinese Muslims sufferings? Does he not want to annoy China?
There was a huge difference in the speech styles between the two leaders – noting PM Imran’s speech was spontaneous and Modi’s was more prepared. The difference in speech styles between the Indian and Pakistani leaders was striking, with Modi sticking closely to a prepared text and Khan appearing to speak off the cuff and riff. Amazingly, the UN distributed a transcript of Modi’s speech, moments after he finished talking, Khan’s had not been released hours later.
The Al Jazeera mentioned Imran Khan’s speech as “impassioned and at times, apparently extemporaneous.”
However, to be frank, few pro-establishment Pakistani media, journalists and anchors declared the speech a victory, as if Khan has won the case on Kashmir and the world had asked New Delhi to lift the curfew in Jammu and Kashmir. Yet, in reality, nothing has changed: The siege of J&K continues, and Pakistan still stands isolated on the diplomatic front. It was not able even to win the support of 16 members of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to present a resolution highlighting the Kashmir issue.
His condemnation of Islamophobia was as weak as his political credibility. In his homeland, religious minorities such as Ahmadis, Hindus, and even Muslims have been subjected to violence based on their religious beliefs. And this is not to mention the growing number of rapes of women and girls. Dissent is considered treason, the right to differ is a blasphemy. Nothing has been done concrete during Mr Khan’s one-year power regime rather mere excuses and u-turns.
I don’t know why Pakistan’s representatives are giving such statements; creating a complete disaster on the diplomatic front. IK should keep in mind that Washington and Riyadh are both backing New Delhi at every step. The Pakistani establishment should remember that the war is no solution to this problem. My advice to PM Imran Khan is that brave nations and societies always learn from their mistakes and prepare the coming generations to cope with their failures.
Mr Khan should realise the intensity of the Kashmir issue rather than giving patriotic speeches at international level
As I talked to Saira Ali, General Secretary of Awami Press Club, she said, “At such a critical crossroad, both the states, India and Pakistan, have options at their ends. They can either repair their cracks and fissures or keep brewing the decades-long tensions and antipathy with each other or come face to face. Due to these numerous conflicts between India and Pakistan, both the countries are beating the war drums. Without taking expedited efforts to solve these concerns, this grinding conflicts would not lower their burning and rising intensity.”
Mr Khan should realise the intensity of the issue rather than giving patriotic speeches at international level. She further said, “As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf government completed its first year in July, none of the claims was materialised, as the country heads down to further economic and political instability.” The prices of daily commodities, for example, have risen to their highest level in half a decade in March 2019, while the fiscal deficit for 2018-19 was 8.9 per cent of the country’s GDP, which is the highest in four decades,” said Saira.
Senior Lawyer Liaqat Ali said, “These two governments need to work on the impasse and stalemate on the Kashmir issue on a serious note. They should re-open the door for reconciliation and move the needle on reviving by bilateral talks to end this decades-long issue which has kept both the states under extreme pressure, unable to focus on progress and development. Both the states must involve the Kashmiris as a third party to listen to their concerns and try to form a pact under the UNO resolutions to liberate and discharge Kashmiri suffering.”
I totally agree with Professor Dr Ishtiaq Ahmed’s words that postulate, “Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) through the BJP has, at times, gone for peace initiatives in the past, however, Imran Khan should have admitted that Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee, who was also an RSS product, had come to Pakistan in February 1999 seeking peace. He went to the Minar-e-Pakistan and declared that he and his comrades now accepted the creation of Pakistan and wanted to live in peace.”
I believe that the economy plays a crucial role in determining who will win the diplomatic wars, as the stronger the economy, the better the chances a country has in lobbying for its case internationally. However, at the same time, diplomacy is also about playing the cards one is dealt with, no matter how bad they are, smartly and timely. Imran Khan and his allies should understand this point, rather than giving mere speeches and taking u-turns.
The writer is a social and political activist based in Lahore