Former US Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad has said that arresting former Prime Minister Imran Khan will only deepen the crisis Pakistan finds itself in, adding that the sequential cannibalizing of its leaders through jailing, execution and assassination is the wrong path.
In a series of tweets, the former Ambassador said that Pakistan faced a triple crisis: political, economic, and security.
“Despite great potential, it is underperforming and falling far behind its archrival, India. It is time for serious soul-searching, bold thinking, and strategizing,” added Zalmay Khalilzad.
He said that the sequential cannibalizing of its leaders through jailing, execution, assassination, etc. was the wrong path, adding that arresting Imran Khan will only deepen the crisis.
2. Use this time for the main political parties to confont what has gone wrong and propose a specific plan to rescue and put the country on a path to stability, security, and prosperity. Whichever party wins the election will have a mandate from the people on what must be done.
— Zalmay Khalilzad (@realZalmayMK) March 14, 2023
“I urge 2 steps: 1. Set a date for national elections in early June to avert a meltdown. 2. Use this time for the main political parties to confont what has gone wrong and propose a specific plan to rescue and put the country on a path to stability, security, and prosperity. Whichever party wins the election will have a mandate from the people on what must be done.
Imran Khan terms arrest claim as ‘drama’; says real intent is to abduct, assassinate
