Locking horns with the honeybee
Obdurate Imran Khan has been made to pack up after a series of aborted attempts by a disjointed Opposition which with some unseen magic wand, suddenly gelled together after a dubious US visit by the scion of Bhutto’s Party last month to see the back of Imran; the Khan and his team squarely pointing to the proverbial foreign hand manoeuvring to oust him with local collaboration due to his refusal to be dictated on national issues by Uncle Sam, and the Opposition accusing him of ruining Pakistan’s economy and roughing up the common man no end.
This scribe dares say that both were correct, which the coming events would bear out. But one must take issue with some analysts who volte face and find fault two years too late in seeking answers from Imran Khan over Kashmir for which he had raised his voice poignantly from the UN General Assembly platform in his maiden speech at the Forum, unlike Pakistani leadership in the past shoving the issue under the carpet.
Sadly though, the Khan failed to follow it up with any substantial diplomatic momentum after declaring to the people back home that he would be Kashmir’s global Ambassador henceforth.
One had expected him to fan out diplomatic teams to Countries of the world with its strong case on Kashmir which was a direct result of double-crossing by the British; manoeuvring Hindu Maharaja of Kashmir to sign back-dated accession of the State in favour of India against its own formula of assigning majority Muslim States to form Pakistan.
Imran Khan failed to reach his teams worldwide to hammer home that while the UN Security Council in the first place ought to have judiciously upheld the British partition plan formula and granted accession of the State of Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan; the only majority Muslim State left erroneously with India, the United Nations was in 75 years till date, grossly guilty of non-implementation of its own SC Resolutions to also hold an impartial Plebiscite and hedging behind an ever-elusive bilateral resolution of the chronic problem.
Imran is faulted not only for being unable to formally raise the issue diplomatically for implementation, but also with the Security Council against India with the Chinese help, when violating the status quo it revoked the Special Status of its occupied territory and illegally announced accession of Kashmir to India in complete disregard and contempt of the standing UN Security Council Resolutions.
Pakistan ought to have even knocked the doors of the International Court of Justice. Far from that, contrary to his own recourse to the power of the people for change, he prevented a protest march by people in Azad Kashmir to register their instant protest across the Line of Ceasefire subsequently styled as the Line of Control.
The Opposition in Pakistan having dislodged the PTI Government for better future political prospects for itself a few months too late to be able to make any difference, while generating a few temporary positive vibes in the Stock market and Rupee value, is soon destined to the reverse gear as already being indicated by a thoughtless announcement of pay relief by the new PM and instant reversal in saying it would be considered at the time of the budget; there commended unprecedented raise in petroleum prices only deferred by a fortnight; its opportunist partners MQM brashly seeking premature relief in lieu of causing making of the King by disserting PTI, and second thoughts by the PPP in accepting the FM slot for Bilawal looks meaningful to cover his tracks.
Notwithstanding the above, with fresh Elections on the cards sooner than later, considering the fragile nature of the opposition alliance, it will be impossible for its main components much less the minor Parties, to forge any meaningful electoral arrangement or accommodate PTI’s rebelling Tareen and Alim Khan groups, and come away with significant success in view of the absence of any common ideology among them.
As already suspected, this may ultimately benefit the PTI which would play up the martyrdom of midstream removal, considerably diverting from its failings on the economic front.
Imran Khan on the other hand, has chosen a very dicey course of invoking public reaction over his ouster through what he terms an American conspiracy because of his attempt to take Independent decisions in the National interest instead of taking dictation from outside, which had cost Pakistan dearly in the past.
A Cipher message from Pakistan’s outgoing Ambassador in Washington upon which Imran appears to have based his inference of a conspiracy, hurls threats of isolating Pakistan should Imran Khan stay in power in the event of failure of the vote of No Confidence, and that all would be condoned if he was ousted.
Although the US spokesperson has denied any such involvement, one tends to find substance in Khan’s allegation considering the track record of the US in effecting regime change in various Countries with CIA officially mandated to overthrow un-pliable Governments which is an open secret; dozens of times in Latin America, removing Musaddaq in Iran, Saddam in Iraq, Gaddafi in Libya, Morsi in Egypt, Mulla Umar in Afghanistan and attempted change in Syria and Turkey.
While Imran has already embarked on public demonstrations for true National Independence, attracting mammoth fiery and emotional crowds, it will be important to get to the bottom of the alleged threat by conducting a high level probe through an Independent Judicial Commission with a deadline, because it is too serious a matter to be ignored or shoved under the carpet.
Those who term such cipher communications a diplomatic routine cannot condone open threats impinging upon the integrity of the State or its leadership, in reaction to which the National Security Committee caused issuance of a strong Demarche to the US by Pakistan’s Foreign Office.
And although the ISPR clarifies that the Cipher did not use the word‘ Conspiracy’, the consequential threat in the communication seems to imply one, and at least takes the wind out of Imran’s opposition that it was a fake, doctored by Shah Mahmood.
While Shahbaz Sharif has already offered to resign if even an iota of truth of conspiracy is found one suspect she may not be in the loop, but it would be in Imran Khan’s own interest to bring to the notice of the Commission his declared reference to the Agencies having complete record of specific persons meeting US officials if he was to strengthen his conspiracy theory.
One positive outcome of the course taken by Imran is that it has put the American Establishment on the defensive for the time being as evident from its usual sugar-coated recognition of Pakistan’s Importance as a pivotal player in the region and acknowledgement that it was subjected to terrorism itself within the Country; failing yet again to attribute it to Indian manipulation.
Pakistan nevertheless will need to watch out for another round of zeroing-in by the CIA. Imran indeed has tinkered with the honeybee, but self-respecting Nations must stand up to be counted rather than continue to suffer in capitulation.
—The writer is a media professional, member of Pioneering team of PTV and a veteran ex Director Programmes.
