Zaheer Bhatti
Imran Khan indeed stole the limelight at the 74th
UN General Assembly session and perhaps deserved
a welcome home reception he was accorded at the Islamabad Airport for presenting Pakistan’s Kashmir Case, but must put the euphoria behind him as he needs to put his act together to confront the bitter challenges he faces on the economic front at home. And although one likes to believe the Khan is aware that he cannot get carried away with the momentary diplomatic success assuming that it could offset his political and economic woes, the ground reality is that even in poignantly stating the Kashmir Case, he has merely set the tone which needs to be relentlessly followed by keeping up the momentum to expose the enemy and putting it on the back-foot using all the conventional an non-conventional instruments at his command, for what he himself recognizes as a long drawn battle.
At this critical juncture, while it looks in order for him to overhaul his domestic layout, it is somewhat surprising that diplomatic changes particularly at the UN have been made when Maleeha Lodhi as Pakistan’s Permanent Representative at the August Body had performed exceptionally and blunted virtually all moves attempted by Pakistan’s enemies against it. Maleeha was perhaps the only good thing in decades which had happened for Pakistan not just at the UN but also in her capacity as Pakistan’s High Commissioner in Britain and Washington; a unique success story of a non-career diplomat.
This is by no means intended to take anything away from Munir Akram’s credentials as her successor, but surely it could have waited a while to allow consolidation of the gains made during her tenure, particularly in the just concluded diplomatic initiative at the UNGA even if it meant a little extension as given to the Army Chief. If there is any chink in the armour, it was perhaps the position of the Foreign Minister who had failed to muster support to move a Resolution in the Human Rights Council of the UN for the Kashmiri cause. You have the experienced and more eloquent Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri waiting in the wings besides former diplomats such as Shamshad Ahmad who could make the FM grade effectively; Remember Agha Shahi who rose to hold the mantle of the country’s Foreign Minister.
Just as one cannot deny the Pakistani Premier’s sincerity to pursue the Kashmir cause, one does not question his desire to bring economic stability in the country in order to break the shackles of foreign dependence. But unless Khan realizes that he needs to strengthen Parliament with robust practices enabling legislation through the House instead of relying on Ordinances, he will not go very far. In surviving on a thin majority dependent on the opportunists gathered around him, he needs to strike consensus on national issues with the opposition without which economic stability will remain a pipe dream. This is not to suggest that he should halt the accountability process but to make him realize that he must make it even-handed and stop washing Pakistan’s dirty linen in public which he did not hesitate doing even at the forum of the UN, and merely character assassinating them in over a year of bottomless trials without an iota of proof of corruption against his opponents thus far with all the instruments of the State at his command.
On the other hand, the Opposition behavior is also puerile, irresponsible and miserly in not acknowledging Imran Khan’s impressive debut at the UN which even though extempore, was very well crafted. His critics have totally missed the point that in purposely opening his speech with global warming which was the theme of the UN, he expertly built the case for Kashmir on which he dwelt when the iron had been made red hot after chastising the West over providing parking space for the money laundered from poor States and chastening it for its thoughtless obsession about Muslims and resulting Islamphobia distorting the teachings of the peaceful religion, which it conveniently branded as extremist and blindfolded bought Modi’s twist that the freedom movement in Kashmir was in fact Pakistan-backed terrorism.
The Opposition has behaved like an ostrich when criticizing Imran for stating in his UN address that the Mujahideen raised by the US from all over the Islamic world waging Jehad against the Soviet Union were trained and launched by Pakistan’s Armed Forces. Pakistan at that time was enamoured by the West for forcing the Soviet withdrawal through its valiant resistance; a credit Pakistan proudly pocketed then. Imran Khan in stating the facts was pointing to the American desertion of Pakistan after the job was done, and branding the same freedom fighters as terrorists when it came to its own turn to face the music.
Losing breath in accusing the Government of allowing India to take the extreme step of merging Kashmir; as if they would have done any better knowing their apathy towards the vital issue during their own several tenures, his opponents need to rally support instead of finding trivial fault in Imran Khan’s Kashmir Policy. They must weigh their words so as not to provide the enemy with quotes to neutralize the universal acclaim the Pakistani Premier had received over the argument he had built at the UN, and the remarkable rapport he established with world leadership on the sidelines which no other Pakistani leader accomplished in the past. Brainstorming with over 70 leaders and Forums within a week is no joke.
But Pakistani actions will continue to lack the thrust until it squarely owns the Kashmir Issue rightly pronounced as its jugular vein, and not just be one which is supporting the Kashmiri cause. Imran must add muscle to his approach by abandoning his solo flight, bury his ego to achieve the national objective and reach out to the Opposition for the sake of the national cause to make the Pakistani stance effective.
—The writer is a media professional, member of Pioneering team of PTV and a veteran ex Director Programmes.
