Imran Acts Like A Statesman In Pak-India Conflict

Prime Minister Imran Khan acted like a statesman while dealing with the latest Indian aggression and responding to it with the sole objective of achieving peace without compromising on the country’s sovereignty.

The entire nation, the armed forces, politicians and media all backed the premier and played their respective role as a united team. However, the star of day remains PAF pilot Squadron Leader Hasan Siddiqui who shot down the Indian jets.

It goes to the credit of prime minister and Pakistan that even an Indian ex-serviceman and columnist admitted in a tweet, “MoD (Indian ministry of defence) briefing, to announce release of Wing Comdr Abhinandan, has been pre-empted by Imran Khan, who announced it earlier. Now MoD briefing “postponed”.

Whatever happens in real battle, Pakistan has comprehensively won the perception war. At every stage their PR was ahead of ours.” One wonders if Imran Khan, who even got the appreciation from the enemy country for how he outsmarted India and her cunning Prime Minister Narindar Modi’s devious move against Pakistan, can also act like a statesman when it comes to internal politics of Pakistan.

If Khan can tolerate all kind of nonsense from Modi and his government, release the captured pilot of the enemy country and make unilateral efforts to talk to Indian prime minister to de-escalate the tension between the two countries for peace; why he can’t talk and sit with his political opponents at home for the progress and prosperity of Pakistan.

He may not like Shahbaz Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari and others but they are not worse than Modi, they are not from the enemy country but elected leaders of millions with decisive representation in Parliament.

For peace, Imran Khan is desirous of talking to Modi and meeting him. But at home, Khan avoids every such occasion where there is even a slim chance of his shaking hand with the opposition leaders. Whenever, he comes to Parliament, he ensures he does not have eye to eye contact with the leader of opposition sitting just a few feet away from him.

Parliament on Thursday showed unity against India. From Prime Minister Imran Khan to leader of the opposition and other parliamentary leaders spoke with one voice but even, on this occasion, the prime minister was seen taking his seat with his usual way of ignoring opposition leaders.

As a Pakistani, one felt bad to see the conspicuous absence of the prime minister from Wednesday’s in-camera briefing given by the military to all parliamentary leaders in Parliament. It was an immature decision and unbecoming of the statesman like conduct required in such challenging times.

What is more worrying and indefensible that PM was present in the parliamentary chamber of National Assembly, yet he did not attend the meeting though he was the host of the special session.

The man, who dealt with the enemy country with a big heart, avoids interacting with his political opponents at home. The prime minister has to rise above this if he has to successfully lead the country for the better future of Pakistan.

It seems that prime minister’s hesitation to be seen as shaking hand, exchanging pleasantries or interacting with opposition leaders is due to his years’ long negative image of his opponents which he had created in the minds of his followers. Like frenzied warmongering Indian media, the prime minister is also surrounded by a few hacks who perhaps tell him that establishing a working relationship with the opposition would be taken by the PTI followers as compromising on the issue of corruption.

Prime Minister Imran Khan does not need to do any compromise on the issue of corruption. But if he believes or is made to believe that what the NAB is doing, is the real merit based campaign against corruption then he is seriously mistaken, and quite a few recent decisions of superior judiciary endorsed this.

The prime minister himself has expressed his dissatisfaction over the working of NAB, which government admits a lot of improvement. This could be done only through parliamentary legislation for which the government and the opposition have to sit together.

More importantly, there is a dire need to have a charter of economy having approval of Parliament including both the government and opposition for sustainable economic growth and to make the country an attractive place for businessman and investors who should fear every change in the policies because of the change of government or persons.

The country also needs similar charters on accountability, governance and institution building. But this can only be done if Imran Khan overcomes his reluctance to talk to his opponents. It’s a weakness that needs to be overcome. If Khan does so, he could achieve a lot for the progress and prosperity of the country.

(Published in Monthly Tribute International on 01-03-2019)