Imran Khan

Michael Hughes
AOPNEWS
March 31, 2022

During an address to the nation as he faces a no-confidence vote, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan attributed his potential demise to the meddling of foreign powers dismayed over his February visit to Russia, and in an apparent slip-of-the-tongue specifically referred to the United States.

When the National Assembly of Pakistan, the parliament’s lower house, convenes on Sunday they will begin debates on Khan’s alleged mismanagement of the economy before taking up the no-confidence motion. Meanwhile, the prime minister – of course refusing to resign amid calls to do so – has claimed his government intercepted a letter that provides evidence of a foreign conspiracy against him.

“We are getting messages from some foreign countries,” the embattled prime minister said during a televised address on Thursday. “They say that they will forgive Pakistan if Imran Khan goes.”

Khan during his speech also said “America,” then tried to backtrack and indicate he meant to say foreign power. Yet, he went on to criticize the U.S. by name anyway and it is difficult to understand his reluctance to be explicit.

Khan and his team seemed to forge a good working relationship with the Trump administration as Islamabad facilitated talks with the Taliban. And President Joe Biden, although he froze the process for a few months, appeared to let his predecessor’s Afghan peace plan play out.

However, in February, Khan visited Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin just as Russia launched its “special military operation” in Ukraine. The world has been “canceling” Russia over the move ever since, which Khan if anything seemed to tacitly approve. 

Khan very likely drew the ire of Washington and – based on the American track record – his allegations on their face strike one as quite credible and at a minimum not to be dismissed out of hand.

He told his fellow citizens that, on March 7, the government received a message from a country via an ambassador that provided the supposed smoking gun – a conspiracy was being hatched through three “stooges” inside Pakistan.

Khan said the foreign country, in the letter, expressed concerns over his Russia visit, which the prime minister said was a decision made in consultation with military leadership and other advisers.

The Pakistani leader blasted his critics as being “now beloved” by the said foreign power. He also berated them for failing to condemn 400 drone strikes the United States has conducted in the region during his tenure that killed innocent civilians.

Citing WikiLeaks disclosures, Khan said JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had offered to serve US interests if he was given power. In addition, he characterized opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif as a Western puppet who opposed Khan’s stance against the US-led war in the region and his attempt to steer an independent foreign policy.

“Our public representatives are on sale… This is the trade of country and sovereignty. What lesson are we giving to our youth?” the prime minister said.

To Khan’s credit, in terms of veracity of part of his claims, Islamabad has resisted U.S. pressure to host American bases for conducting so-called over-the-horizon operations targeting terror suspects in what is now Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

When stepping back and taking a historical view, aspects of the dilemma seem surreal in a way. Back in the 1980s, after all, the Soviet Union was Pakistan’s top enemy, this side of India, and Islamabad collaborated with the U.S. in backing the mujahideen to fight the Red Army in Afghanistan.

Khan of course threw India into the equation too, albeit the geopolitics of Asia and Eurasia is more complex than ever. Russia and India have considerably bolstered relations to an extent to which the Modi regime has continued to support Moscow despite the Ukraine incursion. India refused to condemn the invasion and has even been in talks to provide financial support vis-à-vis more oil purchases.

Earlier this week, Khan in an apparent last ditch effort at appearing diplomatic, suggested opening talks with India over Kashmir. Yet, it is still uncertain to what extent this type of position gains much traction domestically or among the lawmakers vis-à-vis the no-trust vote. Meanwhile, it is also hard to tell what Khan exiting would really mean for New Delhi’s security objectives and the situation in Kashmir and so to what extent and why would they meddle.

The new government in Afghanistan obviously has a strong sponsor in Islamabad with “Taliban Khan” on the throne. However, there have been reports the Afghan Taliban may be forging closer ties with their Pakistani brothers. So, what are the designs of the new occupants in Kabul? 

Then again, does it matter who is running the show in Islamabad? Frankenstein’s monster is fully let loose and apparently becoming more independent itself (despite needing more foreign aid to survive).

In the end, even if foreign meddling accusations are true, it is more likely that Khan’s fate has already been decided by Pakistan’s all-powerful military. They seemed to approve of Taliban Khan’s rise in 2018, but a few disagreements since have put this relationship in question. And Pakistani leaders who cross Rawalpindi typically do not have much staying power.