Crucial test for Imran
There’s always fresh hope with the advent of any new Government after an election, and it is no different in Pakistan. Very much like India’s now ruling BJP which won only two seats in the 1984 election to the Lok Sabha, Premier-designate Imran Khan’s PTI won just a solitary seat in its maiden foray into Pakistani elections. Despite the early setbacks, he now reaps the fruits of electoral success and the confidence of his people to guide his country’s destiny into the future.
There are five domestic compulsions he will have to face; 1) the absence of a clear majority in Parliament, 2) the powerful military and its agenda, 3) the Pakistani Taliban and religious fundamentalism, 4) an independent judiciary, and 5) a free press. The latter two he publicly acknowledged were the great defenders of emerging Pakistani democracy, but it is common in all democracies that an independent judiciary and free press are the darlings of the Opposition – not Governments. Externally, relations with India will be the main priority, as they have been ever since the new nation of Pakistan was created seven decades ago through a painful, botched partition process. For his inauguration, the cricketer-turned-politician premier was toying with the idea of inviting his Indian counterpart and his Indian cricketing colleagues of yesteryear, but opted for an austere ceremony instead.
It takes one back to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s own swearing-in which turned out to be a mini summit of South Asian (SAARC) leaders, including the then Pakistan Prime Minister. There was great hope for a ‘new beginning’ of South Asian cooperation ending decades of mistrust among neighbours. But that was short-lived as the two arch-enemies returned to their usual vile rhetoric and cross-border terrorist activity. The SAARC summit scheduled in Islamabad was scuttled with boycotts. It has not met since. Pakistan’s new PM-to-be has said if India takes one step towards withdrawing its military from the urban areas of Kashmir, he will take two steps towards normalising relations between them. He also wants to improve trade ties between the two countries, now largely routed through Dubai.
How well the incoming premier will be able to cope with the growing influence and grip of China on the Pakistani economy, much to the irritation of India, and much like the situation in Sri Lanka is to be seen. He doesn’t enjoy the ‘luxury’ of selling parts of the country to India to balance off China.
And while India is exploring new ties with the United States to ward off China’s growing influence in the region, and forging trade links with BRICS ( the world’s leading emerging economies’ alliance - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), SAARC seems destined to be slowly dumped into the dustbin of history.