Fixing the economy is top of Khan’s to-do list
and IMRAN KHAN has begun building a ruling coalition as Pakistan’s leaderelect, but faces daunting troubles ranging from doubts over his legitimacy to a looming economic crisis.
Almost three days after polling finished, the final tally of results gave Mr Khan’s party 116 of the 270 National Assembly seats on offer, putting him within easy reach of a majority.
The charismatic cricketer-turnedstatesman swept to power on populist promises to build a new, fairer, Pakistan and break the stranglehold of the country’s venal, dynastic elite. Yet when the glow of victory fades, he faces a grim to-do list likely to test the high expectations raised in his passionate young supporters, analysts told The Sunday Telegraph.
The immediate priority is to with Pakistan’s economic woes.
“The greatest challenge is the economy, everyone knows that. We need a Pakistan that is self-sustaining,” Gen Talat Masood, a retired general and commentator said.
The newcomer will have to move fast to avert a brewing crisis. Foreign currency reserves are quickly dwindling and the rupee has devalued four deal times since December. Mr Khan is expected to have to negotiate a bail-out as early as September, most likely from the International Monetary Fund, but potentially he could also seek help from China or Saudi Arabia, said Jan Achakzai, a political commentator.
Pakistan has agreed 12 IMF loans since the late 1980s, but it could be hesitant this time because previous promised reforms have not come to pass.
“These are very important issues, that he can’t afford to wait for tomorrow,” he said.
Mr Khan also faces the task of governing a country where rival political parties reject his victory. Losing parties led by the Pakistan Muslim League have alleged wholesale vote-rigging on election night.
That followed a campaign widely seen as engineered in Mr Khan’s favour by the powerful military establishment that has ruled directly or indirectly for much of the nation’s existence.
At least one party has vowed a campaign of protests.
“The position is very jumpy at the moment,” said Mr Achakzai. “Imran Khan needs to be calm. He needs to reach out to them and needs to engage. He’s not a party hack any more, he is the leader of the country.”
Though Mr Khan is widely perceived to be the chosen candidate of the army, negotiating civil-military ties will still be difficult, said Gen Masood.
The military considers large swathes of foreign and national security policy to be its own preserve. Deciding how to resolve inevitable disagreements on subjects such as India and Afghanistan will be “a very major challenge”.
An election campaign that saw around 200 killed in bombing attacks also underlined the country’s continuing battles with terrorism.
The former fast-bowler earned the moniker “Taliban Khan” for repeatedly arguing for peace talks with militants and for his party’s alliance with Sami ul Haq, the so-called Father of the Taliban. He suggested in 2013 that the Pakistani Taliban should be allowed to open an office in the country.
Militants within the group yesterday told The Telegraph that they dismissed his election.
One Taliban source said: “Yes, Imran was a supporter of talks with the Pakistani Taliban. But for us, there is no difference between [ jailed former prime minister] Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, and other political party leaders.
“We consider all the political leaders to be ears on the same donkey. The army will use Imran Khan according to their own wishes to fulfil their aims.”