Editorial: Imran’s self-goal

When Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan recently went on a rant against the ruling dispensation in India, irony died a death by a thousand cuts. It is a cruel paradox that the leader of a country created on the basis of religion, declared itself as Islamic Republic and continues to use terrorism as an instrument […]

When Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan recently went on a rant against the ruling dispensation in India, irony died a death by a thousand cuts. It is a cruel paradox that the leader of a country created on the basis of religion, declared itself as Islamic Republic and continues to use terrorism as an instrument of state policy should be commenting on the ideology of the party in power in a secular country where the constitution provides equal rights to people of all faiths. Khan, himself an apologist for fundamentalist forces in his country earning the moniker “Taliban Khan”, gave his gyan on “religious nationalism” in India and how resumption of talks was impossible with the current dispensation in New Delhi. He even went a step further, saying he hoped India could “one day have a rational government with which resolution of disputes could be sought through logical and sane discussions.” This is not only a preposterous observation that exposes a complete lack of understanding about the fundamental differences between the constitutional frameworks of the two countries but also amounts to interfering with India’s internal affairs. The Pakistani PM chose ‘Islamabad Conclave-2021’, an event organised at the Institute of Strategic Studies, to go on a rant against the policies of the current government in India and listed the Kashmir issue as the “biggest problem” holding the region back. The irony of the timing of his outbursts was not lost on the observers. Right now, Pakistan is on an irrevocable descent into fundamentalist barbarism and totters on the brink of economic chaos.

Islamabad must be ashamed of the growing violence by the fundamentalist forces, often with impunity. Recently, a Sri Lankan engineer was lynched and his body was burnt by a mob. And, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has unilaterally announced an end to a month-long ceasefire with the government, accusing the authorities of reneging on promises made in the initial stages of peace talks. This could see a spurt in terror attacks. At the international level, there is a growing realisation that Pakistan has turned into a global hub for terrorism. It continues to be on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global anti-terror watchdog. Instead of paying attention to his country’s descent into chaos, it is amusing that Khan is pointing fingers at India. Nothing better can be expected from him as he has been complicit in the strategy of the Pakistani Deep State to use terrorist outfits to foment trouble in India. On the issue of resuming dialogue with Islamabad, India’s position has been consistent and unambiguous, irrespective of the party in power. Talks are possible only when Pakistan stops supporting terrorism. With the consolidation of religious extremism and fundamentalist theologies internally, it is impossible to foresee Pakistan becoming sane and logical in its approach towards India.

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