Can Imran awake world’s conscience on Kashmir?

Prime Minister Imran Khan may not be as articulate as Zulfikar Ali Bhutto or some of his predecessors when it comes to international relations and dealing with India or Afghanistan but he has certainly emerged as the one who hate war and is in search for peace through negotiations without compromising on certain principles.

More: 35 Congress members ask US to facilitate Pak-India talks

Now will his speech at the UN General Assembly on 27th be able to make any impact in this marketing world, which will be his real challenge as statesman.

“War is not an option between the two nuclear countries but the world need to tell India as from day one I have stressed the need for peace but the other side took it as my weakness,” he said.

Pakistan has two of its own difficulties and challenges, and prime minister knows that. Firstly, its deteriorating economic condition and dependence on foreign aid and secondly world’s unchanged perception as a country with lot of potential but also dangerous despite the fact that Pakistan has almost defeated terrorism. Thirdly, its political instability despite continuation of democracy as back home divided Opposition trying to gear up against the premier.

Can Prime Minister Imran Khan in his speech at the UN be able to remove this perception about Pakistan and the role it played in the war against terror and its efforts for peace with all its neighbours including India.

Most importantly is how the prime minister puts the case of Kashmir before the world not merely for domestic consumption but to awaking world’s conscience on the plight of Kashmiris and their suffering as the strong human rights case.

Since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be playing ‘terror card’, Imran can play ‘human rights card’ and place facts before the world as how the biggest democracy of the world is following anti-democratic path.

What IK can offer to the world is Pakistan’s role in bringing peace through negotiations and can ask UN to play its role when the other side was not even ready for bilateral talks.

In the last few days of premier’s stay in the US, there has been mixed reaction over his address to different world forums including his Q&A at the prestigious Council of Foreign Relations on Monday. He managed some tough questions with ease and calm though, at times also got nervous. According to some independent observers, his performance was up to the mark. He kept the audience alive with his wit and cricket knowledge.

In his meeting with US President Donald Trump and their brief media talk also went well though nothing significant came out in the talks except that Trump has accepted his offer to ease the Saudi-US tension with Iran. Trump also assured him of talking to Indian prime minister for lifting curfew from occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

For the first time, Trump looked more predictable than in dealing with some other countries. He wanted mediation and clearly indicate an opposition from India, but he admitted that Kashmir is a very complicated issue and need to be resolved.

He also wanted Pakistan to play a role in defusing tension with Iran and has given the task to Imran Khan. His stance towards Pakistan’s most hostile neighbour India despite what it has done in post-August 5 with the Kashmiris in IHK, is to awake world’s conscience to one of the worst human sufferings after 51 days curfew and media blackout.

Imran can present a strong case for Pakistan when India violated its airspace and its pilot was arrested, he ordered his release within 48 hours. Modi may talk of the allegations of cross border terrorism but Prime Minister Imran Khan can offer the world to go to Held Kashmir and carry out investigation on their own.

Imran is likely to place on record his own repeated efforts for resumption of talks with India; from the day he took office and invited some of his Indian friends to his oath-taking. Kartarpur Corridor is yet another milestone, which will be opening in November. Pakistan can invite UN observers to visit its side of Kashmir and can ask them to visit the other side as well to judge the situation.

The premier has been an old advocate of peace in Afghanistan and did not hide his opposition to Pakistan’s foreign policy after 9/11, and its decision to become part of world’s war against terror in his own perspective. His expression during his one hour long Q&A at the Council of Foreign Relations reflects our own failures in engaging Pakistan in the two wars, one against Soviet Union, when he said, our agencies trained people in the name of ‘Jihad’ and again we fought with the same Jihadi outfits in the name of war against terror.

But at the same time he may also warn the world for the possible consequences in case the UN and other countries remain silent for their political and economic interests. He has been saying that ‘war’ between the two nuclear countries is the fatal option and secondly, the world silence could lead to rise in extremism in the world in general and in the Indian Held Kashmir in particular.

It may not be easy for Imran to draw world’s attention towards the plight of the Kashmiris in Held Kashmir. Despite reports in the world media and concerns shown by international human rights organisations, the prime minister may ask the world to take some practical step not only to stop this genocide but also to support Kashmiris rights to self-determination under the UN resolution.

It will be a challenge for Imran and Pakistan to convince the world that in a bid to avoid threat of nuclear conflict, the UN has to come forward and come fast before it’s too late.

With alarm bells ringing around rising tension between the US and Iran after latter was accused of attacking Saudi Arabia’s oil fields, and uncertainty prevailing in Afghanistan after its talks with the US suspended, the situation in IHK if not addressed could lead to war, which neither the two hostile neighbours could afford nor the world.

Here in Pakistan much media hype has already been created before PM’s UN speech and his supporters back home wait how he presents the Kashmir case while the Opposition is all set to take him head-on. It all depend what Pakistan get in the end from the world’s most powerful body.

The biggest challenge for Pakistan and IK will be the possible ‘breakthrough’ starting with withdrawal of curfew, ending violation of human rights and lifting media blackout. Can prime minister be able to turn some of Pakistan’s disadvantages and drawbacks into advantages?

The writer is a senior columnist and analyst of Geo, The News and Jang.

Twitter: @mazharabbasGEO