Imran’s ‘warning’

PTI Chairman Imran Khan has made the headlines again, this time for an interview during which he said that the establishment should make the ‘right decisions’, otherwise Pakistan could move towards bankruptcy, which would eventually destroy the army. He also warned that in the eventuality of bankruptcy, the country would be asked to denuclearize and then – in a bizarre jump – could also lead to Pakistan being divided into three parts. The former PM’s statements have naturally led to outrage, both in political circles and online. Pemra has taken note of the aired interview and said it has threatened the national security and sovereignty of the country, and instructed TV channels to refrain from showing the controversial parts of the interview. Lawyers and analysts have pointed out that while there may not be legal action against Imran on his remarks, perhaps our former PM would like to recall how other leaders have been treated for far less controversial statements.

There has been much talk of PTI privilege and the coddled status enjoyed by the party’s leader, who has gotten away with the most outlandish statements, especially over the past two months. Where others have been labeled ‘traitors’, ironically most gleefully by the PTI and its ministers in the past, Imran and his party continue to cross hitherto red lines – all the while alleging state persecution. Leaders have been banned from TV for criticizing state officials and their role in politics, interviews have been taken off-air midway for saying nothing much, some journalists and politicians are still blacklisted from the media while some MNAs have even been imprisoned for a speech or two at a rally. We have seen how marginalized communities’ leaders have been targeted, labelled as traitors and vilified. And all this was done during the PTI regime.

When Imran Khan says that Pakistan could disintegrate if the ‘right decisions’ are not taken by the establishment, what exactly is he saying? Does he mean that the ‘right decision’ is for Imran Khan to be prime minister? What happens if after a free and fair election, he is not voted in – something that is quite possible given the electoral realities of at least three provinces? Does Imran Khan wish to be anointed PM for life? If he does come back to power, how will that resolve our economic issues since that is what his warning is mostly about? The fact is that Pakistan stands at such a precarious situation economically after three and a half years of economic mismanagement by the PTI government. Instead of creating more chaos, Imran and his party need to focus on a political strategy rather than demanding and threatening to be helped to come back to power. The PTI seems to have lost both narrative and a sense of propriety: a visibly frustrated leader lashing out at political opponents is one thing. A visibly frustrated former prime minister talking about his country breaking apart if he is not in power is an unfortunate sight.