Abstract
A study about Imran Khan (Current Prime minister of Pakistan) and his true struggle toward Nya
Pakistan & encountered the bit of challenges out of many this article intends to examine and
analyses Imran’s perspectives on the issue of Pakistan’s national security with respect to four
countries which mainly define the foreign policy objectives of Pakistan. The four countries in
alphabetical order are: Afghanistan, China, India and the USA.
INTRODUCTION
Challenges for Imran Khan Government
As PTI leads in Pakistan‟s controversial general election 2018 and being a majority party in the
National Assembly, form the national government, but unsurprisingly, the government faces
multifaceted problems of the country. However, the challenges for the government, in the first
place, the government will face knockout the economic crisis. Pakistan‟s external deficit is
augmenting, its foreign exchange reserves petering-out and the value of its currency is
depreciating
Imran and Pakistan’s armed forces yet again proved that they were working in tandem when they
responded to Trump’s call to Islamabad to help Washington hold peace talks with Taliban. The
move helped ease tensions between the US and Pakistan.
In 2019, Imran will have to focus deeply on the plan to ensure peace in Afghanistan as it will
help stabilise Pakistan’s economy and take measures to bring India to the dialogue table.
3. Extremism and internal security: Since Imran took oath, the security situation has improved
across Pakistan, mainly due to massive crackdown on militant groups. Armed forces have
managed to flush out terrorists from large parts of the country, but there is a lot more that needs
to be done to eliminate sleeping cells of terror groups. Imran faces a Herculean task to reign in
extremist groups seen as the biggest internal security threat to the country.
Though Imran handled well the ‘uprising’ of the extremist religious groups that staged protests
over the release of Asia Bibi in a blasphemy case, he has a long way to go to eliminate
extremism from Pakistani society. It is one of the most difficult tasks for him in 2019. Investors
will never come to the country unless the law-and-order situation improves and unless they are
guaranteed protection of their lives and property.
4. Population growth: The population ‘bomb’ has exploded in Pakistan as the country’s
population has grown five-fold since 1960 to touch approximately 220 million. This is a huge
burden on natural resources, including agriculture. With its limited family planning measures,
Pakistan has one of the highest birth rates in Asia — around three children per woman, according
to the World Bank and figures provided by the Pakistan government. The baby boom is negating
hard-won economic and social progress.
220m
Pakistan's population, which has grown five-fold since 1960
5. Water and power shortages: According to reports, Pakistan is on the verge of an ecological
disaster if authorities do not urgently address looming water shortages. Official estimates show
that by 2025, the country will be facing an “absolute scarcity” of water, with less than 500 cubic
6. Foreign policy: Pakistan is facing a gigantic task of improving relations with its neighbours,
including India, Afghanistan, Iran and the Gulf countries. Unlike the past, Imran and the army
chief are now on the same page on foreign policy issues.
Imran surprised the world when he offered dialogue with India to make peace and to open trade
routes during his acceptance speech as the new prime minister. Opening of the Kartarpur
Corridor
between India and Pakistan is certainly a remarkable development to embark upon — a possible
new journey to promote peace through dialogue
Afghanistan
Imran Khan in his victory speech said that peace in Afghanistan meant peace in Pakistan. He
added that Afghans have suffered most in the ‘war on terror’, and before that in the Afghan
Jihad. However much to his chagrin for peace, Imran has been in controversies due to his
avowed support for Islamic insurgents in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. His party and he have
never been attacked by Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP). On the contrary, he was one of the top
political figures to be nominated by TTP for peace talks with the Pakistani Government in 2014 1.
According to him, a military solution with the militants is a small part of larger solutions but a
conflict can’t be resolved through military operations alone2.
Ashraf Ghani also signaled his willingness during the Ramzan ceasefire to talk to Taliban in
Afghanistan. United States (US) also held talks with Taliban at their office in Qatar. This change
of rhetoric against Taliban by parties affected by the conflict is likely to mark increased
acceptance of Taliban in Afghanistan. Imran, by siding with the Taliban, has made the right
move to come in consonance with military and a larger foreign policy objective of Pakistan to
have a pliant if not puppet government in Afghanistan. A loose from of governance where
Pashtun led Taliban will enjoy political privileges will not go well with other ethnicities like
Tajiks, Hazara and Uzbeks which together constitutes the majority, such division and preference
will make the conflict in Afghanistan worse.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have institutionalised their working relationship through Afghanistan
Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS). Imran’s Government has shown
increased confidence in APAPPS3 but past public statements of Imran Khan do not offer much of
a hope on how peace in Afghanistan is to be achieved. Imran Khan’s larger objective seems to be
more intended to gain popularity as another Pathan from the other side of the border, especially
when both the countries have differences in defining the terrorist group on respective soil 4. This
puts him well with both military and economy of Pakistan when Pakistan is in search of its
thirteenth bailout from the IMF5. Imran Khan will treat the problem with Afghanistan as his
priority to find reasonable political accommodation with its western neighbour. Ideally, the
approach would be to have a durable and affordable relationship with Afghanistan without
involving Pakistan military and yet serving its objectives.
China
It will be recalled that in past, Imran Khan had demanded more transparency in CPEC projects;
he alleged that Nawaz Sharif deprived the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province its due share6. His
narrative of corruption infested CPEC projects led to turning down of a bus project in Peshawar
which was to be added under CPEC in 2017. Some Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaaf (PTI) activists
consider CPEC as a modern day equivalent of East India Company and claim that the money
wasted could have been applied on health and education7.
According to Michael Kugelman, the stakes are too high to imperil or even review the CPEC
projects as these are of strategic importance for both the countries. Through connectivity projects
Pakistan aims to use its geographical location as a transit corridor to retain a balance of power in
Asia, and has taken the risk of mortgaging its future to Chinese finance 8. Imran Khan led
Government has affirmed to accommodate ambitious CPEC projects worth $ 62 billion and
broaden its base to include social sector schemes like clean water, health, and technical training
of Pakistani youth to generate more employment9. More nuanced signaling by PTI to review the
CPEC thus appeared in the Financial Times recently10.
The biggest advantage which China has given to Pakistan for CPEC is in not disclosing the exact
details of the MoU which gives Imran Khan and his masters some space to have different
perception and make new demands. For Imran Khan it will be to choose between transparency of
the CPEC or Sino-Pak indulgence, because the business model with China does not include fair
tendering procedures, it rather promotes favored companies 11. All told, sooner or later therefore,
China will realise that they might suffer the same fate as the USA learned in its war on terror.
India
Relations between Pakistan and India have been plateaued after highs and lows since their
division into two independent countries. Both the nuclear neighbors have engaged in two full-
fledged wars and regular skirmishes along the border. India has verifiable proof against
Pakistan’s harboring and training terrorists who have indulged in murderous attacks on Indian
soil as well as in exporting insurgency to the Kashmir region. Pakistan blames India for
supporting rebellious elements in Balochistan which however lack credibility. Pakistan’s
previous government under Nawaz Sharif accepted that terrorist in Pathankot were Pakistanis.
That did not go well with the establishment as the move was intended to improve relations
between India and Pakistan, and so he was thrown out. Another contentious issue has been the
violations of Indian sovereignty over the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) through which the
CPEC project traverses, and the construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam therein. The latest incident
which triggered acrimony between India and Pakistan was abducting and framing of Indian
national Kulbhushan Jadhav. He has been sentenced to death by a Pakistan military court, which
has become an international issue after the matter was taken by India to the International Court
of Justice (ICJ).
There have been fruitless engagements at various summits like the COP-21, Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit and the Ufa Meeting. Recently cancelled meeting of
foreign ministers on the sidelines of UN was triggered by killing of Indian security personnel by
Pakistan-based entities and Pakistan’s release of a series of 20 postage stamps glorifying a
terrorist, Burhan Wani12. The new prime minister kept Kashmir as his focal point in his Party’s
agenda and manifesto, and even during his first victory speech when he spoke of reviving the
obsolete and irrelevant UNMOGIP (United Nations Military Observer Group) in Kashmir, and
which defeats the very purpose of bettering bilateral relations 13. Imran Khan and his Party, in
their manifesto, have committed to solve Kashmir issue within the parameter of UN Security
Council Resolution. But as per the Resolution 47 on Kashmir, the first step is to complete
Pakistan’s demilitarisation of the PoK, which Pakistan itself has repudiated. This idea of peace is
in the same tone in which the earlier governments of Pakistan have been singing.
Imran Khan has urged India to take one step to improve relations, in return of which Pakistan
would take two steps. But Pakistan’s proxy warfare on the border has not been stopped.
Therefore, such peace proposals from Imran will certainly receive cold reactions from Indian
side; his highly ambitious politico- economic diplomacy of improved trade relations also might
not work. Equally jarring is the poisoned domestic narrative towards India; there is now a larger
scope to sustain that anti-India narrative. Considering the surge of ultra-right wing Islamist
parties in 2018 elections, that might not go well in India-Pakistan relations 14. Pakistan has
committed to flawed promises and only time will tell as to how the bilateral relations will
transform in Imran Khan’s era under the shadow of its Khaki Empire.
United States of America
The common perception about USA in Pakistan is that over time 52 percent Pakistanis have
come to believe that US was responsible for 9/11 attacks 15! This anti-American narrative is
where Imran Khan started his agenda for the top post in Pakistan. His Naya Pakistan promises
found their motivation on these narratives against the West and America, whereby Pakistan
would be liberated from the burden of patron-client relations. According to Imran Khan, Pakistan
must maintain mutually beneficial relation rather than the US using Pakistan as a ‘hired gun that
has resulted in huge sacrifices from Pakistan’ 16. He has been a vocal opponent of drone attacks
executed by America on Pakistani soil. In the past he had said that he would order shooting down
the US drones if he were to become Prime minister 17. But on the other hand, a political
compromise by Imran Khan seems to be taking shape when he received Mike Pompeo and
reiterated support to peace resolution in Afghanistan through political process 18. Patience is also
running out on US’s side, the recent appointment and presence of Zalmay Khalilzad at a meeting
with Imran Khan along with Pompeo proved so. Khalilzad is considered a fierce critic of the
double game played by Pakistan19.
While Imran Khan has fallen-in with the establishment to push Taliban towards the helm of
running affairs in Kabul, there will be larger US pressure on Pakistan in terms of accountability.
US has further pressurised Pakistan by cancelling coalition support fund worth $300 million,
while the recent decision by Pentagon to suspend intake of Pakistani officers to IMET
(International Military Education and Training courses) will play foul in coordination and
cooperation between the two armies and nations. The PTI agenda of mutually beneficial
relationship has to glide through the quagmire in Afghanistan where both countries need each
other for their own specific purposes.
Pakistan is also a beneficiary of US aid in weapons and ammunitions despite its dubious policy
on terrorism. Nevertheless, due to geo-strategic constraints, the ‘mutually beneficial’ line sounds
frivolous and except minor adjustments business will have go on between the two. The US
would still want to dig-in with newer ways of engagement with Pakistan. Populist leaders like
Imran Khan will remain in their bubbles of imagination and the will required and intended at
political level would not suffice to change the situation, at least from Pakistan’s end. Pakistan
Army (which facilitated Imran’s path to victory in elections) will hold the reins and while still
harassing the media and using judiciary to keep away major political contenders like Nawaz
Sharif, it would keep everyone convinced that democracy is flourishing in Pakistan20.
