Prime Minister Imran Khan’s virtual address to the United Nations General Assembly mentioned some of Pakistan’s perennial issues as well as matters that are currently relevant for Pakistan. He mentioned Indian atrocities in Kashmir, the increasing incidents of lynching of innocent Muslims by Hindu religious fanatics all over India as well as the promotion of Islamophobia by the ruling BJP government. He underlined the need on the part of the international community to help resolve the longstanding Kashmir dispute to prevent conflict between India and Pakistan. Mr Khan however missed mentioning Palestine, which found place in his predecessors’ addresses. The Prime Minister also drew the world’s attention to the challenge posed by Covid-19 and the need on the part of the international community to ensure vaccine equity and provide adequate financing to developing countries.
The main burden of the PM’s address was to solicit world support for the Taliban. He underlined the urgency to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan. The PM argued that the Taliban had already promised respect for human rights, an inclusive government and denial of their soil for use by terrorists. The Taliban had even given amnesty to those working in the past for the USA and its allies. Ironically the same day the Taliban nominated a new prisons chief who announced that executions and amputations awarded for certain crimes under Mullah Umar, will be resumed soon, thus weakening Pakistan’s position.
Recounting sacrifices in the war against terror is a worn-out narrative. Both Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharraf agreed to become Washington’s partners in wars partly in return for the international recognition denied to them after they overthrew elected govts and partly for billions of dollars in aid that they spent at their discretion without the oversight of a NAB. While both treated their own people as gun fodder, the West thought the country had been overcompensated.
Earlier Mr Khan demanded that the USA treat Pakistan as is it does India. Now Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi seeks strategic relations with the USA. This must come to an end. India fits well in the US strategy to create an anti-China lobby. While desisting from unnecessarily instigating the USA, Pakistan has to further strengthen its partnership with China. To start with, Mr Khan needs to remove hurdles in the way of the implementation of the CPEC.
