Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said that Pakistan needs to stand on its own two feet and embrace the ideology of its own independence instead of chasing after the Western mindset.
“It was a major mistake to take part in someone else’s war,” he said while addressing a gathering in Islamabad held to showcase a docu-drama ‘Paani ke pankh’ that highlights the importance of Pakistan harnessing its hydropower capabilities.
The premier had been referring to United States’ fight against terrorism after 9/11.
“We fell under pressure and took part in their war. First, we took part in the [Soviet-Afghan War] in the 80s and glorified the mujahideen and then after 9/11, we labelled them terrorists and at their bidding began fighting them,” said the premier.
“People thought the more they look like people from the West, the more they will seem moderate,” the premier added. He said that people wanted Pakistan to project a “soft image”.
“What does a soft image even mean? […] Will the world begin to think very highly of us then?” he questioned.
“We must never think of doing something that the West wants. Like when Musharraf spoke of ‘enlightened moderation’,” he stated, adding that the only image Pakistan needs to project is that of an independent nation.
The premier also said that Pakistan must always aim to be self-reliant and not be afraid to have lofty dreams. “This is having an inferiority complex. When a country loses self-confidence, it begins to think of how to please others,” he added.
“As our mindset begins to change, believe me I say this as a man who has seen the world, Pakistan’s tremendous potential will begin to unlock.”
PM Imran said that the main lesson they had learnt from the past was the need to strengthen the nation.
“We have to ready the nation to pay taxes, without which we won’t be able to educate our citizens, take care of their health or improve the infrastructure,” the prime minister continued.
He added that the previous governments had not given due thought to gathering resources for the country. “They thought of their elections instead of making dams,” he said and characterised the 2008-2018 period as the “decade of darkness”.
PM Imran said that in Pakistan, after 50 years two new dams are being built, whereas this should have been an activity that took place “from time to time”.
What a shameless man. The man who marries a western Jewish woman. Becomes a playboy in London in his youth. Goes to Oxford instead of local University. Have multiple affairs with western women in his younger days. Today advising others on what mindset they should have.
And? Allah gives hidayat to anyone he wishes.