KARACHI:
National interest should not be sacrificed at the altar of personal whims and short-term political gains. A consensus should be established among all pillars of a state on a few red lines whose transgression holds them accountable to public scrutiny. All individuals, political forces and institutions should adhere to those clearly defined limits in a true spirit of nationalism. The situation is worrisome in Pakistan on this front, where political leaders malign state institutions and foreign powers to further their political aspirations. This trend of settling political scores without any consideration of its impact on national standing can be traced to 75 years of the country’s political history.
Former PM Imran Khan initially blamed the US for intervening in the domestic affairs of Pakistan and supporting the opposition in ousting him from power. The charged political rhetoric severely strained the country’s relations with the US which holds significant sway in all major global institutions that can bend the country to its knees. After putting foreign relations with the superpower in disarray, recent media reports suggesting the PTI’s backdoor contacts with the US to revive its lost image is a manifestation of the party’s hypocrisy. After all, ordinary citizens suffer when a country’s standing deteriorates in the international arena.
Similarly, the former PM hinted at the establishment’s role in ousting him from power many times in his political gatherings. This created a deep distrust of the public in a key institution, putting them in a confrontational mode. However, some media analysts and reports claim that the PTI chairman had recently met the Army Chief to cool down the heightened confrontation. While the meeting is a pleasant indication of normalising relations, the lost reputation of the institution would take many years to recover.
Asad Aziz
Khushab
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2022.
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