Another anti-American project

Imran has used sensitive national security and foreign policy issues tantamount to worsening relations with the West

In Pakistan, religion and anti-Americanism are the two subject matters that can easily mobilise public opinion. Historically, many Pakistani politicians have used anti-Americanism to sway public opinion and safeguard their interests. During the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war, the anti-American narrative gained significant momentum in domestic politics. In 1977, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto claimed that the US had hatched a conspiracy to remove him from power after he refused former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s request to cancel Pakistan’s nuclear programme.

Days before the vote on the no-confidence motion, former prime minister Imran Khan also resorted to the anti-American rhetoric. He claimed that the opposition’s no-confidence motion against him is a ‘US conspiracy’ to topple his government. He promulgated the narrative that the US conspired to oust him after he refused to provide Pakistani bases to the US. Since his ouster, Imran Khan has attracted large crowds at his processions across the country. He has reinforced his argument of treachery and labelled the opposition as ‘traitors’ who compromised Pakistan’s national interests to please their foreign masters.

This raises an important question about why anti-Americanism is a commonly used trope in Pakistani politics. It appears to be entrenched in Pakistani politics and society. Therefore, it is worth examining whether it is a myth or reality and the impact of anti-Americanism on people’s mindsets. Is there any truth behind Imran Khan’s anti-American rhetoric and his resolve to protect Pakistan’s sovereignty and independence?

From any standpoint, anti-Americanism has and will continue to be used in Pakistani politics by different religious and political parties to add weightage to their arguments. During his procession on the 16^th of April, Imran Khan gave two arguments that demonstrated that both he and some other stalwarts of his party are blatantly spreading a narrative devoid of truth and facts. First, in June 2021, during an interview with HBO, when the interviewer questioned him about providing bases to the US, he responded with ‘absolutely not’. In a recent press conference, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Babar Iftikhar confirmed that the US had not asked for bases in Pakistan. Therefore, in the absence of such a request, Khan’s ‘absolutely not’ response does not make any sense. Second, Imran Khan’s visit to Russia was poorly timed considering that Russia invaded Ukraine when he was still there. Had Imran Khan taken a pragmatic approach and consulted foreign policy experts to postpone his visit, he would have not drawn the ire of Western countries and saved Pakistan from the embarrassment.

Unfortunately, Imran Khan has used sensitive national security and foreign policy issues tantamount to worsening relations with the West to sell his narrative for popular consumption. It is almost ironic that now that Imran Khan is out of power, he is accusing the US of regime change by financing a no-confidence motion against him. Throughout his tenure, there were many instances in which Khan appeared to have favoured or prioritised the US. For instance, he received a rousing welcome in Islamabad after his US visit and meeting with former US President Donald Trump. Additionally, if Khan was anti-American and an ardent believer in protecting the sovereignty of Pakistan, then why did his government formulate agreements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for bailout packages? In fact, just earlier this week, he met US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. One cannot help but wonder if he asked her about the conspiracy hatched by the Biden Administration to remove him from power? If anything, his meeting with the Congresswoman reveals his opportunism and hypocrisy.

Unfortunately, anti-Americanism in Pakistan is nearly as old as the country itself and must be analysed from three angles.

First, the anti-Americanism trope is hypocritical and opportunistic because from the early 1950s Pakistan has been a recipient of both economic and military aid from the US. During the 1965 Indo-Pak war, Pakistan’s claim that the US let its ally down by supporting India was wrong. Military alliances such as the Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) and Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO) only had a clause to protect member countries from communist aggression, which did not apply to the Indo-Pak war. Therefore, Pakistan’s claim undermined its own position. Pakistan should revisit its argument and set the record straight.

Second, claims of a ‘US conspiracy’ would have made more sense if our political leadership was focused on working for the betterment of the country. Unfortunately, all political parties have had a lacklustre performance and failed to stabilise the economy. Given Pakistan’s poor economic performance, absence of good governance and democratic principles, and high rates of corruption and nepotism, the Pakistani leadership is not in a position to accuse the US of unfair treatment and must not expect respect from the US or other Western countries.

Third, it is high time for our political leadership to collectively abandon the ‘foreign conspiracy’ trope because it does not help Pakistan in any way. There are plenty of elements within Pakistan that are destabilising the country, which include political leaders pursuing their ulterior motives and disregarding the welfare of the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24^th, 2022.

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