The outcome of the elections in Pakistan held on July 25 has not given absolute majority to any one of the three main political parties but the former cricket speedster Imran Khan is set to form the next Government, of course with the support of some independents and some political parties. His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party won 116 of 269 seats in the National Assembly needing support of another 26, six more instead of 20 because Imran contested from five constituencies and was declared elected from all. He shall have to leave four and another member contested two who shall have to leave one while another member won one National Assembly seat and two Provincial Assembly seats and has been asked to leave the National Assembly seat.
With this background of post Pakistan poll scenario, let political conversations be not carried in whispers that the Pakistan Army is set to have gained the upper hand in governing the country without getting involved apparently or having any stakes of the consequences of whatever political gamble it wishes to play. It has worn the mask which is tailored to its ambitions, albeit recent elections and which independent of the type of its results, would have been not a cake walk for it. How it was going to impact the climate of South Asian Region especially India which reeling under the proxy war unleashed by that country for more than three decades against it, wanted a Government that could not always agree on all points put forth by the men in Khaki there who never wanted or would ever allow the relations between the two countries to improve. The immediate concern of India which she has directly addressed to Pakistan and raised it at multifarious national and international fora was that Pakistan should stop aiding and abetting terrorism and not allow its soil to be used for terror and subversive activities against India.
It is not our country alone but most of other countries as well, who are apprehensive about terrorism getting and carrying haversacks filled with more contents than before under the new dispensation in Pakistan. That the economy of Pakistan not knowing where it is plummeted is no concern of the hawkish and fundamentalist elements who are more interested in furthering their agenda rather scrambling for its intensification than really “walking two steps “forward in response to “one” taken by India in improvement of the relations between the two countries as declared by Imran Khan. Violence, religious intolerance even bombing people coming to mosques for offering prayers and not to speak of religious minorities now on the verge of extinction, clergy having the upper hand in matters that are not in their domain need to be set right by resorting to measures aimed at reversing the “causes”. Shall all these continue to remain in a state of inertia , under the new Coalition Government? Will Coalition accentuate the conditioning of the functioning of the PM and keep him guessing about the stability of his Government in case he disagreed on their “basic” policies?
We should not get any solace over extremist and terrorist elements who had worn the political mask to masquerade for not having been elected but should feel perturbed with the very fact that the 26/11 mastermind terrorist Hafiz Saeed had gained enough cheeks and impudence to join election fray and field his family members. The country’s Election Commission standing mute in virtual submission shows the extremist fundamentalist narrative having invaded and subjugated even the “democratic and constitutional” institutions there. Radicalized Islamist fundamentalist elements gaining the upper hand in Pakistan was going to impact the conditions and the extent of violence in Kashmir perpetrated at behest of such elements supervised by the ISI and the Army there.
Unless the hands of the designated Prime Minister got rid of the firm grip of the men in Khaki and the Islamist terror groups to join the dotted lines of how to run the polity and the administrative machinery of the country and Imran gaining enough cudgels to resist such dictates, he would prove either a miserable failure or the one having pawned his duties and powers to such elements some of whom, he was found rubbing his shoulders with, may it be his carving for testing lethal automatic weapons wielded by those groups just for fun or showing his love for the Taliban.
This, however, is without prejudice to his recent remark that he was portrayed as an extremist in India. We, in India want him to refresh his memory of 2011 when he said that he received tremendous love in India beyond his imagination which changed his views (against India) as he had grown up “hating India”. His doubts and misconceptions for his earlier stance in which he “grew up” must give place to reciprocating the love he got in India which is the tradition and civilization of this country. We hope that Imran gains enough strength to fight terrorism and rabid fundamentalism which provides oxygen to terror and dismantles all terror camps in Pakistan and in occupied Kashmir. Only then can real atmosphere of friendship sprout otherwise talking peace is just a sham.
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