After Khan's Departure, US Could Grab Control of Pakistan's Foreign Policy, Political Scientist Says
18:02 GMT 11.04.2022 (Updated: 17:05 GMT 31.07.2023)
© Photo : AAMIR QURESHI
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The 342-seat Pakistani National Assembly on Monday cast 174 votes for Shehbaz Sharif to become the country's new prime minister after his predecessor Imran Khan was ousted from power on 9 April. On Sunday, tens of thousands of supporters of Khan took to the streets to protest against what they call the US-backed regime.
"According to current media trends, not only internationally but the majority of Pakistanis see former prime minister Imran Khan as a just and honest leader," says Sabtain Ahmed Dar, a Pakistan-based academic and political scientist, commenting on rallies supporting Khan.
According to Dar, the 9 April no-confidence vote was nothing but a US-backed coup d'etat aimed at "reining in" Islamabad over its independent foreign policy course, strong ties with China and unwillingness to join anti-Russia sanctions.
During Imran Khan's visit to Moscow on 23 to 24 February - which coincided with the beginning of Moscow's special operation to demilitarise and de-Nazify Ukraine - America's Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Lu, reportedly called Asad Majeed Khan, Pakistan's ambassador to Washington, and "demanded that the visit be immediately interrupted" which Khan rejected.
Later, heads of European Union member states released a joint letter on 1 March urging Khan to support a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly condemning Russia's Ukraine operation, notes Dar.
"Prime Minister Imran Khan replied in a public statement: 'What do [the EU] think of us? Are we your slaves ... that whatever you say, we will do?'" the academic says, adding that Pakistan abstained from voting as the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly reprimanded Russia over the special operation.
On 7 March, Lu reportedly threatened Asad Majeed Khan with consequences over Islamabad's foreign policy course, referring to the no-confidence motion against PM Khan. The motion was tabled in the Pakistani National Assembly the very next day by opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, the leader of Pakistani Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) over alleged corruption and inability to improve the country's economy.
"Imran Khan's unwillingness to join anti-Russian sanctions was motivated by his hatred of the US and its policy towards Pakistan," says Dar. "He has always sought to take Pakistan out from the Yankee Club and reduce her dependency syndrome."
On 27 March, the prime minister revealed for the first time a "threat letter" mentioning the toppling of his government and the opposition's no-confidence motion. According to Khan, it was sent by Lu.
"In reaction to this, a National Security Committee (NSC) was set up to inquire about the threat letter," says Dar. "The NSC has declared that the foreign conspiracy to oust Imran Khan is evident and it cannot be declared as a false narrative to counter the opposition movement. The special cabinet meeting within the framework of NSC was also held and its minutes of the meeting were also on the record. In both of these platforms it has been declared that members of the opposition are part of the regime change movement in Pakistan backed by the United States."
On 3 April, Pakistan’s Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri quashed the no-confidence motion against Khan and dissolved the National Assembly, thus paving way for snap elections. However, the Pakistan Supreme Court on 7 April reversed the deputy speaker's decisions and allowed the non-confidence vote to proceed in the National Assembly which led to Khan's defenestration on 9 April.
"Contrary to NSC’s findings and the subsequent dissolution of assemblies, the Supreme Court’s constitutional verdict against the prime minister's administration was ironic as it was unwittingly supporting foreign interference and regime change in Pakistan," says Dar.
He also expressed bewilderment over the Pakistani military's decision to "give a cold shoulder" to the prime minister despite the Pakistan Army’s media outlet Inter Services Public Relations Pakistan (ISPR) making a public statement that it backed the NSC’s findings on the foreign-backed plans to oust Khan.
'Everything Was Used Against Khan'
The Pakistani academic notes that the majority of people support Imran Khan, adding that if Khan were allowed to hold snap general elections, his party - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf - would most certainly win.
For its part, the opposition sought to come to power because of its vested political and economic interests, according to Dar. Although the academic is sure that the opposition was involved in foreign interference in Pakistan's domestic affairs to unseat Khan, he notes that they also wanted to remove Khan "to relieve themselves from previous corruption charges in the Supreme Court and National Accountability Bureau."
Pakistani Shiite Muslims and supporters of ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf burn a representation of U.S flag during an anti U.S protest, outside U.S consulate in Lahore, Pakistan, Friday, April 1, 2022. In an address to the nation on Thursday Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan lashed out at the United States, claiming Washington had conspired with the Pakistani opposition against him.
© AP Photo / K.M. Chaudary
According to the political scientist, Pakistani people are continuing to ask questions about Imran Khan's ejection, as well as the Pakistani political and military establishment's role in the event. He does not rule out protests and instances of civil unrest over the recent developments. Meanwhile, the next general election in the country is scheduled for August 2023.
The academic outlines a possible series of events which could follow Khan's resignation: after Shehbaz Sharif forms his new government the opposition is likely to dissolve the Nation Accountability Bureau; Pakistan's independent foreign policy course could be "compromised"; the United States may grab control of Pakistan’s foreign policy and influence Islamabad's ties with Russia and China.
"Everything was used against Imran Khan so that he no longer runs an independent foreign policy where his new partners such as Russia and iron-clad old ally China would damage the US' Central Asian strategy," Dar concludes.
Sabtain Ahmed Dar is a Pakistan-based academic and political scientist. He teaches History and International Relations at the School of Integrated Social Sciences at the University of Lahore. He is at present a senior fellow at the Center for Security, Strategy and Policy Research (CSSPR) and contributes at the National Security Division think-tank of Pakistan.
