The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) campaign team’s victory against the state’s overall current narrative is such a bitter reality that the government is yet ready to accept it.
Analysts even ridicule government by saying the government should hire PTI’s for lobbying around the world.
This government failed to effectively lobby at the international level on issues such as Indian-held Kashmir, cross-border-sponsored terrorism, dissolution of political governments in Pakistan, and living behind bars under politically motivated cases. It could not manage any international resolution in its favor to have trade with neighboring Iran and Russia. The PTI lobbied for a majority resolution smartly and had observations of the UN Working Group in its favor smartly. The PML-N kept Imran Khan in Jail but lost the election.
Multiple cases were launched against the PTI’s founding chairman – from corruption to mutiny and rebellion, none of them could be sustained in the local or the top courts. It managed the dismantling of the PTI, but could not succeed. This government didn’t succeed even in launching a perfect contempt of court case. Despite all cases and imprisonment Kahn remained in Pakistan, the ruling party’s leadership went out.
Imran Khan bitterly criticized America and alleged it for dislodging his government, but the Congress of the same country passed a resolution with a majority vote that the elections this state conducted on February 8 should be investigated. The PTI’s founder wrote letters to the international media and they were published. Has this government ever had its narrative published in some international newspaper?
The US Congress on Tuesday with an overwhelming majority passed a resolution demanding a “full and independent investigation of claims of interference or irregularities” in Pakistan’s elections early this year. The US House resolution was passed by a massive 368 against 7 votes. It condemned “attempts to suppress the people of Pakistan’s participation in their democracy, including through harassment, intimidation, violence, arbitrary detention, restrictions on access to the internet and telecommunications or any violation of their human, civil, or political rights.” It condemned any “effort to subvert the political, electoral, or judicial processes of Pakistan.” has any other political party in Pakistan have such kind of a resolution from the American Congress? The answer is plain, simple and big “No.”
Another big defeat for this state is that the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called on the government to release Imran Khan. Listing many legal inconsistencies and irregularities in the various court proceedings against the PTI chief, the body said it was rendering its opinion on whether Mr. Khan’s detention was arbitrary. The Groups report dated June 18, noted that the government of Pakistan had been transmitted a communication on Khan’s case in Nov 2023, but had not received a response, nor a request to extend the time limit to reply. The working group requested the government to take the steps necessary to “remedy the situation of Mr. Khan without delay and bring it into conformity with the relevant international norms.” It noted how Khan was convicted in the first Toshakhana case — through a summary judgement delivered in absentia — and his subsequent arrest by law enforcement personnel, who broke into his residence and assaulted him and his staff, was concerning and compounded the illegality. It further said Imran Khan’s prosecution in the cipher case “lacks a grounding in law, as his actions do not appear to have violated the Official Secrets Act, as was apparently corroborated by the intelligence services, according to the source’s unrebutted submissions.” Regarding his sentences in the second Toshakhana case and the Iddat case, the UN group noted: “The working group cannot but observe the coincidence in the timing of the four prosecutions, which effectively prevented Mr. Khan from contesting the general election originally scheduled for November 2023.” It also called on the government to ensure a full and independent investigation of the circumstances surrounding the deprivation of liberty of Khan and to take appropriate measures against those responsible.
Adding to the miseries, the government instead of realizing its defeat and shortcomings, brought Mr. Awn Chaudhry in its defense who said that PTI through a law firm of Mr. Zulfi Bukhari managed this working group’s report. He didn’t tell how the PTI managed a resolution from the US Congress. Can such kind of statements save the state from its failures? The question is not whether the PTI or its leadership is true or not, the question is not what they did in this state or how politically immature they are. The question is how effectively they launched a social media campaign against the government, the military establishment, and even the judges of this country and the state in this episode could not prove smartness.
It could not succeed in changing the narrative of the PTI or its voters and supporters. It had to face the resolution of the US Congress that put this in a defensive mode. The UN Working Group’s report also threw this state on the back foot. But this state is not ready to accept its failure in lobbying its narrative even in this country. Keeping one in jail and rejecting everything cannot conceal one’s defeat or failure.
So far, those defending this government or its actions have failed in flourishing its narrative. If the PTI can hire people for lobbying at the international level then why not the government? It is a question the answer to which will reveal the incompetence of this government and its advocates. Why didn’t the government hire the PTI’s team is not a bad idea to save its repute. If the government is not ready then slogging will not work, the people need delivery.
(Senior journalist Rana Kashif has authored this opinion article)