Monitoring Desk: Mohammed Hanif, an award-winning writer and journalist in his talk with a US television raised concerns over the interest of Zalmay Khalilzad in Pakistani politics and his open support to former prime minister Imran Khan. Zalmay, an enigmatic former diplomat is called “butcher of Iraq” by Arab academicians and media. He had been involved to try dismantling Iraq into several parts and the 20-year bombing of Afghanistan and other US failed experiments during the “War on Terror”.
Mohammed Hanif who had been an editor for BBC and is a veteran journalist from Pakistan said in his interview that it was scary in the last few weeks as there is (was) Zalmay Khalilzad who kind of first tried to liberate Iraq and then Afghanistan, and we both know what happened there and now he is twitting about Pakistan. In his Twitter message, Zalmay is advising Pakistan to free its citizens and urged the Pakistani government not “to touch Imran Khan”.
“So, every time we hear his name, we hear mass murder, basically, of a world-class. So, he is somebody who’s been campaigning on his (Imran’s) behalf. I have no idea whether he’s a paid lobbyist or just because he’s out of a job and he’s looking for another cause, another country to save. So, I would only, as a citizen, say that God saves Pakistan from Zalmay Khalilzad and the likes of him”, added Muhammad Hanif.
The concerns showed by Muhammad Hanif are not unfounded because Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had also released statements in favor of Imran Khan and advised the same to the government of Pakistan that is “do not touch Imran Khan”. Is it a coincidence? TTP had been known as the “butcher of Swat” as it slaughtered thousands of innocent residents of Swat from the year 2006 to 2022.
The majority of foreign affairs experts and defence analysts believe that Khalilzad always pursues a “special political agenda” and he is one man responsible for the chaos and destruction raging across Afghanistan. Foreign affairs experts like Kamal Alam, a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council have been demanding the trial of Zalmay in Iraq as well as Afghanistan to unearth his alleged corruption and his alleged senseless decisions that resulted in the killings of thousands of Iraqi and Afghani citizens.
In 2014, Khalilzad’s finances were subject to an Austrian investigation that froze his wife’s accounts in the European country based on information from the US Department of Justice that he was suspected of money laundering related to business activities in Iraq and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
It may be mentioned that Zalmay Khalilzad, had warned the Pakistan coalition government regarding the potential consequences of ousting Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), from election campaigns.
In a series of tweets on Wednesday, Zalmay Khalilzad wrote, there are indications that Pakistan’s parliament, which is controlled by the governing coalition, might well ask the Supreme Court to disqualify Imran Khan from running for election and even prohibit PTI in the next few days.
On the other hand, the interest of TTP to install the former prime minister back in the PM office could be well understood because Imran Khan resettled TTP leadership in Pakistan during his tenure as a deal with the terrorist outfit. Defence experts claim that there had been many similarities between TTP and PTI as both do not believe in the constitution of Pakistan and both want to remove the constitution; TTP calls the constitution un-Islamic so while PTI believes that the 1973 constitution is redundant and must be removed and replaced with a Presidential form of constitution. TTP and PTI both express their hatred for Pakistan Army and both are involved in attacking Pakistan Army. Both use the KPK province as their launching pad as charged and weaponized mobs of PTI always move from KPK to attack the Capital of Pakistan. Moreover, both had been receiving exceptional support from regular courts of Pakistan and both have been using their leverage of being famous in KPK and both do not believe in logical dialogue.
It may be mentioned that the TTP recently issued a statement instructing its Mujahidins, affiliated groups & supporters to ensure they vote for Imran Khan’s party PTI in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and Punjab provincial polls.
It is also alleged to have directed in the recent meeting of Shura held on March 6, 2023, that they will target specific polling stations if needed to attack during elections. The TTP claimed that Imran Khan and PTI should be brought to power for their existence and survival.
It may be mentioned that on January 11, 2023, former prime minister Imran Khan revealed that he had planned to relocate at least 5,000 TTP fighters and their family members which amounts to about 35,000 from Afghanistan but his government ended before the execution of the whole plan.
