By Agha Iqrar Haroon
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan during his meeting with selected journalists last week claimed that he failed to punish corrupt politicians because Pakistan Army had control over National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Judiciary.
Though his statement is a categorical contempt of the Judiciary as he is claiming that the judiciary is not an independent institution and that it works under the Army but I know that no action would be taken against him because he is still pampered by many and a blue-eyed boy of several.
It is glaring fact that former Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to shift the responsibility for his failures to Pakistan Army. Soon, he can ask COAS Gen Bajwa for his resignation because it is another option he has with him as he wants a change in the leadership of the Pakistan Army at any cost before September.
He desires that a new chief arrives, and asks the multiparty government to hold general elections immediately under the EVM system with the right to vote for overseas Pakistanis. We know if Imran Khan will not get a two-thirds majority in elections, then he will refuse to accept the results and will demand Army install a technocrat government under him, and then he would go for fresh elections. Even then if he fails to get a two-thirds majority, he will ask for another run for general elections. The only option to get out of the chaos he has created in the country is to give him a two-thirds majority in National Assembly. His followers are of the view that since it is the desire of the Greek prince, now let the establishment decides how it can provide a two-thirds majority to him as soon as possible.
During his conversation with journalists he invited to his residence, Imran Khan also indicated that Pakistan Army had no sensitization over corruption issues. He claimed that mitigating corruption is not as important for Pakistan Army as Imran Khan believes. In simple words, he was of the view that he failed to execute his agenda against corrupt politicians due to hindrances created by Pakistan Army.
Soon he can say that he failed to construct five million low-cost housing units because he was not allowed by the army and the army also stopped him to create 100 million jobs. He can say anything and he can accuse anybody of anything and then it is the responsibility of the accused person to clarify his or her position. Your gun, your bullet, your head—– Awesome Headshot.
I believe that Imran Khan will soon narrow down his accusation from the army to the chief of the army and will say Pakistan Army meddled with issues because of its chief. After narrow downing the proposition, he can go to demand the resignation of the chief. PTI circles are already saying that it is not the army but the chief who was involved in a conspiracy against the Imran Khan.
Imran is giving the impression that he was not allowed to work independently as he had already mentioned that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Judiciary were not working under him and the Chief Election Commissioner was the nominee of the establishment. Should NAB and Judiciary work as subordinate institutions to Prime Minister? His statement itself shows an authoritarian mindset and I always say that Imran Khan does not believe in parliament and democracy if they do not make him Prime Minister and he wants the judiciary should open and close courtrooms accordingly to his will.
If we conclude the narrative of Imran Khan in order, he says he was not allowed to operate independently. Should we not go for a fact check?
Regarding NAB, we remember almost every important politician of PPP and PMLN had been jailed or came under cases during 2018-2022 and Rana Sanaullah Khan was clamped by Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), headed by a serving Maj General.
The ANF team arrested Sanaullah on his way to Lahore from Faisalabad on Motorway on July 1, 2019. According to the ANF, the value of the 15-kilogram fine quality heroin seized from Rana Sanaullah was Rs160 million in the international market. The ANF chief Major General Arif Malik during a press conference failed to produce anything tangible against Rana Sanaullah Khan and promised the media persons to show patience, saying the details of the case would be shared with them at an appropriate time. He said that releasing the details might harm the case. No information was ever shared with the media and Rana Sanaullah Khan later got bail due to the absence of evidence against him.
This is strange that former Prime Minister Imran Khan is now saying that he had no free hand to deal with corrupt politicians and he was a puppet ruler while real rulers were someone else. To my understanding, I have never seen so fortunate prime minister ever during 34 years of my experience in journalism as was Imran Khan. He had complete impunity to do whatever he wished in the center, KPK and Punjab.
He is the only prime minister in the history of Pakistan that did not shake hands with the leader of the opposition during his 42 months of government because he considers Shahbaz Sharif a thief.
He was the only prime minister under whom five Inspector Generals Police and six Chief secretaries were appointed and removed within 42 months of the government in Punjab. Almost every federal ministry had over four secretaries and the tenure of the secretary was less than 10 months. Imran Khan changed several finance ministers, special advisors, special assistants, and consultants while keeping his Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Muhammad Azam Khan for 42 months although he was appointed to the most senior post in the country when he was still in grade 21 and had never served as federal secretary before becoming Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. The same was the case in Punjab. Although Punjab was facing a total administrative fiasco he refused to replace the then chief minister Usman Buzdar Khan. He kept changing chief secretaries, inspector generals of police, and provincial secretaries for finding a better administrative system.
Should we say that total administrative chaos and economic mismanagement during 42 months of rule were also part of the American conspiracy against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and that the Pakistan Army was a part of this conspiracy?
He is a really fortunate man because he is cleaning the slate of his economic and administrative failures with an acid of making all state institutions controversial. It is a dangerous move but very successful for Imran Khan because now nobody dares to challenge whatever he did in his 42 months in office.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this article/Opinion/Comment are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the DND Thought Center and Dispatch News Desk (DND). Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of the DND Thought Center and Dispatch News Desk News Agency.
