Imran Khan govt's policies influenced by Pak Army: US report

During Imran Khan's tenure as prime minister, the Pakistani military has retained the dominant influence over foreign and security policies of the country, according to a US Congressional report. The report was prepared for US lawmakers by the bipartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS). It said Khan had no governance experience prior to winning his current office. Analysts contend that Pakistan's security services manipulated domestic politics during elections with a motive of removing Nawaz Sharif.

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Pak army's hand in Pak elections

Khan's "Naya Pakistan" vision appeared to animate many younger, urban, middle-class voters emphasizes anti-corruption and creation of a "welfare state" that provides better education and health care. But his effort has foundered due to the country's acute financial crisis, and a need for new foreign borrowing and government austerity, the report said. "Most analysts see Pakistan's military establishment continuing to retain dominant influence over foreign and security policies," said CRS. The CRS is an independent research wing of the US Congress, which prepares periodic reports on issues of interest for lawmakers. Its report are for meant for US lawmakers to make informed decision and not considered as an official report of the US Congress.

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CRS report findings

The CRS said that many analysts contend that Pakistan's security services covertly manipulated the country's domestic politics before and during the election with a central motive of removing Nawaz Sharif from power and otherwise weakening his incumbent party. A purported "military-judiciary nexus" allegedly came to favour Khan's party. "Election observers and human rights groups issued statements pointing to sometimes 'severe' abuses of democratic norms. It also pointed to unprecedented participation of small parties with links to banned Islamist terrorist groups. This was seen to embolden militants (Islamist parties won a combined 10% of the national vote in 2018)," the CRS said.

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Imran Khan and Kashmir

Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly meddled into Kashmir issue since the Indian Parliament abrogated article 370. He has repeatedly fearmongered and peddled fake news on Kashmir's ground situation. He has also faced defeat on an international scale after he called for global mediation into the bilateral issue. US President Trump, who had initially offered to mediate in the Kashmir issue, backtracked later. Pakistan's ally China too had approached the UNSC for an informal meeting on the issue after Khan egged them to do so. But, the UNSC to favoured India- calling Kashmir issue bilateral. India has all the while maintained its stance that the abrogation of article 370 is an internal matter while any other disputes regarding Kashmir will be solved bilaterally.

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