Did the American establishment organise IKs toppling, absolutely not. Are they happy with him gone, of course, a big YES.
American officials also know that IK’s anti imperial demarche is for internal political expedience and consumption, to cheer up his voters’ base. And after the general elections, this rhetoric going to die down. Hence America is not a bit worried about it. Strangely, our local pseudo-Liberal gang is more distressed and puffing about it. They have their “Kanpein Tangein” juvenile fits that somehow America going to punish Pakistan into some pariah state like North Korea.
All of us know that the anti-imperial narrative is just a political stunt, somehow this populist rhetoric is working for PTI currently.
It is also a universal truth that the American establishment is always cosy around pliant Pakistani leadership.
Deep down American establishment was furious with IK for refusing drone bases in nearby Blochistsn in the immediate aftermath of the ignominious Kabul debacle, those were really dark and desperate times for unchallenged sole superpower since winning the most coveted Cold War prize. CIA director visited Pakistan for the same, and IK refused to even meet up with him, instead directing him to the GHQ door. That was a tacit gesture of Absolutely Not.
Unfortunately, the populist political landscape is rife in today’s world, Democratic Party impeached Trump twice for being an ephemeral puppet of Putin.
In Britain, the most decent and upright politician, Jeremy Corbyn was dinted and ousted from Labour Party by labelling him antisemite by the systemic smear campaign against him.
Likewise, there is a systemic anti-IK smear campaign underway in Pakistan for alleged financial corruption.
The whole world knows IK can be anything but committing financial corruption for personal gains. For IK is in full public glare and scrutiny since his 20s. He is not a typical politician starting from a shadowy background and making fortunes upward.
We are living in uncertain times, with deafening unsavoury populist shouting matches across the entire political spectrum. I wish politics was a more fair game.
- The Massacre of Peshawar - 09/02/2023
- Full on Populist Politics - 28/04/2022
