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Khaleej Times
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Pakistan: Imran Khan says talks with 'puppet' PML-N government is pointless
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that he engaging in any talks with the "puppet" PML-N government is pointless and added that he will also speak to those who actually "hold power." In a detailed post on X, following his conversation with lawyers in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi where he is incarcerated, Khan said that situation in the country in light of the India-Pakistan tensions, terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan as well as the state of current economy, "national unity is of utmost importance at this time." "It is for these reasons that I have called for dialogue. But talks will only be held with those who actually hold power, and only in the national interest. I do not fear hardship — my resolve remains strong," Khan said in the post. "Engaging in any talks with the puppet PML-N government is pointless. This illegitimate Form-47 installed government has already wasted two months. Its only objective is to cling to false authority. It holds no real power. This is the very regime that has utterly destroyed Pakistan's moral values and constitutional structure," added Khan, who has been in jail since 2023.
The Print
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Even Imran Khan is praising Pakistan Army now. Military nationalism is back in the country
Notwithstanding Khan's popularity, which prior to the conflict with India was one of the biggest threats to the army leadership, it doesn't seem likely that General Asim Munir is about to break the partnership with the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PMLN). The party's new avatar in the form of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the Punjab Chief Minister, Maryam Nawaz, stood by the general during the recent geo-strategic crisis. Munir also has no reason to get rid of Asif Ali Zardari and his son, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who equally proved to be a good team in presenting Pakistan's perspective on domestic and international media forums. Many would read his recent statement from jail eulogising the military for its performance during the conflict and parroting the army's anti-Modi statements as Khan managing to read the tea leaves. He has changed his stance based on his understanding of writing on the wall—it is no longer possible to challenge the armed forces politically. However, if one were to compare his recent statement with PTI hardliners in the diaspora saying that no reconciliation is taking place, two possible conclusions can be drawn. First, that a settlement between Khan and the army has not happened, but that Khan is trying to signal to the military as an institution that now is the time to combine his popularity with their recently acquired legitimacy to draw greater political strength. The message also conveys that while he has not changed his position that he's the only legitimate leader, he has no issues with the army's broader geo-strategic approach. And he is merely questioning their choice of civilian leadership, and that they would benefit by bringing him back to power. Second, the military leadership does not really intend to take a U-turn on their policy regarding Imran Khan. Instead, they're trying to spread stories that would calm the nerves of his support base, who at this point will be satisfied if he gets better treatment in jail or if he's shifted to his residence in Bani Gala. Rumours are that the Pakistan Army has restarted its conversation with Imran Khan. In a recent television programme , senior journalist Najam Sethi talked about a certain softening, pointing toward Khan being allowed to meet his sister and his improved treatment in jail. Sethi suggests that a reconciliation with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf leader is being worked out and that some officers have met him in jail, asking him to contribute to the army's ongoing post-conflict efforts to rebuild a military-laced nationalism. He is allegedly being asked to silence the voices among his followers that continue to challenge the military. Also read: Pahalgam is helping Pakistan army become nation's saviour again, regain lost image Army's back in business Pakistan's new reality is that traditional military nationalism is back in business. This doesn't mean that those who voted for Imran Khan or wanted him to be at the helm of affairs have abandoned him; it just means that they are not belligerent toward the military anymore. For this crowd, the desire is to see a reconciliation that could bring Khan back to power without necessarily seeing the army out of power. Munir is certainly a beneficiary of the conflict. The general can no longer be seriously challenged by Imran Khan as he is now the new hero. Notwithstanding the diverse assessment of gains during the conflict on both sides of the border, the Pakistan Air Force's performance in particular has built Munir's image. The army chief and his team are neither deterred by India's response nor worried about being touted domestically for cowing down. As some of the young people I spoke with recently said, people are now more tolerant of the idea that what Pakistan needs for its survival is a strong military. In fact, one of the new issues that Munir faces is who to support more, the PML-N that has definitely benefited from the conflict in terms of improvement of its image in Punjab, or Asif Zardari and his Pakistan People's Party, which was equally at the forefront in supporting his efforts. There is something that has fundamentally changed in Pakistan's political scene—not a single political party is willing to paint the army as outsiders or contest its demand for a greater share of resources. As journalist and commentator on economic issues, Khurram Hussain pointed out in his recent article, the military will now expect an increase in its budget, and that will not be criticised but accepted because the conflict has built a case for beefing up the military's capacity. The bulk of Pakistan is back to considering defence spending as a public good necessary for the country's existential survival. What goes without saying is that this change in thinking will lead to all the criticism that was earlier seen regarding the military's expanded control of the economy and its business interests falling quiet. Here is a changed scenario in which the old and the new parties across the ideological spectrum, be it Left, Centre or the Right, cannot question the new narrative—of the military as saviour of the state with a demonstrable capacity to protect itself against a bigger neighbour. Politically, there is very little space for dissident voices, which means that the PTI can no longer depend on the narrative of Imran Khan being the only leader with the capacity to put the military in order. Given that the conflict was more intense than in 2019 and the military was able to say that it could push back successfully, any questioning of its institutional power would be out of order. Not surprisingly, since the conflict, Pakistan's social media has also gone relatively silent on even other more tricky issues like the grievance of Sindhi nationalists on the domestic water crisis or the condition of the Baloch people or the treatment of Pashtuns. Most likely, people now talking about these issues will get trolled or, at best, ignored. This brings me to a suggestion from friends, who have had a deeper look at Pakistan's nationalism narrative prior to the conflict. During our conversations about the military's unpopularity, I recall their argument that it is skin-deep and that the issue of the political dissidents, especially those who opposed the military because of Imran Khan, would turn around as quickly as they started if conditions changed. Of course, the argument was then in the light of Imran Khan mending fences with the GHQ and being given an opportunity to play a role. The present moment is even more intense. The fact is that once the conflict started, it was clear to many that the army got an opportunity to get back into the driving seat. This doesn't mean that problems will not emerge, but thus far, it has managed to solve its image problem just like it managed to do many other times in the past. Ayesha Siddiqa is a senior fellow at the Department of War Studies at King's College, London. She tweets @iamthedrifter. Views are personal. (Edited by Theres Sudeep)
Arab News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Imran Khan spokesman rejects Pakistan media report party accepted PM's offer for talks
KARACHI: Former premier Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party spokesperson on Thursday rejected a news report that claimed he had given the green signal for fresh negotiations with the government, describing it as 'fake news.' Pakistani English language newspaper 'The News' reported on Thursday that Khan had accepted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's offer to hold negotiations and instructed the party's chairman, Gohar Ali Khan, to proceed with talks. The report said Khan had expressed 'a strong preference' that the talks be conducted away from the TV cameras to ensure 'meaningful outcomes.' The PTI and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government have been at loggerheads ever since Khan was ousted from the prime minister's office via a parliamentary vote in April 2022. The former premier has been in jail since August 2023 on a slew of charges he says are politically motivated. His party has led anti-government protests and marches that have led to clashes with law enforcement personnel. 'There is no such statement made by Imran Khan,' Sayed Zulfikar Bokhari, Khan's adviser on international affairs and a former federal minister, told Arab News. 'It is fake news. Neither has any offer been made to sit with Shehbaz Sharif or vice versa.' Meanwhile, Gohar declined to comment on the development. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and the government's legal spokesperson, Aqeel Malik, did not respond to Arab News' request for a comment. Attempts to break the political deadlock in the country via a dialogue between the PTI and the government began in December 2024. However, talks collapsed after the PTI in January presented its demands, which included the formation of judicial commissions to probe the party's anti-government protests in May 2023 and November 2024. The violent protest rallies, including the one on May 9, 2023, saw people carrying PTI flags rampage through military offices and installations. A second anti-government protest in November 2024 was held by the party to demand Khan's release from prison. The government says four troops were killed in clashes with Khan supporters. The PTI denies the charges and claimed its supporters were shot by law enforcers. The PTI gave the government seven days to form the judicial commissions, after the expiry of which the party unilaterally withdrew from talks in January.
Mint
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Dhruv Rathee accuses Pakistani channels of misusing his 'clips', slams influencer for calling him out
A screenshot of Dhruv Rathee's YouTube video, allegedly shown on a Pakistan channel, is doing rounds on social media. It's a part of a montage curated and used by various pro-Pakistan social media channels. The edited video clips intend to create anti-India propaganda and to purportedly show that many Indians are critical of the Indian government. Even Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) is using the video on its social media channels. 'It was not an intelligence failure. The attack happened despite intelligence inputs,' Rathee says in the video clip. PMLN uses Dhruv Rathee's YouTube video clip Various Indian users on social media are now critical of Dhruv Rathee, who's now based in Germany. They are accusing Rathee of being 'the face' of anti-India propaganda. They are also demanding the Indian government to ban his YouTube channel. As the screenshot goes viral, the influencer has reacted to it. According to Rathee, Pakistani channels have 'misused' his video out of context. 'They misused my video by cutting out of context clips,' Dhruv Rathee said. 'Instead of telling people the truth, you're just re-sharing Pakistani lies! Only cuz of ur hate for me, you became Anti-India,' Rathee replied to another popular social media influencer, who goes by the handle 'Gabbar Singh'. However, Gabbar insisted that it was not the first time Dhruv Rathee's video was used by Pakistan. He shared another clip where a Pakistani cleric was expressing his fondness for the Rathee. 'Bro, if Pakistan keeps using your videos, maybe it's not just about them misusing it, maybe there's something in your narrative that makes it easy for them to twist. Time to introspect,' wrote another user. One user pointed out while the Indian influencers fight on social media, 'Apas mei nahi, pak se ladna hai!! (We're supposed to fight against Pakistan, not against one another).' The edited clips also use a statement by Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati. In the clip, he says, 'When something wrong happens at home, we question the 'chowkidar' first.' The video also includes a press statement by Pakistan Army General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry. He says India attacked Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack simply because it could not find any evidence of who was responsible for it. On April 22, the terrorist attack killed 26 civilians. India launched Operation Sindoor, took military action on May 7 and eliminated terror camps in PoK and Pakistan. One user has asked Grok AI to clarify who is right in this argument. The AI tool replied, 'There may be some truth and some falsehood on both sides. My advice is to check the claims made by both parties yourself, watch the full context of the videos, and focus on facts. Don't blindly trust online content.'
