Even as Corona virus spreads worldwide, in last few months, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan seems to have caught the lying disease. Repeatedly making false assertions one after another, Mr Khan presents himself as a rather deranged man whose lying ways can well be classified as a pathological disorder. From Kashmir to Pakistan’s economy to tackling of corruption within the country, Mr Khan has led a campaign of misinformation and deception although fooling no one in either Pakistan or India, or even the rest of the world.
Here we call out four pathetic lies of Imran Khan.
Flinging falsehoods over ‘internationalisation’ of Kashmir –
First, the Pakistan Prime Minister has gone to town about how he has successfully managed to ‘internationalise’ Kashmir, an absolute falsehood. After having failed to get the UN’s attention on Kashmir, Mr Khan’s attempts to play the Islamic card with Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) countries has not only proved to be futile but even boomeranged with Saudi Arabia, the leader of the OIC expressing strong reservations against any such idea. Only days back, it was reported how Saudi Arabia had dissuaded Pakistan from convening a Council of Foreign Ministers’ (CFM) meeting on Kashmir by OIC. Yet, continuing with his false pitch, Mr Khan even sought to misleadingly portray the European Union’s resolution on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as one on Kashmir. On a close fact-check, apart from the fact that voting has been postponed, it has been found that the resolution in question is on CAA and has nothing to do with Kashmir as such. In fact, Mr Emmanuel Lenain, the envoy of France – a founding member of EU – has conceded that “It is not for us to comment on the internal matter of India. Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is India’s internal matter and we respect it.”
Harbouring daydreams of freeing Kashmir
Second, ever since the Indian government revoked the special status of Kashmir in August last year, Mr Khan has on countless occasions, and rather disgracefully stoked the fire of freeing Kashmir. Perhaps Mr Khan should look to history as to what eventually happened to those who had ever indulged in a free Kashmir vitriol. Remember Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, a former prime minister. His statement that “Pakistan will wage a war for thousand years” on Kashmir has in time proved to be nothing more than shallow bluster. Kargil and Balakot are timely reminders in that respect. Mr Bhutto’s nemesis, the military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq who eventually orchestrated Mr Bhutto’s hanging, had during an anti-Indian operation ranted, “There should be no mistake, our aim is totally clear and strong Liberation of Kashmir valley. We cannot now allow our Kashmiri brethren to remain with India for a long time…” Where is Mr Zia today? Apparently an unlikely person to do so, but Benazir Bhutto had even gone a step ahead of her father. In addition to installing Taliban, the then PM had often played full to the vicious gallery of radicalised Pakistanis. In one instance when on her maiden visit to Muzaffarabad, Benazir had repugnantly made calls to turn Jagmohan, the then J&K Governor, into Bhag-Mohan (meaning to drive him away) while simultaneously also exhorting the crowd to make cries of Azadi. Where is she today? Mr Khan would be well advised to ask.
Spinning tales on Economy
Mr Khan hasn’t stopped at Kashmir. He has also made fake promises to his own people. Soon after the IMF’s approval of $ 500 million as part of a larger $ 6 billion package, he had tweeted, “Pakistan’s economy finally heading in right direction, as more of our economic reforms bear fruit.” However the reality is strikingly different. Even as the country’s public debt has shot up by 40 percent in last 15 months, inflation has been the real monster for ordinary people. At about 15 percent, highest in ten years, while prices of gas, power and fuel have depicted a relentlessly upward movement, there has been an extraordinary shortage of everyday items such as wheat, tomatoes and sugar.
Attacking corruption China-style
In another act of pretentious righteousness, the Pakistan Prime Minister has made grand claims about how he wished he could emulate Chinese President Xi Jin Ping’s hard-hitting step of putting hundreds of top-level and powerful people behind bars on charges of corruption. What stops Mr Khan from doing this? He is after all the Prime Minister of the country. So all that high talk amounts to nothing but grandstanding.
These are just a few instances pulled out of Imran Khan’s bag of lies. Mr Khan should know that there are no takers for his propaganda, neither in Pakistan nor in India.
Vishal for IIW