A new government is in place in Pakistan, and there is reason for cheer to neighbouring India too. Democracy asserted itself for the third time in succession since 2008, despite a tendency on the part of
the military there to usurp power. Two prominent parties held sway for the past 10 years –the Pakistan People’s Party coming into power in 2008, followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in 2013. Imran Khan, though seen as having close links to the military brass, is by now a powerful politician. He has shown the smartness to outwit the two established political parties and get his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf
to power. The people of Pakistan can take pride in the fact that they have reinvented people’s will and given a firm foundation to democracy.
It remains to be seen how much influence the army that ruled the nation for half of its Independent history since the historic Partition of 1947 would now relate to the new government. Notably, several of the new ministers had served in similar capacities in an army-run government in the past.
The new PM and his government are saddled with major issues. The previous government left a major burden on the nation, with half its foreign exchange reserves used up to pay back debts. An estimated
$12 billion is required immediately to repay loans to China and others. The only way forward for Imran is to seek IMF loan; but it would come with strings attached. It would mean curtailing public expenses and austerity measures. The new PM would find it difficult to push his economic development plans. Khan’s promise of a welfare state, as envisaged by Islam, would be hard to realise if he is not able to spend hugely on this count. However he’s there to chart a new course in Pakistan’s history, and could hopefully find ways and means to overcome the present crisis on the economic front.
What will be keenly watched is how he tackles the Indo-Pak relations since the bilateral ties are now at their worst. Imran Khan has gone on record to say he is ready to improve relations with India. The powerful army is unlikely to give Khan a free hand. How the new PM would negotiate his way through obstacles, if at all he desires to turn a new leaf, remains to be seen. The invitation extended to former cricketer and Punjab (Congress) minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for Imran’s swearing in as PM must be seen from a positive light. Hopefully, Khan’s personal friendship with Sidhu opens a new bridge between the two nations to open up channels of communication that should help both India and Pakistan.