Imran Khan going beyond tradition

Beyond the tradition

Published in Dawn on April 7, 2024

IT is an established Pakistani tradition by now for all losers to cry foul right after general elections. The refusal to accept the election results, of course, is part of the tradition. The tradition stops right here, or at least it used to stop right here. Never before had a losing party appealed to foreigners to interfere in our internal affairs. Even in the massively rigged elections of 2018, the losing parties had not damaged Pakistan’s image by seeking intervention from countries and entities abroad for their own vested interests.

But today, the party that got the largest number of seats in the recent elections is doing its best to hurt the country by seeking help from anyone who in its wisdom can help its cause. First, the party officially wrote to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to demand a forensic investigation into the election results before finalising its programme with the government. Then some of its supporters staged a demonstration outside the IMF headquarters in the United States, demanding that Pakistan should not get a loan.

So, then, what next? Why not ask the IMF or the World Bank to come here, and conduct fresh elections in the country?

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

https://www.dawn.com/news/1826234/beyond-the-tradition