Former US envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad has thrown his support behind ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is facing unprecedented political challenges. He believes that SC may disqualify Imran from running for upcoming elections.
Despite being told by the Foreign Office not to comment on domestic issues in Pakistan, former US Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad tweeted about the current state of affairs in Pakistan.
In a series of tweets, Khalilzad hinted that there are signs that Pakistan’s parliament, which is controlled by the ruling coalition, may ask the Supreme Court to disqualify Imran Khan from running for office and even prohibit the PTI from running in the coming days.
He continued by saying the government appears to have decided to set up Imran Khan as enemy no 1 of the state, saying such steps will only deepen Pakistan’s triple crises: political, economic, and security.
Predicting political chaos, Zalmay Khalilzad said that SC may disqualify Imran before the upcoming elections.
Khalilzad argued further that the IMF’s support is still in doubt while many nations have already canceled planned investments in South Asian nations.
According to him, if such actions are taken, political polarisation and violence will rise, and international support for Pakistan will further decline.
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He further pinned hope that the Supreme Court would not be manipulated in ways that would harm Pakistan’s interests by urging political leaders to rise above divisive petty politics.
