Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan has admitted that there are no takers for his Kashmir propaganda. In an interview with German state-owned public international broadcaster, DW, Khan said that there has been a “lukewarm response” to the Kashmir issue and added, “commercial interests are more important for the Western countries”.
Pakistan PM also said, “Unfortunately, commercial interests are more important for Western countries. India is a big market and that is the reason behind the lukewarm response to what is happening to some 8 million people in Kashmir, as well as to minorities in India.”
He also continued with the usual RSS rhetoric and said, “I was the first leader to warn the world about what is happening in India. India has been taken over by an extremist ideology known as ‘Hindutva.’ It is the ideology of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).”
Imran Khan’s remarks came after Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar revealed how Pakistan once again failed in efforts to raise the issue before the UNSC. The MEA spokesperson said, “An effort was made by Pakistan through a member of UNSC to once again misuse the platform of UNSC. The overwhelming majority of UNSC was of the view that the UNSC was not the right forum for such issues and it should be discussed bilaterally between India and Pakistan.”
What Imran Khan has now said clearly amounts to a confession about how Pakistan has miserably failed to make an international issue out of abrogation of Article 370 last year, scrapping the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir.
In fact, Islamabad has admitted that it doesn’t stand a chance before India that has emerged as a superpower with a big market. Khan understands that while India has emerged as an economic superpower, Islamabad’s status is no better than that of a pauper. Pakistan’s international relations do not extend beyond begging before other countries for bailouts and financial aid.
Pakistan’s economy has been sailing in troubled waters with its GDP growth has fallen behind the GDP growth rate of Maldives and Nepal. Pakistan’s economy is also undergoing a severe Balance of Payment (BoP) crisis which is coupled with large fiscal and current account deficits, mounting the pressure on the Pakistan economy.
In fact, ever since Imran Khan was elected as the country’s PM, a predominant part of his tenure has been devoted towards begging for financial aid. Facing a deep economic crisis, Khan had embarked on a begging tour across the world. However, Islamabad’s economic woes continue to keep Khan engaged in begging.
Pakistan does not have the stomach to take on India at a global level. It is looked down upon across the world and has not built any diplomatic capital that could have helped Islamabad in creating a cause of concern for New Delhi. Imran Khan is compelled to bring up the issue of Kashmir on every global forum wholly out of domestic pressure. As he keeps on failing in his attempts to internationalise Kashmir, both Pakistan and Imran Khan have ended up become a source of derision.