Islamabad [Pakistan]: As Pakistan continues to stare at a pronged political and constitutional crisis, a US expert explained how Imran Khan is trying to play a “US card” to build up his support base.
On Sunday, Pakistani President Arif Alvi dissolved the Pakistani parliament following Khan’s advice. Imran Khan made the proposal minutes after parliament’s deputy speaker rejected a motion of no confidence in him as “unconstitutional.”
Pakistan media and opposition parties criticised this decision saying that it violated all rules governing proceedings in the House.
Pakistan’s PM has based this decision on claims of “foreign conspiracy”, which he says aims to oust him from power.” He even named a senior American diplomat as the person who was allegedly involved in the “foreign conspiracy” to overthrow his government.
“It’s highly unlikely that any US official would get involved in Pakistan’s internal politics. I think Imran Khan is trying to play the ‘US card’ to build up support from his base,” said Lisa Curtis, a regional expert who served in the previous Bush and Trump presidencies.
Curtis was responding to a question regarding Imran’s allegations that the US was supporting a movement to topple his government. She made these remarks in an interview with Voice of America Deewa.
“It’s highly highly unlikely that any US official would get involved in any way..US officials are very careful to stay out of the country’s internal politics so this is something that Imran Khan concocted to build up his support from his base,” she was quoted as saying Pakistan’s Express Tribune newspaper.
Lisa Curtis, who is now Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, said the Biden administration has been trying to work with Pakistan on several issues including Afghanistan and “there is absolutely no reason for the US to seek regime change in Pakistan”.
She argued that the US is not concerned about the change in the civilian set-up in Pakistan as “any change in the civilian political system really has a very marginal effect on the issues that the US cares most about”.
“The US government wants good relations with whatever government is in Pakistan… the political situation of Pakistan has nothing to with the US.”
