In an interview with The Associated Press, Pakistan’s interim primeminister expressed his expectation that parliamentary elections would occurin the new year. He dismissed the possibility of the country’s powerfulmilitary manipulating the election results to prevent Imran Khan’s party,who is currently imprisoned, from winning.
He emphasized that the Election Commission, not the military, would overseethe vote, and Khan had appointed the commission’s chief, so any notion ofturning against him seemed unlikely.
Pakistan has been facing political turmoil since April 2022 when Khan wasremoved from office and later arrested on corruption charges. The countryis also grappling with a severe economic crisis and the aftermath ofdevastating floods. The Election Commission recently announced a delay inthe elections, setting them for the last week of January, rather thanNovember as initially planned.
The interim prime minister, who resigned as a senator to oversee theelections, pledged to provide the necessary assistance for the electionsonce an exact date is set. When asked about recommending the overturning ofKhan’s conviction so he could run in the elections, he stated he wouldn’tinterfere with judicial decisions and emphasized that the judiciary shouldnot be used for political purposes.
He highlighted the importance of fair elections, even if Khan and many ofhis party members are in jail due to unlawful activities. He noted thatthose within Khan’s party who had not engaged in unlawful actions wouldparticipate in the political process.
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Regarding allegations of military influence in Pakistan’s politics, theinterim prime minister, who has ties to the military, considered them apart of the country’s political culture but emphasized a smooth and openworking relationship between his government and the military.
He cited challenges in civil-military relations but suggested thatstrengthening civilian institutions over time would be a more effectivesolution than weakening the military.
He also discussed the longstanding issue of Kashmir, expressing concernabout the situation in the region and the lack of international attentioncompared to other global crises. He emphasized the importance of theKashmiri people in resolving the dispute between India and Pakistan overthe region.
