With the possibility of being removed from office growing, Pakistan’s Prime Minister launched a scathing attack on the European Ambassadors in an attempt to create confusion on who will replace him at the Prime Minister’s office.
His planned visit to Russia at the time when the US and Europe were at the boiling tension against Moscow was more of a political stunt to show off and tease the West. He always complains Joe Biden has not called him, so to meet Vladimir Putin is the least and last option for him while he is in office.
The opposition political parties are in full swing and much stronger to move forward with a no-confidence motion in the parliament against Khan. That could result in his ouster from office. But before ousting him from the office he is trying to cause the maximum holes in the boat that he has promised to take on shores but which he pushed into deep thunderstorms.
To make it tougher for the next premier in office he has already approved the maximum subsidiaries, tax reliefs, decrease in oil pieces by discarding the agreement with IMF that may hinder the release of the next IMF bailout package. Simultaneously he has added one more hurdle by challenging the European Ambassadors. Around 22 diplomatic missions released a joint statement on March 1, urging Pakistan to support a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) against Russia.
On Sunday while addressing a political rally where he used his yobbish name-calling to his political rivals he adopted the same tone towards the European Ambassadors.
He said Pakistan is not their “slave”. He also keeps insisting on why the Europeans do not make the same demands to India. But maybe the Pakistan Prime Minister forget that Pakistan owes an estimated debt to the Paris Club worth $11.547 billion.
So, will Pakistan’s aggressive policy towards the European Union make things better and regain its lost importance in front of the US, European and Western bloc? What does Pakistan have at stake if they mess up with Brussels and Washington? The repercussions for Pakistan are quite high to have an aggressive foreign policy towards the West.
Hence, what is the price Pakistan will have to pay as a result of this latest adventure in its foreign policy to lock horns with the European bloc? Pakistan is already on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and is highly dependent on IMF loans. Pakistan claimed to practice a balanced foreign policy but is heading towards one filled with aggressive stances. But one thing is crystal clear. It’s not Imran Khan who will have to pay the price of this rhetoric, but the people of Pakistan.
