With the inauguration of the populist Imran Khan the most as the new Pakistani Prime Minister on Saturday hopes on improvements in the situation of the country. But there is also skepticism.
As Imran Khan in 1996, his party “Pakistan founded the movement for justice” (PTI), was his program: to Eradicate the rampant corruption, social justice for all, a focus on health, education, and development. For 22 years he sat in Opposition. Now Khan as Pakistan’s Prime Minister has five years to realize its receivables.
Challenges in the sixth most populous country in the world, there are enough. The economy is down, the trade deficit amounts to tens of billions of dollars, a financial crisis threatens, again, for all these problems, quick Action is needed. Complicating the fight against terrorists and extremists in their own country and tensions with neighboring countries and the United States.
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Financial emergency and neglected social budget
“The most difficult challenge for the new government to Imran Khan, the economic and financial situation,” says Imtiaz Gul, head of the research center for Regional security (CRSS) in Islamabad. “The repayment of loans to the IMF and other donors is only part of the problem”, says Gul in a DW Interview. Pakistan is highly indebted. Already at the beginning of August, US Secretary of state Mike Pompeo had warned the International monetary Fund (IMF) to support Pakistan financially. Also China would be willing to attack Pakistan under the arms, but already Pakistan is in the opinion of critics too dependent on the big neighbor to the North.
Regardless of the tight budgets of smaller parties to call for Khan to invest in addition to the economy more in the social area, his his pre-election promise. Farooq Tariq, spokesperson of the left-wing Awami workers party, says, education and health care in the country would immediately be improved.
A large part of the state budget to be spent on defence, education accounts for just two percent. Millions of children in Pakistan are not in school. “We need to have a minimum of ten percent of the total budget for education, in order to reduce the Rate of illiteracy,” says Tariq in an Interview with DW. The promise of Khan’s, to create ten million new jobs and four to five million homes for the poor Tariq referred to as deception. This project could realize, the new head of government in his term of office.
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New approaches in Anti-terror fight necessary
Meanwhile, the Evils of terrorism and the Anti-terrorist struggle continues to claim its toll, thousands of Pakistanis have come since 2001, when terrorist attacks claimed the lives of. What are the prospects of success, that Imran can Khan of the problem Mr? Imtiaz Gul from the CRSS explained to DW that Pakistan’s Anti-terror fight with his on India and Afghanistan-focused foreign policy contexts. “Afghanistan, India and Pakistan are all faced with proxy wars. These countries need to make their respective military and intelligence services clearly, you need to stop, not to hurt the interests of the other pages.” Gul is convinced: “If Pakistan takes up the dialogue with India and its relations with Afghanistan improved, the monster of terrorism is easy to defeat, also in Pakistan itself.”
But also in the interior of religious fundamentalism and extremism continue to threaten the democratic development of Pakistan, says the socialist, Farooq Tariq. In order to win the war against Terror, should also be the fundamentalism of the politically opposed. Here, the balance sheet of the new Prime Minister had so far not promising that will not be called “Taliban Khan”. Tariq notes with concern the recent elections in which 5.6 million voters cast their votes for extreme parties had submitted. “Moderate parties were beaten off, a new and very serious development.”
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In the medium term, improved relations with India possible
Many experts see the fact that Imran Khan is not in the open or hidden antagonism to the chief judges and the military, giving him more room for an independent foreign policy. Khan could prove to be a “reliable Partner” for talks between Pakistan and India, says Iftikhar Gilani, a political correspondent for the English-language “Daily News and Analysis” in New Delhi.
“Many have seen the Khan, perhaps, only as henchmen of the Pakistan army. But if a politician comes to Power, comes a new dynamic to the game, solely because of the office. This can affect the relations between the government and the (Pakistani) security apparatus in a positive,” said Gilani, referring to a statement by the former Indian National security adviser Shivshankar Menon.
Gilani admits, however, that at the Moment, the improvement of relations with India was among the priorities. “Khan was the first to do all hands full with other things.” Also, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra modi will only want to bring the next elections in India in 2019, before entering into substantive talks with Pakistan.
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Uncomfortable ally of USA
A further foreign policy site, the relations to the USA. Years ago, Pakistan was a close ally of the US in the Region in the fight against Terror. The climate between Washington and Islamabad but has now become rougher. The US slashes military aid, and completed in-service training programs for army officers. US President, Trump said sharply due to Pakistan’s inadequate co-operation: “lies and deceit in return for the American billions in aid.”
Pakistan continues to expand at the same time to regional powers, relations with: China, Russia, Iran and Turkey. Nevertheless, the new government will not come according to Gul but to also make the effort to improve relations with the United States.