Naseebullah Khan
The hybrid regime of Imran Khan that came into power in 2018 has changed the course of Pakistan,s history internally and externally. Owing to his stubbornness, naracissm, grandoise, mismanagement, incompetence, and immature politicas suffocated the country in numerous fields. Will the damage recover? One of the most pertinant area that gas damaged the country internally was institutional imbalance which the hybrid regime made controversial created because of his lust of remaining in the power. His argy_bargy policy in the appointment of new ISI chief was his nasty move towards this sensitive institution. His recent remarks as the head of the executive that the courts always favour Nawaz Sharif further was another means of making controversial the judiciary one of the important tier of the government. His clash with ECP on EVMs and foreign funding case and the bombardment of his ministers against the Election Commission of Pakistan was the hallmark of insanity making controversial the institutions. Notwithstanding, he made fun of parliament by ignoring it and by issuing a flood of record ordinances in the history and by passing 33 bills in a session of the National assembly. Politically, he injected intolerance, and abusive culture in the politics of the country. His hatred against the opposition and even meeting with them on core national issues speak volume of his stubbornness and immature politics while on the other side hugging those whom he had marked as decoits reflected his lust of political opportunism. On the flip side, he will be one of the proponents who helped emerge theTLP a radicalist religious organization and making truce woth them when the TTP had violated the law and had killed policemen during their protests. One may differ with the economic policies of the previous government but we must give the devil its dues. Wjether one agress otmr diasgress but the ground realities were that the GDP growth was increasing, tex was accelerating, inflation, unemployment, and poverty were diminishing. Whereas, the FDI was augmenting. Once this hybrid junta came into power, the ecnomic meltdown started. It changed 4 finance ministeres with a span of 3 years. The SBP foreign exchange reserves has depleted to 12 billion USD.1. Ecnomist Dr. Farukh Saleem observes that current account deficit is up sharpl, wholesale Price Index is up 23.8% and warned that we are heading into a full-blown balance-of-payment crisis. Moreiver, high borrowing, Smatagflation, and fulfilling IMF conditionalities resulted in hude decline of the DGP growth (From 5.9 percent to 1.9 percent) that ultimately affected the people by increasing inflation, poverty, and unemployment. Whereas, the defebse budgets were not increased as it had to be. On Foreign policy front the hybrid regime proved to be faral for tge country. Its abrupt policy statements with respect to China, its its immature block politics in Muslim Ummah by making allience with Malysia amd Turkey irked Sadui Arbia. These moves have negated his own mantra of adopting independent foreign policy. The paradigm shift in policy towards Russia, European union, and America have been lethal for the country. His present drama of letter issue by alleging America behind the no trust move and a killing plot of him has made Pakistan a laughingstock. On the Afghanistan issue Raza Rumi said that an ill-advised move of PM Imran Khan when he termed the Taliban victory akin to breaking the shackles of slavery was a serious blow in the foreign policy front. On the other side, he failed to get off Pakistan from the grey list of the FATF. While, the most piteous failure of his foreign policy was on Kashmir front when the Indian government annuled article 370 and 35A by annexing Kashmir. This damage is a hufe blow to the cause of Kashmir. The suffocation of media, its divion, banning credible journalists appreaing on TV screens amd Newspapers, and the introduction of the PECA ordinance has unmaked the black policies of the government woth respect to media that jad dented the credibility and the traditional rule of media by toxication of the country into hatred, intolerance, propaganda, yellow journalism, and negative agrnda setting. The freedom of speech and dissent have seriously damaged.The success of no trust motion against Imran Khan is writing on the wall. Will the damaged done to the coutry be recovered? Will the institutions learn from past mistakes? Will the costs of the hybrid regime overcome soon? The answers are unsure.
