WASHINGTON: Former United States Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad has warned that the arrest of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan will deepen the crises being faced by Pakistan.
Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, the former US special representative pointed out that Pakistan was facing triple crisis; economic, political and of security. “Despite great potential, it is underperforming and falling far behind its archrival, India,” Zalmay Khalilzad maintained and added that it was time for serious “soul-searching, bold thinking, and strategising”.
“Pakistan faces a triple crisis: political, economic, and security. Despite great potential, it is underperforming and falling far behind its archrival, India. It is time for serious soul-searching, bold thinking, and strategizing,” he said
Giving his thoughts, Khalilzad further said, “The sequential cannibalizing of its leaders through jailing, execution, assassination, etc. is the wrong path. Arresting Imran Khan will only deepen the crisis. I urge 2 steps: 1. Set a date for national elections in early June to avert a meltdown. 2. Use this time for the main political parties to confront what has gone wrong and propose a specific plan to rescue and put the country on a path to stability, security, and prosperity. Whichever party wins the election will have a mandate from the people on what must be done.”
The sequential cannibalizing of its leaders through jailing, execution, assassination, etc. is the wrong path. Arresting Imran Khan will only deepen the crisis. I urge 2 steps: 1. Set a date for national elections in early June to avert a meltdown.
— Zalmay Khalilzad (@realZalmayMK) March 14, 2023
2. Use this time for the main political parties to confont what has gone wrong and propose a specific plan to rescue and put the country on a path to stability, security, and prosperity. Whichever party wins the election will have a mandate from the people on what must be done.
— Zalmay Khalilzad (@realZalmayMK) March 14, 2023
Stand-off at Zaman Park
It is pertinent to mention here in the day-long standoff outside Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence, the local police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse PTI workers gathered outside the party chief’s residence. The police team had reached Lahore to arrest Khan after a district and sessions court issued his non-bailable arrest warrants for failing to attend the hearing in Tosha Khana case.
The court of Additional District and Session Judge Zafar Iqbal restored non-bailable arrest warrants for Imran in the Tosha Khana case. It directed the police to arrest the PTI chairman and present him in the court by March 18.
