Imran’s desperate sales pitch to foreign diplomats

Imran is knocking on every foreign mission door to seek political help, painting Pakistan as a collapsing country and peddling the fiction of a desperate army facing internal upheaval.

Two months ago, when a member of Imran’s Diplomatic Relations Team debriefed him about his meeting with representatives of a foreign mission in Islamabad, his first question was: What do you think they (foreign diplomats) will report to their home offices?” The answer delighted Pakistan’s former PM. “They will most likely report that Pakistan’s current military leadership is the centerpiece of national problems and without them changing their policies democracy’s future in Pakistan is hopeless.” “Excellent!”, rejoiced Imran.

Later this person boasted before a group of close friends, two journalists included, that PTI’s “access to the diplomatic corps in Islamabad is matchless and the world is listening to PTI’s narrative.”

And what exactly is PTI telling the world about Pakistan? Senior diplomatic circles in Islamabad in recent interactions with me have unfurled some aspects of this closely-guarded campaign by the PTI under the personal supervision of Imran Khan. This internal canvassing with foreign missions eggs these countries on to put pressure on the Establishment to provide relief and space to Imran Khan. Part of this lobbying also peddles a doomsday scenario for the country in case Imran is disqualified.

The standard narrative is adjusted according to the mission or the embassy involved—to the Chinese for instance there is an overlay of love for CPEC and endless assurances that, unlike his first stint as PM, the next one will ensure fast-tracking the project. For the Americans, it is about explaining how the cipher issue or the Russian visit was an elaborate plan by General Bajwa to defile Imran’s image and standing. The new fiction about the cipher goes something like this: Donald Lu told the Pakistani ambassador that Washington knew that Imran went to Russia against the Army’s advice. That was a mistaken view. Imran was first told by Gen Bajwa not to go but later he encouraged him to make the visit so that Gen Bajwa could make him look bad in Washington!!!

To the Saudis, the application is for showing grace and magnanimity attached with the solemn promise that next time Riyadh will have no complaints. Kuwaitis, Qataris, and Iranians get to hear great songs of praise about their great nations and how much Imran, the great leader, admires them and looks forward to working with them by “visiting them personally” if he comes back to power.

Diplomats speak of not one or two or several but dozens of meetings of the members of Imran’s specially deputed representatives including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Zulfi Bukhari, Raoof Hassan, two female members, and ofcourse Fawad Chaudhary. The US mission has been a special area of focus for Imran Khan and reportedly has had the maximum number of ‘listening sessions’ from PTI. Others include France, Netherlands, UK, the EU, Australia, and Turkey among a long list.

The core of the narrative that PTI puts before foreign diplomats, however, is not just pleading its political case; Imran’s representatives lay into the Army and the ISI in these meetings. A foreign diplomat on condition of anonymity admitted that in the two sessions that he was present, Imran’s team “went on about the ISI DG and his team” accusing him of being the architect of everything that is happening in the country. He said Imran’s team “spent considerable time on explaining who Dirty Harry was and how he operated.” In another meeting where the same source was present, one member stated that the present army chief “is facing internal isolation”, and is not liked by his colleagues.

While this eviscerating diatribe against the army and the ISI high command disappears from the narrative when PTI reps engage with the Chinese or the Saudis, it is most prominent in their interface with Western missions.

A collapsed economy, a looming civil war, a possible coup within, gross human rights violations, battered personal freedoms, and Imran’s life under threat from the ISI are other themes that are constantly repeated in these meetings. PTI representatives also share with diplomats their media strategy showing them documents that they would release to the press later on. Seeking their help, PTI representatives according to this source, often demand “direct interference from our governments in what we know are internal problems.” He also said that some of the explanations from PTI reps were contradictory (such as their hate for the Establishment and their desire that General Asim should get rid of the Shehbaz government); others were downright hypocritical including expressed commitment to freedom of speech and a track record in power that belied the professed sentiments. He said that in both meetings that he attended this double-speak was called out by the hosts.

That is perhaps why so far there is little evidence to suggest that important capitals of the world have paid heed to these SOS calls for help. At least that’s what their public posture says. Recent responses from London and Washington to questions related to developments in Pakistan show how the world is reading the room in Islamabad. They are not using Imran’s lens to draw their conclusions.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and China have been consistent in their view of Pakistan which takes the Establishment to be a constant factor of stable bilateral relations with them. Some of these countries still have total recall of the days when Imran Khan was the prime minister and there are very bad memories that will not go away easily. While that may be so, Imran’s diplomatic canvassing brigade has been at work for months on end, knocking on every diplomatic door to seek political relief----a task that Imran has taken upon himself now that most members of this brigade are now either on the run or in custody along with dozens of others.