The Pakistanis are celebrating Eid and a new prime minister. Imran Khan was a famous cricketer and a beloved figure. However politics’ skills are different than sports, and religion is a winning game for some and he’s trying to play it despite his background as a liberal and a secular.
In his public speeches, he attacks the West and the western model. Meanwhile, he has two children from his British Jewish ex-wife. He asked them not to attend the swearing-in ceremony as he takes oath as the prime minister because he fears for their lives. Everything in his first life was western as he played in English clubs and graduated from Oxford.
Like a number of presidents of third world countries, his supporters market popular news and photos of him. He cancelled the fancy lunch at the inauguration ceremony saying he wants to decrease the budget deficiency and promised to sell the cars of government officials. The picture gives a positive impression that suits his electoral promises and contradicts with the image of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who was recently sentenced to 10 years in prison for corruption.
Pakistan is an important country. It has the second largest number of Muslims in the world after Indonesia. It’s a nuclear power and its army is ranked as the 8th strongest in the world. It’s important in regional calculations as competition over swaying it is fierce between Saudi Arabia and Iran and also internationally between China and the US. Although there is talk about Imran Khan’s close relation with Iran based on old statements he’s made, we cannot judge politicians when they were not in power.

Eid with Imran Khan

Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:57 - GMT 06:57
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not reflect Al Arabiya English's point-of-view.
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