Populist interviews

Pakistan’s officials recently gave a few interviews to the foreign media which have led to questions in the international arena.

Some of the stances taken have been bold, like denying any prospects of giving military bases to the United States again. But some of the interviews have sparked debates. Sometimes, officials look like they are speaking in their personal capacity and not representing the state itself.

Such interviews are a part of public diplomacy that can be used as a tool of soft power to present a soft image of the country to other nations. On the contrary, it seems our officials are using those platforms to address the domestic audience and use populist rhetoric that can help them appease a larger population at home. Populism serves the purpose for a while but decays the political system in the long run.

Prime Minister Imran Khan once again spoke about women’s clothes when discussing the crime of rape, in an HBO interview with Jonathan Swan. He went ahead and said, “If a woman is wearing very few clothes, it will have an impact on the men, unless they are robots. It’s just common sense.”

He had faced severe criticism previously too on such remarks and it should have made him take the issue seriously and not resort to victim-blaming. Instead of condemning the culprits, he straightaway blamed the victims. Women do not wear “few clothes” in Pakistan, especially in rural areas where rapes also happen. Such sensitive matters should not be trivialized with personal “common sense” by denying all the research and ground realities.

Contrary to what PM Imran Khan believes, statistics and research prove that clothes do not affect the crime of rape. The saga of Mufti Aziz proves otherwise. Children, irrespective of sex, being molested in the country, and especially in religious seminaries, prove otherwise. The culprit is not the victim but the assaulter. No amount of clothes has kept a woman safe from harassment and abuse. It is easier to rabble-rouse to complex questions, but it does not resolve the issues.

Most Pakistanis do believe in the logic of clothes being a factor in gender-based crimes and it is popular for leaders to invoke statements that meet the expectations of the people. Such statements given at home are mostly accepted unquestionably, especially when clerics, and sometimes even the police, also blame the victim for the crimes committed against them. But, when talking at international platforms, they present an image of a state that lives in denial.

For the past few years, the rise of Islamophobia in the West has led to Pakistan condemning it at all possible platforms. Islamophobia is real and there is no denial. Muslims, as a minority, are facing discrimination or hate based on religion in some countries. This is a serious matter. However, the country whose own minorities are not safe at the hands of the majority loses its legitimacy to call out other states and ask them to uphold human rights. Moreover, the criticism of Islamophobia cannot be selective – and needs to be applied equally to all states, friend or foe.

It does Pakistan no good if it wants to champion human rights while keeping its own track record fishy and calling for human rights in some other parts of the world. If a nation has to advocate certain rights, it must do so in a vibrant way for all: no ifs and buts. It is much better to fix one’s own house prior to looking outwards. Selectively criticizing some states for Islamophobia (which undoubtedly remains a serious concern) can help the incumbent government secure the support of the right-wing, but it harms the greater cause of tackling Islamophobia as it remains hollow in strength. To advocate our stance, we need to fix our own problem of minority-phobia first. That would give legitimacy to our cause to call for a safe place for the Muslim minority in Western societies.

Last year, Imran Khan called Osama bin Laden a martyr on the floor of the National Assembly. In a recent interview with an Afghan television network, the interviewer asked Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi for remarks on that statement. Qureshi let that question ‘pass’ after appearing to think deeply. He said that the remarks of the PM were taken out of context, but he did not bother to explain the context (which is really important) and neither did he clarify the stance of the state.

Pakistan has suffered a lot because of terrorism and an elected government confused regarding a terrorist puts lot of question marks on itself. Do our officials not know that they are representing the state and not giving personal opinions? Or has the state been trying to romanticize the long-forgotten Osama back into the public discourse? One hopes it is not the latter. Pakistan needs to progress, and progress needs stability and peace, not radicalization and terrorism.

The prime minister and his cabinet must realize that what they say does have a significant impact. Not only do such terribly casual remarks by officials damage the image of Pakistan the world over, they also sabotages the mindset of the youth among which Imran Khan is adored because of his personal charisma.

Charismatic leaders have a huge potential to shape public opinion. But it must be done in a way that is beneficial to society. Victim-blaming and romanticizing a globally designated terrorist will do no good to the nation. It is high time Prime Minister Imran Khan seriously ponders over his views on such sensitive matters and leads the nation in the appropriate direction.

The writer is a freelance contributor. Email: abdulbasit0419@gmail.com