Why the U.S. Doesn’t Seem to Care About Imran Khan or Pakistan’s Unfair Election
TimeFEB 2024
Pakistan: Shehbaz Sharif Sworn in as Prime Minister
Image copyright: Elke Scholiers/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
There's no valid evidence that rigging or controversy marred this polling process. However, the West has sought to outrageously meddle in Pakistan's internal affairs, voicing unfounded concerns over the vote while baselessly demanding probes into alleged irregularities. Pakistan's sovereignty, its rule of law, and the results of its election must be internationally respected.
Establishment-critical narrative
These elections were flawed from the beginning and, with authorities carrying out blatant lawfare against Khan and his PTI, this outcome was widely anticipated. What's surprising, however, is that the US has failed to take stronger action to ensure that its treaty ally has a free and fair vote, despite Biden arguing that promoting democracy overseas is the defining challenge of our time. Perhaps democratic values aren't that important to the White House after all.