PM #ImranKhan sets the stage for his legacy in a huge, impressive rally in #Islamabad, characterizing himself as a living martyr facing off international conspiracy to unseat him. He did not offer evidence but waved a document as proof. The rally achieves its two targets.. /1
PM #ImranKhan achieves two targets: to try impress power centers within the country that he remains popular, which he partially does (with diehard voters); and to engage those voters in a larger foreign policy issue beyond electoral accountability of performance & governance. /2
Aside from the secret document that PM #ImranKhan is not revealing (yet) to protect national interest, it is not a secret that his biggest foreign policy confrontations occurred with the #KSA #UAE #France, and misunderstandings with #China. /3
PM #ImranKhan's issues with the West are fairly recent; the #US & #EU remain engaged with #Pakistan diplomatically+militarily+economically; except for simmering political tensions with #PTIGovernment. The Govt has stepped back a little on #Russia to engage #Ukraine. /4
So, the impressive #PTI power show tonight is a dice thrown in the hope that it would help change minds before the no-confidence vote. And the rally sets the narrative for the day PM #ImranKhan will be out of power, whenever that happens. /5
The day after: Will PM #ImranKhan's large political rally yesterday (that also claimed an international conspiracy to unseat him) help improve the perceptions about his popularity and maybe make some dent in the famed 'neutrality'? The million-dollar question that begs an answer.

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More from @_AhmedQuraishi

Mar 8
Prime Minister #ImranKhan of #Pakistan spent the afternoon and evening "in a good mood," according to a #PTI lawmaker and a close aide to PM, after the opposition submitted a request to call for a no-confidence vote as his Govt wobbles under economic & political pressures. /1
PM @ImranKhanPTI's #PTI-led Govt faces more uncertainty from within his party than from opponents in the Parliament, where he remains strong. His backing for #Punjab CM @UsmanAKBuzdar has become a controversial position within the party that could exacerbate fissures. /2
While the #PPP and the #PDM mount a strong parliamentary pressure to unseat PM #ImranKhan, internal #PTI fissures remain their strongest ally. These internal divisions could turn into a call for in-house change if party leadership is not careful. /3
Read 6 tweets
Mar 6
Amid rising anti-#US+#EU rhetoric in #Pakistan post-#Ukraine invasion & PM's #Russia visit, it is important to refocus on rising terror incidents in the country and the linkages to #Afghanistan #Iran and #India and the easily exploitable local actors. /1
The waves of organized terrorism in Pakistan since 1980s and through 2000s have been linked to elements in #Afghanistan. It accelerated with the #India-#Iran nexus in that country. Made easier by local extremism, easy & gullible Pakistani recruits, and regional sponsors. /2
#Peshawar mosque carnage targeting Pakistani Shia Muslims is particularly worth a closer look. It indirectly targeted the #Australia cricket team visit after 23 yrs and tried to revive sectarian conflict. Both objectives have wider linkages to #India #Iran #Afghanistan /3
Read 15 tweets
Mar 4
#Pakistan police engages terrorists who tried to storm a mosque during Friday prayer in #Peshawar with up to 500 worshippers inside. One attacker blows himself up after a gun battle. 30 deaths reported including policemen who likely prevented a bigger carnage. Developing story.
57 worshippers killed in a terrorist attack inside a mosque during Friday prayer in #Peshawar. Investigators believe the incident is linked to threats to #Australia cricket team on a landmark visit to #Pakistan, and is an attempt to ignite sectarian fault lines. /2
The #Peshawar attack coincides with a landmark first match in years in #Pakistan today by #Australia cricket team, whose players reportedly received threats before departing for 🇵🇰. Unverified screen grabs leaked online show an alleged #India connection. /3
Read 6 tweets
Mar 1
Envoys of 22 #EU member states in #Pakistan issue a joint statement in support of #Ukraine. @EUPakistan posts this symbolic #IStandWithUkraine photo with EU representatives in #Islamabad.
The representatives of the @EUPakistan, #Switzerland, the #UK, #Australia, #Canada, #Norway, and #Japan urge #Pakistan to join them in condemning #Russia's invasion of #Ukraine at the #UNGA

dawn.com/news/1677704
#Australia's mission in #Pakistan joins @EUPakistan in seeking #Pakistan's support in condemning #Russia's invasion of #Ukraine.

Expressions of support by other missions in this #thread below 🔽

Read 11 tweets
Feb 17
Army chief #COAS General #QamarBajwa meets @eu_eeas's second top diplomat @SanninoEU in #Brussels and says "🇵🇰 values its relations with #EU 🇪🇺 countries and earnestly looks forward to enhance mutual cooperation based on common interests." /1
#Pakistan Army chief #COAS General #QamarBajwa also meets in #Brussels with the Chairman of #EU Military Committee #EUMC
General Claudio Graziano. /2

#Pakistan's Military Diplomacy played a key role in restoring frayed ties between #Islamabad 🇵🇰 and the #EU 🇪🇺, helping temper a confrontational government policy toward #France in 2019-2020 that led to violent protests and resurgent extremism. /3

Read 4 tweets
Feb 13
The politics of boycotting films+sports due to #Israel links have failed. Most states in the region will not follow #Lebanon+#Kuwait's lead in banning #DeathOnTheNile; @GalGadot remains a popular artist. /1
arabnews.com/node/2023351/m…
#Hezbollah (a proxy militia) controls #Lebanon policy, and #Kuwait politics are dominated by extremists & populists. I remember visiting Kuwait's Ministry of Information when Schindler's List was released to speak to officials about the ban in Kuwait. The lady official I spoke /2
..with did not offer a compelling argument for the ban except repeatedly referring to the "principles," even though the film story was irrelevant to Mideast politics and focused on genocide in Europe. Luckily, the region has moved on but pockets of extreme views persist. /3
Read 6 tweets

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