In an interview with Der Spiegel magazine, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan talked about the role his country plays in global politics, the qualities he shares with US President Donald Trump, and the reasons for his admiration for the Chinese leadership .. In the following are excerpts from the interview:
■ There are only a few hours left for the US elections .. Who do you think has a better chance of winning: Donald Trump, or Joe Biden?
■■ Biden is in the lead in polls, but Trump is never predictable, because he is not like ordinary politicians, because he plays by his own rules.
■ Looks like you like Trump!
■■ As one of the politicians, who established their own parties, to become my party the largest party in Pakistan, over the course of 22 years, I have also been thinking a lot outside the box. We were the first to rely on social media, and the first to bring young people into the political career.
Do you see similarities between you and Trump?
■■ The truth is that I’m unconventional, and Trump seems to be, too, in some ways.
Soon, a new law will be implemented, prohibiting criticism of the army in the country .. Does this mean the end of freedom of expression in your country?
No, it is not what you think, because Pakistan enjoys more freedom of expression than almost any Western country. And I use the word “freedom” very cautiously, after spending nearly two decades of my life in England, where they have very strong defamation laws. And there was a defamation case between me and an English cricket star, which I managed to win, because the defamation laws are very strict there. But slander laws are not strong enough in Pakistan. I was defamed by mistake, after I became prime minister, and I went to court, but even as prime minister, I couldn’t get justice.
The new law may make it impossible for journalists to report on the military in the future.
■■ There will be another way to deal with the security forces, not through the media, but through the government. If something goes wrong, I will call the Chief of the Army to avoid it. Human rights violations often occur during military operations, and sometimes we uncover them. But this should not be done in the media. When soldiers risk their lives, you cannot demoralize them through the media.
■ Praise is often given to the Chinese government, as an economic example to follow .. Why?
■■ China’s economic achievement has been remarkable. I admire China because it has rescued 700 million people from poverty in a short period of less than 40 years. This is the model that I want to emulate in Pakistan. Despite the lack of electoral politics, they are good at bringing the best people to the top in their country. It is a system based on merit. I have seen how the government prepares talent and pushes it to the top. Moreover, over the past seven years, China has imprisoned 450 officials, at ministerial level, on corruption charges.
■ What conclusions do you draw from this?
■■ The countries are not poor because of lack of resources, but because of corruption in leadership. The same goes for Pakistani politicians. Millions of dollars have gone from this country to buy real estate in the most expensive areas of London.
Countries are not poor because of lack of resources, but because of corruption in leadership.
Follow our latest local and sports news, and the latest political and economic developments via Google news