Qamar Bashir

After Biden nominated Kamala Harris as his running mate, I authored an article titled “Trump vs Kamala Harris: What is for Pakistan.” At the time, deeply immersed in Pakistan’s political landscape, I predicted that although both candidates could be detrimental to our national interests, Kamala Harris might be slightly more favorable.

Now residing in Michigan, I have had the privilege of being admitted into a local Pakistani community’s WhatsApp group which provided me with a unique opportunity to better understand the perspectives of the Pakistani diaspora, particularly regarding national and international issues.

To gather their input, I posed a simple question in the group: “Harris or Trump—who do you think would be better for Pakistan?” The responses were heartfelt and candid. While most agreed that both could pose challenges to Pakistan’s interests, the majority leaned towards Kamala Harris, perceiving her as having a slight edge over Trump, particularly regarding the national interests of Pakistan and the Pakistani expatriate community. One member humorously remarked, “At least in the US, we don’t have ‘Ganjas,’ no immigrants, and no ‘lota’ politicians.”

One of our friends provided a detailed, articulate, and logical reply, which likely reflects the sentiments of many Pakistani expatriates. I am sharing his  response here with only minimal edits, muting some harsher words:

“I will definitely be voting for the Harris/Walz team. I understand that many expats, especially those following the Muslim faith, feel resentment. However, I firmly believe Trump would have been far worse had he remained in the White House. While we can’t know for sure, his track record speaks volumes. From moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, effectively recognizing it as Israel’s capital (a move no president before him would have dared), to declaring himself the ‘King of Israel,’ Trump emboldened Netanyahu to take even more brutal action against Gaza.

Other issues important to me include women’s reproductive rights and the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, along with his attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. These are key reasons I could never vote for him.

Family values are incredibly important to me, and Trump has consistently shown he doesn’t share them. He engaged in an affair with an adult film star shortly after his wife gave birth to his child and cheated on all three of his wives—Ivana, Marla, and Melania.

Trump often claims to have a plan for everything, but rarely delivers. Did you notice that he didn’t even mention ‘building the wall’ in his recent speeches? Instead, he’s resorting to absurd scare tactics, like claiming immigrants are eating the dogs and cats of Americans.”

The Pakistani-American community at large worry about Trump’s potential second term, which may strengthen the U.S.-India relations and create further complications for Pakistan, especially in terms of security and economic cooperation. On immigration, Harris’s support for comprehensive reform aligns well with the needs of Pakistani immigrants, while Trump’s restrictive policies, such as travel bans and stricter deportation measures, have been viewed as detrimental by many in the community.

Under the Biden administration, the U.S. has cautiously engaged with Pakistan in post-Afghanistan dynamics, particularly recognizing Pakistan’s influence over the Afghan Taliban. Security cooperation has been a key element, with U.S. aid aimed at bolstering Pakistan’s anti-terrorism capabilities. However, the U.S. remains wary of Pakistan’s complex relationship with militant groups like the Taliban. Economically, while direct trade agreements have not expanded significantly, the U.S. has provided development assistance and supported Pakistan in its efforts to stabilize its economy through institutions like the IMF..

At the multilateral level, Pakistan has worked with the U.S. on platforms such as the United Nations and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), where Pakistan successfully exited the FATF gray list.

Additionally, China’s deepening economic ties with Pakistan through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) have remained a point of concern for the U.S., although the Biden administration has refrained from pressuring Pakistan to pivot away from China and the priority has remained on maintaining security cooperation and economic stability in the region.

The Trump administration took a more confrontational stance toward China-Pakistan relations, particularly in opposing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). U.S. officials under Trump expressed concerns that CPEC would lead to unsustainable debt for Pakistan, viewing the project as part of China’s broader strategy to extend its geopolitical influence in South Asia. Trump’s administration also aligned closely with India, seeing it as a counterbalance to China, which further distanced Pakistan from the U.S. and deepened its partnership with Beijing. The focus was on limiting China’s regional influence, including in the military cooperation between Pakistan and China..

Domestically, issues like healthcare, reproductive rights, and economic stability also shape the community’s preferences. Harris’s stance on healthcare and social justice resonates with younger, progressive Pakistani Americans, while Trump’s economic policies attract some within the diaspora who favor conservative fiscal approaches.

Donald Trump’s policy of directly negotiating with the Afghan Taliban aimed to end U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, culminating in the 2020 Doha Agreement. The U.S. bypassed the Afghan government and engaged the Taliban as the primary power brokers, offering legitimacy in exchange for assurances against terrorism. This approach prioritized U.S. withdrawal and left Afghanistan’s future governance to internal actors. The strategy marked a shift from military engagement to diplomatic resolution, with the ultimate goal of exiting a long, costly conflict..

In contrast, Pakistan’s policy towards the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is focused on internal security, dealing with a group that threatens the state’s sovereignty. Pakistan has used a mix of military operations and occasional peace talks, but these negotiations have not led to long-term stability. Unlike the Afghan Taliban, the TTP is a domestic insurgency ideologically opposed to Pakistan’s governance model. While military campaigns have weakened the TTP at times, the group continues to pose significant challenges, highlighting the more adversarial nature of Pakistan’s approach compared to Trump’s diplomatic efforts with the Afghan Taliban.

The Pakistani-American community’s views on the upcoming U.S. election reflect both national and personal concerns. The majority lean towards Harris as the more favorable candidate. Key reasons include her support for immigration reform, which aligns with the needs of Pakistani expatriates, and her more predictable foreign policy approach, particularly towards South Asia. Harris’s stance on healthcare, social justice, and her potential to balance U.S.-India relations also resonate with younger and progressive members of the diaspora. In contrast, Trump’s restrictive immigration policies, alignment with India, and his administration’s confrontational stance on China-Pakistan relations have left many in the community wary of a second Trump term.

Qamar Bashir

Former Press Secretary to the President

Former Press Minister to the Embassy of Pakistan to France

Former MD, SRBC, CEO, ATV

Qamar Bashir

The September 8th public meeting did not attract the large crowd the PTI leadership had hoped for—one that could have put significant pressure on the government and provided much-needed public support for the PTI’s key demands, which included the release of Imran Khan, the configuration of election results based on Form 45, the release of arrested workers, the army stepping back from politics, and ensuring the judiciary’s independence. However, ironically, the government ended up aiding the PTI’s cause by placing containers to block all routes to the venue, dispersing the crowd with tear gas, and making a series of arrests after the event.

These unnecessary and poorly thought-out actions by the government ultimately played into the PTI’s hands. As the media shifted its focus from the less-than-expected turnout to the government’s aggressive and disproportionate response, it inadvertently boosted the PTI’s narrative. Had the government not taken such measures, it might have dampened PTI’s momentum, demoralized its leadership, and disillusioned its supporters. But, unfortunately for the government and establishment, and fortunately for the PTI, the government did exactly what it should have avoided.

To add insult to the injury, the arrest of PTI parliamentarians within the premises of the parliament and the rumors of abduction of the Chief Minister and other leaders catapulted the popularity of the PTI to new heights, increased its sympathy vote and conversely eroded the political capital of the government and the establishment.

Instead of exercising grace and restraint, the government responded to the tall claims, threats, and foul language from the opposition with even worse language. Rana Sanaullah, the government spokesman and de facto spokesperson for the establishment, hurled even more severe accusations and threats, reminiscent of the way Sultan Rahi used to challenge villains in old movies. He went as far as to challenge the KP Chief Minister, daring him to enter Punjab and face severe consequences. Sanaullah warned that the Chief Minister would not be allowed to hold a public meeting at Minar-e-Pakistan and would be insulted in a manner even worse than what was done to the Punjab Chief Minister.

These statements flagrantly disregarded the constitutional rights guaranteed to every citizen of Pakistan. Article 15 of the Constitution ensures the freedom of movement, stating, “Every citizen shall have the right to remain in, and, subject to any reasonable restriction imposed by law in the public interest, enter and move freely throughout Pakistan and to reside and settle in any part thereof.” Further, Article 16 guarantees the freedom of assembly, providing that “Every citizen shall have the right to assemble peacefully and without arms, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of public order.” Finally, Article 19 guarantees freedom of speech, ensuring that every citizen has the right to express their views, subject to restrictions related to the glory of Islam, national security, and public order. The threats and challenges issued by the government’s spokesperson clearly violated these fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution, which protect every citizen, including public figures like the KP Chief Minister.

In its reactive press conference, the PTI accused the government and establishment of subverting the Constitution, violating laws and regulations, disrespecting the sanctity of Parliament, abducting party leaders and workers, and suffocating the freedoms of the press, speech, and assembly—rights guaranteed under the Constitution.

During the press conference, the PTI leaders expressed regret for any inadvertent remarks made against the state, the military, and women in general. However, they stood by the substantive parts of the speech, particularly those delivered by the KP Chief Minister.

The General Secretary fully endorsed the Chief Minister’s statements regarding the role of the Army. Specifically, he supported the claim that the military should “put its house in order” and return to its barracks, vacating roles not constitutionally mandated to them. He emphasized that the Army should refrain from interfering in the electoral process, influencing the selection of parliamentarians, and undermining the people’s mandate. Furthermore, he called for the military to divest from its business, investment, trade, and real estate ventures, as these activities fall outside the Army’s core constitutional responsibilities. His key demand was for the Establishment to loosen its iron grip on the country, free the country and allow the nation and its people to breathe freely.

The speaker apologized for the part of the speech that insulted journalists but endorsed the substantive claim, stating that conducting interviews in the drawing rooms of individuals who were abducted, tortured, and coerced into giving confessional statements under duress goes against the established norms and ethics of journalism.

They also apologized for the derogatory remarks made against Parliament but stood by the part where the KP Chief Minister referred to it as a “faux parliament” lacking any mandate or endorsement from the people, calling its members stooges of those who brought them to power.

The speakers then announced a countrywide protest to be held on the coming Friday, condemning the unconstitutional actions of the government. The protest’s main objectives are to demand the release of arrested PTI leaders, including Imran Khan, and to call for free and fair elections.

Here’s the corrected and improved version of your text:

During the press conference, the KP Chief Minister, who had been absent for several hours, returned to his seat. It was revealed that he had been in a meeting with the establishment, discussing various political and law-and-order issues. However, the full details of these discussions came to light later. In a separate interview, Faisal Vawda added a critical perspective, hinting that while the Chief Minister was able to return this time, if a similar episode were to occur again in the future, he would face severe consequences.

The disproportionate reaction of the government and establishment against the PTI has once again elevated the party to a high moral ground, significantly boosting its political capital and public sympathy. This overreaction has had a negative impact on the law and order situation, heightened political tensions, and further eroded Pakistan’s international image. It has also scared away foreign traders, investors, and businessmen, worsening the overall perception of the country and further depleting public support for the government and the establishment.

Qamar Bashir

Former Press Secretary to the President

Former Press Minister to the Embassy of Pakistan to France

Former MD, SRBC, CEO, ATV