Donald Trump, who has won himself a second term as the President of the United States just recently, has been causing a surprise wave of celebration in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-PTI. American politics, seemingly so far removed from Pakistan’s internal issues and interests, has never seemed so close to blessing the party with a convenient outcome. Such enthusiasm underlines a complicated relationship PTI has had with the U.S. and reveals an unusual combination of optimism with reliance on foreign influence for domestic political gains.
PTI’s Reaction: Trump as a Potential Ally
Trump’s return to the White House is something of a hope for PTI. Many parties are still upbeat over his win and welcomed it, hoping that a Trump administration could be the turn to be good for PTI’s struggling leadership, in particular Imran Khan, who has been facing very serious legal challenges in Pakistan. The hope is that Trump could pressure Pakistan’s govt to unbend its stance towards PTI and could even see Khan behind bars set free, and PTI return to power once again.
PTI’s hope appears to be tied to the fact that Trump is touted as a bold, aggressive leader who doesn’t balk at taking controversial decisions and making them happen. PTI seems to hope that Trump’s style might cut it in making people rally behind the party as much as its objectives, and so this case becomes one wherein the foreign success of the leader has all the Pakistani political parties cheer.
PTI Once Had Its Heart in Foreign Interests
What is interesting in this scenario is PTI’s evolving stance towards foreign influence in Pakistani politics. Most of the time, PTI has criticized all those parties that were meshed with foreign powers, calling those “imported” governments which worked for international interests instead of sovereignty of Pakistan. But the party’s rejoice over Trump’s Victory unfolds an evolution, for PTI today is openly smiling at American interference to settle its own political struggles.
This is most illustrative in PTI’s outreach to the American Congress and lobbying for resolutions in their favor on an issue of stance. That recent hope that Trump will intervene actively marks a flip-flop from previous anti-American rhetoric of PTI, where America involvement is now seen as being helpful.
Realistic Expectations: Can Trump Really Help PTI?
History, however, shows that changes in the US administration hardly translate on the ground to policy shifts in South Asia. While there are aspects of leadership style uniquely part of the Trump regime, the overarching imperatives guiding US engagement in South Asia remain relatively unchanged: managing the relationship with India, combating terrorism, and addressing China’s regional ambitions. It is unknown whether Trump will set these long-set priorities aside in preference for Pakistani domestic politics; he has been known to pursue a transactional approach to foreign relations.
Whereas even if Trump shows interested in PTI’s plight, it will hardly change the U.S. policies to benefit one party at a time. His government would probably be more concerned with some strategic objectives that might either coincide or conflict with PTI’s expectations.
This would put a lot of nationalistic dependency on a foreign power to do what can be only done inside Pakistan. That’s because lessons from history already show, alliances often come along with their own problems.
There is even a hope that the idealism around Trump’s win might go sour for PTI as well. PTI, openly supporting an American leader, will put it in line of fire for criticizing such a stance of overt dependence on foreign elements as not consonant with the nationalist sentiments of some of its followers. PTI may then find itself at the mercy of whatever policies Trump implements if they do not align with its own schemes.
Moreover, this can hurt the PTI’s credibility since it has, in the past, always been opposed to “imported” governments. If Trump does not meet their expectations, they will be subject to criticism of having undermining changing values and reliance on extraneous forces. As the saga of Pakistani politics unfolds, PTI might find itself at a juncture where it needs to change tack and reconcile the aspirations for foreign support with the concept of national independence.
Conclusion: The Hopeful Gamble of PTI
PTI’s reaction to the victory of Trump is an expression of the hope of the party for some upswing in its fortunes. In that sense, PTI appears to get ready to change its posture on the foreign influences to meet the short-term needs by rejoicing over the victory of Trump. However, there is also a risk factor involved with such an approach.
Over the coming months, it will be crucial to observe how PTI’s expectations shape up and whether what Trump does indeed aligns with the party’s aspirations. Till then, PTI’s supporters continue to remain hopeful that this American election can be a watershed moment for them in their own political sojourn. Only time will tell if this hope blossoms into success or yet another political gamble in Pakistan’s dynamic political landscape.