A Peaceful Pakistan Benefits the Entire Region.

Byline: Haiyang He, Andi Luo and Fang Luo

On May 9, 2022, former Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan was arrested while appearing in the High Court in the capital city of Islamabad on corruption charges. He was accused of accepting land as a bribe and exchanging political interests during his tenure. His arrest sparked large-scale protests within Pakistan, and his supporters clashed fiercely with Pakistani security forces, resulting in a large number of casualties. Many countries have called on all forces in Pakistan to exercise restraint and avoid further conflicts. Imran Khan denied the charges, stating that the land was donated for charitable purposes. He also accused the military and intelligence agencies of attempting to assassinate him. At present, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has ruled that the arrest of Imran Khan is invalid.

Although Imran Khan has been granted bail, his supporters claim that he is innocent and threaten to launch more protests in Pakistan. Three detrimental outcomes have resulted from this fight. First and foremost, this catastrophe has worsened Pakistan's political unrest and social divisions, which have had an impact on the stability and security of the nation. Following Imran Khan's imprisonment, there were strikes, street blockades, and other protests that were violent and cost many lives across the nation. In addition to endangering Pakistan's social order and public safety, this undermines the nation's political stability and democratic process while also undermining the legitimacy and credibility of the administration.

Second, the improvement of people's living conditions and Pakistan's economic growth have both been impacted by this tragedy. Imran Khan adopted a number of economic reform initiatives during his leadership to deal with the massive fiscal deficit and pressure from foreign debt, including spending cuts and exchange rate adjustments. To increase investment, employment, and development prospects for Pakistan, he also vigorously pushed economic and commercial cooperation with friendly nations like China, particularly the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project. This tragedy has increased Pakistan's economic risks and uncertainties, which could cause market volatility, a drop in investor confidence, and capital outflow. The political turmoil has also taken up a significant amount of the Pakistani...