Pakistan Elections 2018: Imran Khan and a New South Asia

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Carnegie India

Pakistan Elections 2018: Imran Khan and a New South Asia

Any easing of tensions with Afghanistan and India will significantly boost Pakistan’s prospects for economic advancement at home and the elevation of its international standing.

By C. Raja Mohan

Published on Aug 2, 2018

Source: Institute of South Asian Studies

If the rise of Imran Khan to the top of Pakistan’s political heap is rooted in popular aspirations for change, analysts are sceptical about any significant evolution in the nation’s internal and external orientation after the elections. While the constraints on the civilian leadership are real, the status quo in Pakistan is increasingly difficult to sustain. It is possible to imagine a course correction at home and abroad if Khan can generate a new domestic consensus on key national issues on the basis of his mass appeal and the trust of the army that so dominates Pakistan’s political life. Any easing of tensions with Afghanistan and India will significantly boost Pakistan’s prospects for economic advancement at home and the elevation of its international standing. It is possible to imagine a course correction at home and abroad if Khan can generate a new domestic consensus on key national issues on the basis of his mass appeal and the trust of the army that so dominates Pakistan’s political life.

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This paper was originally published by the Institute of South Asian Studies, an autonomous research institute at the National University of Singapore.

About the Author

C. Raja Mohan

Former Nonresident Senior Fellow, Carnegie India

A leading analyst of India’s foreign policy, Mohan is also an expert on South Asian security, great-power relations in Asia, and arms control.

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Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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