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PM's attack on Pakistan will fuel extremism, warns Imran Khan
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor30 Jul 2010
Cricket legend Imran Khan lambasted David Cameron today over his criticism of Pakistan, and warned that his remarks would radicalise more young Muslims against the West.
Mr Khan, founder of the Movement for Justice party and former husband of Jemima Goldsmith, said his country suffered more from terrorism than any other nation.
The sports-star-turned-politician said Mr Cameron had blundered with his comments in India this week. In a press conference, the Prime Minister had said Pakistan was "facing two ways" on terrorism and failing to do enough to root out extremists plotting with the Taliban and planning attacks on Britain.
His remarks raised eyebrows at the Foreign Office, where good relations with Islamabad are seen as vital in combating extremism. To smooth the diplomacy, a message was sent to Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari, who will be visiting Chequers next week, saying that Britain did believe his government was fighting hard against terrorism.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Khan said attacks by US drones which killed civilians in Pakistan's border region with Afghanistan were already risking civil war.
Suicide bombers were targeting his country more than its neighbours combined, he added: "There's a lot of anger in Pakistan at David Cameron's statements. People feel this country is the biggest sufferer of terrorism. We've had over 30,000 casualties in a war Pakistan has had nothing to do with - there was no Pakistani involved in 9/11.
"The failure in Vietnam was blamed on Cambodia and Cambodia was destroyed by the bombing. Today Pakistan is being bombed by its ally, the US ... killing mostly innocent people."
Mr Khan said America was already seen as more of a threat to Pakistan than India. He added: "The youth in Pakistan is getting radicalised. The more we are pressed to do more in this war on terror, the more the backlash, the more the ... radicalisation of our young.
"The threat to the West does not come from ... Afghanistan and Pakistan. It comes from the radicalised Muslim youth in the western countries. We are being blamed for the complete failure of this Afghanistan campaign."
Reader views (21)
Is Imran Khan making a comment or a threat? The burden of his kind of response seems to be that if we complain about terrorism and the places in which it thrives, we will get even more terrorism. I think David Cameron does smell the coffee and is trying to jolt others out of their dangerous complacency. Pakistan knows the problem exists, but it appears to have rather different policy aims on Afghanistan than we do. We should stop appeasing militant Islamists.
- James Elliott, Eastbourne UK, 02/08/2010 14:13
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@Ravi, London. British people won't have a problem with India's progress and fast growing economy. What they will a have problem with is if Dave Cameron carries through his suggestion that Indian politicians might dictate Britain's immigration policy.
Britain has become home to a lot of India's ambitious poor. Now India's *demanding* that we raise the immigration cap to take in greater numbers of their highly skilled. India has grown wealthy partly on the outsourcing of jobs from the US and the UK. Good luck to them in that. That does not lessen the growing discontent among British workers and the increasing unemployment figures here. Not to say the growing resentments among British business and IT workers as their jobs and prospects are being offered to foreign workers who then become nationalised.
British and Indian politicians can sew up whatever deals they want. But if the groundswell of the people here, of indigenous and various nationality heritages, see the job prospects for themselves and their children decreasing, that anger and discontent will make itself felt.
Politicians make the mistake of serving themselves, rather than the people they represent. Furthering their own importance on the world stage is paramount to some. Britain can live with a very diminished role on the world's stage. If only grandstanding politicians understood this. Look at Sweden, Norway. Better to downsize than burst at the seams through uncontrolled legalised immigration policies.
- Portland Bill, A small island, 02/08/2010 10:57
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Steve, Brentford - not too hot on contemporary history, or reality itself, are you.
- Rogan, Irving, 02/08/2010 04:28
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"Flash Cameron ought to wake up, smell the coffee and realise that before the HOLOCAUST in Afghanistan there were no Taliban, no Suicide bombers and there was no Jihad in Pakistan and also there was virtually no Poppy production in Afghanistan in the year prior to the invasion."
Your far from impressive grasp both on history, contemporary and presumably otherwise, Steve, Brentford, is an excellent reason for ignoring your fanciful opinion on this matter (I'm politely ignoring the likelihood of you being any more intelligent or knowledgeable regarding other topics as well).
- Rogan, Irving, 02/08/2010 04:23
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I completely agree with Roy G. I am gald that Cameron is now pandering to India rather than Pakistan. Something the British will have to get increasigly used to.
- Ravi, London, 01/08/2010 20:28
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Relatives of Alexander the Great. A bunch of misfits.
Will always be trouble.
- TC, london, 01/08/2010 10:22
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Imran Khan is not alone in asserting British foreign policy should be adjusted to pander for aliens in our midst. It merely demonstrates the folly of uncontrolled immigration and pandering to minorities regardless of the interests of the indigenous community.
- Roy G, Solihull, England., 31/07/2010 09:22
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Flash Cameron ought to wake up, smell the coffee and realise that before the HOLOCAUST in Afghanistan there were no Taliban, no Suicide bombers and there was no Jihad in Pakistan and also there was virtually no Poppy production in Afghanistan in the year prior to the invasion. Thereagain he thinks that the American involvement in World war 2 sarted in 1942 unless you count their ripping us off for the Liberty wrecks.
- Steve, Brentford, 30/07/2010 20:53
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Extremism is a choice - anyone making a choice is responsible for their choice thereafter. Absolving oneself by blaming all that follows on the excuse/reason/whatever for making that choice means that the chooser can do just about anything they like without guilt - it isn't their fault.
Wrong!
Choose something and you 'own' it thereafter. If you would claim the benefits of your actions, you have to accept the fault when a wrong is done as a result of that choice. It's called responsibility.
- Rogan, Irving, 30/07/2010 19:38
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Something of a deliberate terminological inexactitude, Nabeel Mirza? Or just detachment from reality? Religious extremism was imported into the country from the Middle East, not the West.
The extremists seek out the places they can mount their campaigns against their self-declared ideological and religious "opponents" (read "targets") in at least near safety. It is all too clear that Pakistan is seen to be such a place, else they wouldn't be operating from there. The government of Pakistan may well be trying to keep things under control, and I wish them the best of good fortune in that - but there is far too much influence on the members of that government by the very people they are seeking to control.
If Pakistanis want to be a part of the WORLD community, they need to be taking worldy responsibility for what is coming from within.
- Rogan, Irving, 30/07/2010 18:18
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stick to women and cricket OK. If i said s**t that would be enough for you.
- boludo, newcastle, 30/07/2010 17:45
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Imran Khan's ill-advised and false remarks will fuel extremism in the West
- John Smith, London, 30/07/2010 17:21
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"Imran Khan, if I remember correctly, he put himself forward for election in Pakistan but quickly withdrew when his life was threatened by extremists from the opposition parties, he then decided to return to the safety of the UK for a time."
Perhaps he's trying to 'buy' tolerance from the extremists, to let him pick up on his political ambitions again. If so, it doesn't say much for his incorruptability, does it!
- Rogan, Irving, 30/07/2010 17:09
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It was western countries who promoted extremisim in Pakistan to create Jahadis against Sovient Union. Once they won the battle they left Pakistan to face all the after affects. Its not Pakistan export , it was imported from west!
Pakistani have suffered casualties of more then 31000 people including over 8,000 soldiers in the war against terror.
It is time western coutries should accept their responsibilities.
It wa
- Nabeel Mirza, London UK, 30/07/2010 16:48
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The Muslims most people in political circles meet with are very very different to Muslims who live in poorer and ghetto areas. Some places you'd struggle to realise that you're in England at all as the customs, dress and even the language spoken in the streets is different. Must be tough on kids who don't know if they're here or there, coming or going.
- Annie, Leeds, 30/07/2010 16:24
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Khan is most probably up to his neck in skulduggery with the Taliban and doesn't like the truth being told
- Roy Lewis, Swindon, 30/07/2010 15:35
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Beat me to it Rogan! I was just about to say 'any excuse will do'!
- Liberal, West London, 30/07/2010 15:29
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Imran Khan might dwell on the fact that many of Britain's Muslim youth are confused and hampered by parents and grandparents who adopted to live in Britain, but that some cannot adapt well to living here. They opt to leave behind families, culture, traditions and their country purely for material gains in Britain, but are much more comfortable living in the past than integrating here. Having chosen to live in a western society radically different from their own, some just cannot adapt well to life here so they try to live here as if in a past that they've left behind. How can that not conflict their children?
It's not only dismally unsuccessful in regards to integration for themselves, it sometimes burdens their children with enormous confusion, who are trying to grow up here whilst being torn in two. Cultures and traditions of a country they've never lived in are imposed on them as they try to live in the country that's been chosen for them but that they've got to stand apart from. Family exclusion, or even death can result in some trying to even marry someone from the mainstream who's not Muslim. (Unlike Imran Khan).
Time that Imran Khan and British politicians factored in the sheer pressures and schizophrenia of identity expectations, and lack of, for bearing a very BIG responsibility in the radicalisation of some of Britain's Muslim youth.
- Don't pass the buck ... please, London, 30/07/2010 15:16
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Yep - they're big on latching onto the latest excuse to do what they're going to do anyway.
- Rogan, Irving, 30/07/2010 14:57
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Why is it that every time someone or somebody criticises any aspect of Islam the same old rhetoric that to do so will '..fuel extremism and will cause more Muslims to become extremists..' is trotted out. The idigenous populations and Governments of none Islamic countries have bent over backwards trying to accommodate and integrate Muslims into mainstream society, it has proved to be a complete waste of time. It seems to me that the very opposite is the case and that the more we give into Islam the more it demands. There has to be a cut of point where the West says enough is enough and if you don't like it here feel free to go back to your own totalitarian and undemocratic countries. As for Imran Khan, if I remember correctly, he put himself forward for election in Pakistan but quickly withdrew when his life was threatened by extremists from the opposition parties, he then decided to return to the safety of the UK for a time.
- pete, Brixton SW, 30/07/2010 14:40
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"PM's attack on Pakistan will fuel extremism, warns Imran Khan"
Because there wasn't any before we all became sick and tired of Pakistan's major export?
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 30/07/2010 14:13
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