Context:

China has rolled over a $2 Billion loan to Pakistan to help with liquidity struggles. This loan will aid in preventing Pakistan’s reserves from falling even lower. As an ally of Pakistan, China happily provides money in exchange for considerable investment within Pakistan.

Encryption:

There are eight pieces on a green monopoly playing board: a cannon, thimble, top hat, iron, race car, dog, battleship, and boot.  Of these pieces, you and your fellow countrymen possess the cannon, thimble, top hat, and iron. However, it’s seems clear that the battleship and boot are better off than any other piece. In fact, these two pieces own most of the property on this board. Whether you’re on the dark blue property of Park Place, the pink property of Virginia Avenue, or the utilities of the electric company, there is a price to be paid. You are paying out of pocket just to be present there. Yet have you ever bothered to question why there are payments to be made when you own the entirety of the board? Considering you occupy six of the eight pieces, there should be no reason you aren’t in charge.

At this point, it seems that you’re slowly losing your own money to these high rollers.  After making numerous successful trips around the board, you have lost most of your funding. You have the decision to make you either give in and beg the battleship and boot for help or look for other pieces to go to. You decide to go with the battleship and boot; however, this comes at a cost: the two pieces would like to overhaul their investment practices on your board. They want to become the primary go-to for you and your limited properties. You agree and begin to receive funding from both pieces leading to you coming back above water. Your countrymen can continue successfully circumnavigating the board, but at what cost?

Instead of passing go, it’s time for everyone to send the battleship and boot straight to jail. Instead of collecting our funds, it’s time for battleship and boot to be removed from their positions! Next time you land on a blue or pink property, you ensure you have power and authority over that region. You are the up-and-coming business owners! Be proud as you help raise money on behalf of each other. To be successful, you must be able to win. With the battleship and boot locked up and selling off their property, we can influence just how successful our game plan can be. We can alter to who and where the money flows. Who needs chess or checkers when you have the tradition of monopoly.

Help Received: Below sites – Wesley Barbara

1. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-rolls-over-2-bln-loan-pakistan-finance-minister-2023-03-31/
2. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinese-loan-rollover-2-billion-pakistan-process-govt-source-2023-03-30/
3. https://www.dw.com/en/china-pakistan-investment-ties/a-58734281

The following tweet, published by Kamran Khan, a reporter at Dunya Media Group in Pakistan focuses on a Bloomberg article detailing the current economic outlook of Pakistan. The tweet raises concern as to Moody Investors Service’s downgrade of Pakistan’s local and foreign currency issuer as well as the country’s debt. Khan relays information from the article stating the investor service downgraded the country to level Caa3 which means there is a very high risk of defaulting: high credit, poor economic standing, and poor standing.

Kamran Khan’s tweet is concerning for Pakistan as it highlights the already crippled economic status of the country. Pakistan has previously signed an economic relief program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which will be expiring later this year. Given the current economic outlook, Pakistan’s future of financing both foreign and domestic is bleak. Increased inflation and fragmented supply chains mean Pakistan could potentially struggle to maintain trade relationships abroad. Currently, the economic problem in Pakistan has made its way into protests inspired by leaders including Imran Khan. It is a political crossroads between two administrations or leaders who have negatively impacted the Pakistani economy. Going forward, it will be interesting to see whether or not Pakistan renews its relief program with the IMF. A poor economy leads to poor development, which is not helpful in a country that is already extremely rural and poorly developed.

HR: Tweet from Kamran Khan – Wesley Barbara

BREAKING NEWS: DEFAULT RISK INCREASES Moody's further downgrades Pakistan rating to Caa3."Driven by Moody's assessment that Pakistan's increasingly fragile liquidity and external position significantly raises default risks to a level consistent with Caa3 rating pic.twitter.com/m4CuIv3FO3

— Kamran Khan (@AajKamranKhan) February 28, 2023

The article provided by ABC news details an arrest warrant that was administered by a Pakistani court today directed at Imran Khan, the former Pakistani Prime Minister who was removed from office last year. The judge responsible for the warrant presented it on the grounds that Khan was responsible for selling ‘state gifts’ and hiding ‘personal’ assets. Lately, Imran Khan has repeatedly drawn attention to himself and his party as he has led demonstrations around the country against the current administration. The Pakistani government has consistently attempted to reduce the footprint/impact Khan has had on Pakistanis through media censorship and information campaigns. Khan’s actions in Pakistan have not only resulted in this warrant but have as well resulted in his disbarment from becoming an eligible candidate for office.

Khan’s arrest warrant is not the only one to be served in the past few days. Just the day before, a former army general and ally of Imran Khan was arrested for “inciting the public and government employees against national institutions” (ABC News). What sticks out from this situation is the fact that this general had appeared on television just a few days before his arrest, calling out the current administration. He argued government officials were censoring and jailing pro-Khan supporters. Thus, this brings us back to the Freedom House reports we’ve read regarding Pakistan. It’s certainly quite the coincidence that a Khan-backed general who called out the government on news platforms was arrested.

Lastly, something that stands out within the report is this: Imran Khan had three separate courts rule he was immune to being arrested TODAY for different charges including terrorism, attempted murder, and graft. This makes me curious as to how the government/judiciary system generated the charges that Khan is currently being arrested for. The article ends on a note discussing the Pakistani economic crisis, describing the growing warning signs the country faces: downgrading economic assessments and potentially renewing an IMF bailout. The information above demonstrates the current state of Pakistan. In a region that has suffered from political and economic turmoil for decades, it seems there may be no end in sight (at least for Imran Khan).

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/pakistani-court-orders-arrest-former-premier-imran-khan-97516630

HR: the associated ABC news link discussing the Imran Khan arrest warrant – Wesley Barbara

In the following Tweet, Arshad Sharif, a now-deceased Journalist who had an extremely large following posted the following tweet in the fall of 2022. This tweet features a video of protests, orchestrated by Iram Khan, taking place in parts of Islamabad. Khan, the ousted prime minister of Pakistan, gathered a large number of supporters in October in order to challenge the current regime in power. He wanted a snap election to occur, essentially meaning an election that occurs ahead of the anticipated polling dates. Sharif’s tweet brings awareness to a problem we’ve discussed in class: censorship and the media. Sharif’s tweet takes the perspective that the government (“known unknowns”) was censoring the Khan-backed protests in order to minimize the number of individuals taking interest in the dissent. It’s an argument questioning why the government is trying to save face by reducing the footprint of Imran Khan’s protests. Now, if we were to ask why the government/Pakistani TV would censor the protests, it most likely would come down to Imran Khan and his large following. Even though he was ousted by the national assembly, the former Prime Minister still maintains support from across the country. I feel like this demonstrates just how torn apart politics in the region can be.

#Censorship being imposed on #Pakistani TV channels by”known unknowns” with directions not to show protests across #Pakistan by #Pakistanis over disqualification of Fmr Pakistani Prime Minister #ImranKhan by the government.
(Heavy tear gas shelling at Faizabad by police). pic.twitter.com/JdInr5l2f6

— Arshad Sharif (@arsched) October 21, 2022

HR: the imbedded tweet from Arshad Sharif, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistans-ex-premier-imran-khan-set-march-islamabad-demand-snap-polls-2022-10-28/ (to gain background on the situation), https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-60966758 (gain background on situation) – Wesley Barbara