Pakistan plunges into deeper political turmoil as former PM Imran Khan faces terrorism charges. And this anti Imran Khan mind set has turned into some pandemic gripping most of the powerful institutions who have fallen prey to this pandemic.
The global community is aghast to watch scenes after scenes being enacted on all fronts against the most popular leader of Pakistan. The institutions have turned immune to those disgrace that is pouring on their way. Ask any man on the street, you will see that from kids to grandpas,. all are with Imran. And this remains the truth, no matter how one tries to distort it. Even a prestigious newspaper like Dawn has to write against this institutional anti Imran mindset and the disaster that would come if the plot is enacted.
The , therefore, powerful institution, has embarked upon a mission to defang and neutralize Khan, and as it had done in the case of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif and several others, has opted for the legal route to achieve this. The results and consequences of such a course of action are moot, and will only be known once this whole drama has run its course,
Khan has, aided by the shortsightedness of the government, regained much of his popularity since he was unceremoniously ousted in April. Not only is he criticizing the military and the corruption at the heart of Pakistan’s Army-led economy, he is doing so in a 21st-century manner making heavy use of social media and livestreaming. His appeal to female voters and the youth is notable. He has, therefore, been addressing massive rallies of tens of thousands of people in recent months.
With the stringent International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditions causing the government to raise prices of fuel considerably and put in place austerity measures, the economic hardships that the people are facing has caused them to forget the four years of misrule by Imran Khan, who is now so popular that if the elections are held today he is likely to win easily.
The New York Times wrote “The drama has laid bare the perilous state of Pakistani politics — a winner-take-all game in which the security forces and the justice system are wielded as weapons to sideline those who have fallen out of favor with the country’s powerful military establishment or political elite. That playbook has been decades in the making, and it has turned the country’s political sphere into a brutal playground in which only a few elite leaders dare play. It has also rendered the Pakistani public deeply disillusioned with the political system and the handful of family dynasties that have been at the top of it for decades.”
If Imran Khan can absorb and overcome the intense pressure that is today upon him and thereby increase his popularity, that may pave the way for a decisive victory for him in the elections next year. What impact such a victory will have on civil – military relations in Pakistan would then be very interesting to observe.
The economy is on the verge of a total meltdown and cannot survive without financial and diplomatic assistance from countries like the United States, China, the Arab states—all of whom aren’t exactly wanting to see Imran back on the saddle.
Former US Ambassador to Afghanistan and the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad again cautioned the government against taking extreme measures against former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan.
In a series of tweets, Khalilzad noted there are indications that Pakistan’s parliament, which is controlled by the governing coalition, might well ask the Supreme Court to disqualify Imran Khan from running for election and even prohibit PTI in the next few days.
“The government appears to have decided to set up Imran Khan as Enemy No 1 of the State. Such steps will only deepen Pakistan’s triple crises: political, economic, and security. Already, some countries have suspended planned investments,” he said.
“The IMF support remains doubtful. If the steps mentioned take place, international support for #Pakistan will decline further. Political polarisation and violence will likely increase,” he added.
“I hope the Pakistani political leaders rise above destructive petty politics that undermine the national interest. If not, I hope the Supreme Court says no to being used in games that undermine the nation’s interests. I am becoming increasingly concerned about Pakistan,” concluded the US leader.
