Pakistan’s Imran Khan turns guns on former patrons while crisis deepens
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Once supported by Pakistan’s powerful security establishment, former prime minister Imran Khan now blames his erstwhile patrons for his government’s fall. He laments the “neutrality’ of the military leadership in the political fray that paved the way for what he describes as an “imported government” installed by a “foreign conspiracy.” His tenor has become harsher after his failed attempt to storm the capital with millions of his supporters.
He is not only challenging the new civilian dispensation but also targeting the military leadership. He has now taken off the gloves. His no-holds-barred speeches at recent public rallies leave nothing to the imagination. In a recent interview with a private TV channel, the former prime minister warned the military leadership that the country “will head towards suicide if the security establishment doesn't make right calls.”
Khan’s remarks have provoked a strong reaction from the military. But the warning that the military must not be dragged into the political fray has not deterred the former prime minister. It is evident that Khan actually wants the security establishment to be on his side rather than stay neutral in the political power struggle.
The campaign against the military leadership by his party supporters seems to be a part of the effort to bring the institution under pressure. His recent remarks that the country could break up into three parts if the present dispensation remains in power has provoked intense reaction from the military. It’s an extremely dangerous game that could have serious implications for the unity of the institution.
Khan’s government was ousted in April by a no confidence vote after less than four years in office. It was the first time in Pakistan’s history that an elected government was voted out by the parliament. The former cricketer turned politician had swept into power in a controversial election in August 2018.
Khan is not only challenging the new civilian dispensation but also targeting the military leadership. He has now taken off the gloves.
Zahid Hussain
Khan led a coalition government comprising five smaller parties. Its survival despite a very thin majority, owed to the support from the military establishment. The unraveling of the coalition began with the security establishment stepping back from its support for the PTI government. He received further setbacks after defections from his own party ranks.
The no confidence motion against Imran Khan was passed with a simple majority with his party law-makers abstaining from the vote. The house elected Shahbaz Sharif as the new prime minister. The PML(N) leader heads a coalition government of nine disparate political parties. The change of government seems to have worsened the political crisis in the country.
Khan is not willing to accept his ouster as a part of a democratic political process. He is now out on the streets seeking to bring down the Sharif government. Khan’s ultra nationalist narrative seems to have galvanized his support base. His rallies across the country are drawing huge crowds.
But he received a huge political setback on May 25 when his much-hyped march on Islamabad came to an abrupt end. Khan had called upon his supporters to storm the capital as part of what he described as a ‘battle for real freedom’. He has been demanding the immediate dissolution of the National Assembly and the announcement of an election date.
Fearing violence, the government launched massive crackdowns on the opposition leaders and sealed the capital to stop the march. But the blocks were removed on the Supreme Court’s orders. Many PTI supporters managed to enter the high security zone that houses parliament and other important government buildings, braving massive tear gas shelling by the police.
But Khan turned back, leaving his supporters disappointed. He later justified his decision to call off the ‘march,’ saying he feared that clashes with the law-enforcement agencies could lead to ‘bloodshed,’ as according to him, his supporters were also armed.
That may be true, yet it was not the only reason for Imran Khan’s turnabout. In fact, to his utter disappointment, only a trickle of people, instead of the millions he hoped for, turned up to storm the capital. He has now threatened to return to the capital with millions of people soon. But it may not be easy for the former prime minister while pitted against the security establishment.
It is perhaps the worst political crisis the country has faced in the last several decades. In the absence of a democratic solution, there is always the danger of extra-constitutional intervention.
- Zahid Hussain is an award-winning journalist and author. He is a former scholar at Woodrow Wilson Centre and a visiting fellow at Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, and at the Stimson Center in DC. He is author of Frontline Pakistan: The struggle with Militant Islam and The Scorpion’s tail: The relentless rise of Islamic militants in Pakistan. Frontline Pakistan was the book of the year (2007) by the WSJ. His latest book ‘No-Win War’ was published this year.
Twitter: @hidhussain
