Following the dramatic arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party chief and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the terror-plagued nation is teetering while supporters of PTI have visibly declared jihad against its mighty military and intelligence agency Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI).
Tens of thousands of angry protesters stormed the headquarters of the national broadcaster Radio Pakistan in Peshawar, setting the building on fire. At least fifteen people have died in the clashes and more than 500 have been injured, although official sources are trying to suppress the actual figure. A government official seeking anonymity told CNN that over 650 people have been detained in the province of Khyber Pakhunkhwa. According to Reuters, nearly 1,000 supporters of Imran Khan have been arrested in the country’s most populous Punjab province. Private schools were ordered shut nationwide, with certain countries, including the United States, issuing travel advisories.
The Pakistani government has blocked mobile internet services in a bid to quell the chaos, disrupting access to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Popular apps and digital payment systems have also been disrupted.
Riled by the constant state of corruption in a country historically led by powerful dynasties, Imran Khan’s eyes were set on politics, and he founded his own political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), in 1996. The party mostly languished in the political wilderness until 2013, with a crop of new voters attracted by Khan’s promise to put an end to corruption and economic troubles. The PTI roared ahead in that year’s general election – though they were unable to win a majority.
In 2018, backed by the military, Imran Khan was voted prime minister, promising a “new Pakistan”, vowing to eradicate poverty and corruption.
His unique brand of Islamic populism won him support from a young population in a country where anti-American sentiment and anti-establishment feelings are common.
But his relationship with the mighty army generals soured and things took a turn in 2022 when Khan was removed from power in a vote of no confidence over claims of economic mismanagement.
The ouster riled his supporters, sparking mass protests, as Khan increasingly spoke out publicly against the military’s role in politics.
In November 2022, Imran Khan survived a shooting at a political rally, in what his party called an assassination attempt.
Acting on the corruption charges, police and paramilitary troops had attempted to arrest Khan multiple times in recent months – with one operation this March ending in chaos as his supporters challenged authorities outside his home.
And the political upheaval appears to have only bolstered Khan’s popularity. Last year, his PTI party won local elections in the country’s most populous Punjab province, seen as a litmus test for national elections.
Battle between Imran Khan supporters and Pakistan army
Regarded as a formidable force in the country, the military has intervened in Pakistan’s politics multiple times in history, at times running the country directly.
And while political leaders have sometimes challenged its dominance in the past, analysts say the current situation is different because of who Khan’s supporters are.
It is “unique” that Khan has “garnered significant public support from the urban middle class, a group that has not traditionally been involved in challenging the military’s role in politics”, Syed Baqir Sajjad, a Pakistan Fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington told CNN.
“This has put increased pressure on the military establishment, which is feeling the heat more this time”, he said.
The situation on the ground remains tense with Khan in custody and no clear off-ramp to the crisis for now.
All of this, Syed Baqir Sajjad said, puts Pakistan in a precarious place and raises concerns about “the country’s stability”.
“The chance of the military establishment getting (a state of) emergency imposed in the country and keeping former Prime Minister Imran Khan behind bars for a prolonged time is fairly high, because none of the political actors are strong enough to pose a serious challenge to Khan’s PTI in polls”, he said.
“No situation is expected that would drastically alter the ground situation in favor of the incumbent government. Meanwhile, the army cannot afford Khan’s return to power”.
However, he adds it is “crucial to note” that such a move would have “severe consequences” for the country’s democratic institutions. “The imposition of a state of emergency would likely result in the suspension of civil liberties, the suppression of political dissent, and the curtailing of press freedom”, he said. “This, in turn, could lead to further unrest and instability, making it harder for Pakistan to attract foreign investment and maintain its economic growth”.
In my opinion, Imran Khan’s arrest has exposed the decades-old conflict between the country’s political class and mighty military establishment. Ever since the creation of Pakistan in 1947, its army has always considered the country as their exclusive property while it has been considering politicians and civilians as mere slaves. In Pakistan, any politician will fall foul of its military establishment whenever he or she makes any move towards freeing the country from the evil clutches of the army. Imran Khan’s long list of predecessors in this category include former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif, Benazir Bhutto and Pakistan’s first freely elected prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto; all spent extended periods behind bars. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged by military dictator General Ziaul Huq, which is seen as murder under the garb of military-dictated Kangaroo court. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s daughter Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated in 2007 just weeks after enduring house arrest under the orders of another military regime.
And now, following the arrest of Imran Khan, most of the politicians in Pakistan would suffer from fear of arrest, incarnation, torture in custody and even murder – notorious actions where country’s military establishment plays key role.
According to Imran Khan, Maj Gen Faisal Naseer of the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) – country’s rogue spy agency, had hands behind assassination attempt on Khan during a rally a few months ago.
Within hours, the army’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), hit back. In an angry statement, it denounced Khan’s “irresponsible and baseless” allegations against a serving military officer and deplored them as “unacceptable”.
Khan’s reaction, which came just hours before his arrest, pulled no punches. In a stinging rebuke, he called on the ISPR “to listen to me carefully” and warned that he was ready to die to foil the plot hatched by “Dirty Harry”. In a pre-recorded video released after his arrest, he also urged people “to come out” in protest.
Imran Khan supporters as well as those who are against Pakistan’s mighty military establishment have already come out in protests – ignoring fear of being arrested or murdered by the army or its puppets inside law enforcement agencies. Pakistani nationals are also holding protest rallies in a number of countries in the world. By arresting Imran Khan, the Pakistani military establishment has already pushed itself into direct confrontation with the mass people. Onwards, it will be seen who wins this war. If the military establishment wins – Pakistanis will become eternal slaves of those Generals sitting inside garrisons – enjoying luxurious lives at the cost of taxpayer’s money. If the military establishment is defeated – Pakistan may then at least find the path to ultimately emerging as a truly democratic nation.
