Editorial: Pakistan under siege

Imran Khan’s arrest has only pushed the government and the military establishment deeper into controversy

Already caught in an unprecedented economic crisis and resurgence of terrorist attacks, the latest developments in Pakistan — the dramatic arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan from a court complex and the subsequent nationwide riots — have pushed the country into utter chaos. There are widespread fears that the situation has crossed the Rubicon and may be ripe for a military takeover. Though the official version is that Imran, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was detained in connection with a land scam involving him and his wife, the real reason appears to be his allegation that a senior ISI functionary was plotting to assassinate him. The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, seen as the most popular politician in the country now, was whisked away by Pakistani rangers from Islamabad high court premises after beating up his lawyers and his security staff. The provocative move is widely seen as an action not by the civilian government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif but of the Pakistan army as Imran has been on a collision course with the powerful military establishment. The spontaneous outburst of public anger saw his supporters storming the army headquarters in Rawalpindi and the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore, a rare spectacle in a country under the firm grip of the army. Lahore is now virtually cut off from the rest of the province following massive protests on the main roads including the entry and exit points. In a pre-recorded video released after his arrest, an emotional Khan claimed that the fundamental rights and democracy in Pakistan have been buried.

While the ham-handed treatment by the military establishment will certainly boost Imran’s image as a fighter for democracy, the rapid deterioration of the situation may not offer easy exits for any of the players involved in the unsavoury political saga. The fresh developments have virtually dashed hopes of any negotiated settlement to break the present political stalemate. Imran’s arrest has only pushed the government and the military establishment deeper into controversy and will lead to even greater public distrust and resentment. Ever since his ouster as prime minister in April last year, through a no-confidence vote, Imran has acquired a cult status as a people’s hero and has been openly taking on the army top brass with a series of allegations. Seeking early national elections, he has been rallying the people against the military and the Shehbaz Sharif government that replaced his regime. If all goes according to the army’s script, it is likely that Imran will be convicted in one or more of the many cases filed against him, and disqualified from running for office, meeting the same fate as his predecessor Nawaz Sharif. As long as elections continue to be postponed and the public is silenced, continued confrontation will only drive even more wedges between the people and the state.

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