Pakistan: Political Crisis Deepens With Arrest Of Ex-PM Imran Khan – OpEd
By Altaf Moti
Pakistan is facing a political crisis as former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who leads the largest opposition party in the country, was arrested on Tuesday by paramilitary forces on charges of corruption. His supporters have condemned the arrest as a “political vendetta” by the current government and the military, and have called for nationwide protests.
Imran Khan, who was ousted from power in April 2022 after losing a no-confidence vote in parliament, has been leading a popular campaign against the government and the military, accusing them of colluding to remove him from office and of being involved in massive corruption and interference in political affairs. He has also vowed to punish them for their crimes if he returns to power.
Imran Khan faces multiple graft cases filed against him by the anti-corruption and other agencies, which he says are politically motivated and biased. He is accused of illegally selling gifts given to him by foreign dignitaries while he was in office, which he denies. He has also defied several arrest warrants issued against him and has clashed with the police and his supporters on several occasions.
Imran Khan is widely regarded as a genuine leader and a champion of anti-corruption in Pakistan. He is also the founder and leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which is the largest political party in the country according to the latest opinion polls. He is a former cricket star who led Pakistan to win the 1992 World Cup and later became a philanthropist and a social activist. He is known for his honesty, charisma and vision for a prosperous and democratic Pakistan.
The current government of Pakistan is a coalition of several parties led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was also removed from office on corruption charges in 2017. The government has been struggling with an economic crisis, high inflation, low foreign reserves, a stalled IMF bailout program, a revenue shortfall, and rising militancy.
The government has also been in a constitutional standoff with the Supreme Court over holding elections in Punjab province, which could result in court action against the government. The court has previously sacked two prime ministers.
The arrest of Imran Khan came a day after the military issued a rare statement denouncing him for making allegations against a serving officer. The military has ruled Pakistan for more than 30 of its 75 years and has often intervened in political affairs. Military coups have followed political chaos three times.
The arrest of Imran Khan has sparked outrage among the peoples from all walksof life, who have taken to the streets to protest and demand his release. They have also announced a nationwide strike on Wednesday to paralyze the country. The government has deployed security forces to maintain law and order and has warned against any violence or disruption.
The political crisis in Pakistan has raised concerns among its allies and neighbors, who fear that instability and violence could affect regional security and cooperation. The United States, China, Iran, Afghanistan and other countries have urged restraint and dialogue among all parties to resolve the situation peacefully and democratically.
The political crisis in Pakistan has also highlighted the challenges and opportunities for democracy and development in the country, which has been marred by corruption, extremism, intolerance, poverty and inequality. The people of Pakistan deserve better governance and accountability from their leaders, who should respect their mandate and aspirations.
However, many analysts believe that the real power behind the political turmoil in Pakistan is the army, which has been interfering in the political matters illegally and beyond its limits. The army does not want Imran Khan to be prime minister for the sake of their ulterior motives. Due to army interference, the country has reached at the brink of bankruptcy.
Imran Khan has exposed the corruption of all parties that have joined hands against him and formed a government with the support of the army. The coalition government of these parties is doing record-breaking corruption and has got free from corruption cases registered in courts.
It has been proved in courts that Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, Asif Zardari and other partners in the present government have transferred billions of dollars to foreign countries earned by corruption.
Former army chief General Bajwa has also committed corruption and is truly responsible for the present crisis. He has amassed wealth through his family business empire during his term in office. He has also tried to influence foreign policy by maintaining close ties with China and India.
Imran Khan’s arrest is seen as an attempt by the army to silence him and his supporters who are demanding justice and accountability from both civilian and military leaders. Imran Khan’s party has vowed to continue its struggle until he is released and democracy is restored in Pakistan.
The generals do as they please and who will dare to question them.
The Generals are a CANCER and are eating away Pakistan along with their cohorts, the CORRUPT Sharifs, Mulla, and Zardaris.