{"id":26473,"date":"2022-08-24T15:07:01","date_gmt":"2022-08-24T15:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pardesnewsusa.com\/main\/?p=26473"},"modified":"2022-08-24T15:07:01","modified_gmt":"2022-08-24T15:07:01","slug":"pakistans-imran-khan-is-now-the-target-of-forces-he-once-wielded","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pardesnewsusa.com\/main\/2022\/08\/26473\/","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan\u2019s Imran Khan Is Now the Target of Forces He Once Wielded"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">ormer Prime Minister <a class=\"css-yywogo\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/08\/22\/world\/asia\/imran-khan-what-we-know.html\">Imran Khan<\/a>\u2019s allies have been arrested. Media outlets and public figures considered sympathetic to him have been intimidated or silenced. He has been hit with <a class=\"css-yywogo\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/08\/21\/world\/asia\/pakistan-imran-khan.html\">charges under Pakistan\u2019s antiterrorism act<\/a> and faces the prospect of arrest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">For weeks, Pakistan has been gripped by a political showdown between the ruling establishment and Mr. Khan, the former cricket star turned populist politician who was ousted from the prime minister post this year. The drama has laid bare the perilous state of Pakistani politics \u2014 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\u2019s powerful military establishment or political elite.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">That playbook has been decades in the making, and it has turned the country\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"><\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-8atqhb\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Khan\u2019s own meteoric rise from the fringes of politics to the prime minister\u2019s office in 2018 was a showcase for how hard-bitten Pakistan\u2019s politics have become: His competitors were <a class=\"css-yywogo\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/06\/06\/world\/asia\/pakistan-military-dissent-censorship.html\">winnowed from the electoral field<\/a> by criminal charges, and by threat and intimidation from the security forces. Once in office, he and his supporters employed those same tools to harass and silence journalists and political opponents who criticized him.<\/p>\n<p>Even after falling out with military leaders and being removed from office earlier this year <a class=\"css-yywogo\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/04\/09\/world\/asia\/imran-khan-pakistan-ousted.html\">in a no-confidence vote<\/a>, the charismatic politician has been able to keep himself and his party at the <a class=\"css-yywogo\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/07\/18\/world\/asia\/pakistan-imran-khan-punjab-elections.html\">center of Pakistani politics<\/a>. It is a demonstration of his ability to tap into the public\u2019s deep-seated frustration with the political system and wield the kind of populist power once relegated to Pakistani religious leaders.<\/p>\n<p>That popularity has alarmed the new government, led by <a class=\"css-yywogo\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/04\/11\/world\/asia\/pakistan-shehbaz-sharif-prime-minister.html\">Shehbaz Sharif<\/a>, and the military establishment, which began picking off his supporters and have now turned the justice system on Mr. Khan himself. But the well-worn playbook seems to be doing little to keep him in check, at least so far, and some analysts fear the showdown could erupt into violence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe former prime minister has been accused of threatening government officials \u2014 they are serious allegations bringing the confrontation between him and the federal government to a head,\u201d said Zahid Hussain, an Islamabad-based political analyst and a columnist for Dawn, the country\u2019s leading daily. \u201cAny move to arrest him could ignite an already volatile political situation.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Since Pakistan\u2019s founding 75 years ago, the nuclear-armed nation has been plagued by political volatility and military coups. Even in the calmest of times, the country\u2019s military establishment has been the invisible hand guiding electoral politics, ushering its allies into positions of power and pushing away rivals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"><\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The last prime minister to be driven from office before Mr. Khan, Nawaz Sharif \u2014 the older brother of the current prime minister \u2014 was <a class=\"css-yywogo\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/07\/28\/world\/asia\/pakistan-prime-minister-nawaz-sharif-removed.html\">disqualified from holding office<\/a> in 2017 over corruption charges in a controversial verdict by the Supreme Court. The elder Sharif sought refuge in London, joining a long line of political figures effectively exiled from Pakistan under the threat of criminal charges.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In an echo of that political script, on Sunday Mr. Khan was <a class=\"css-yywogo\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/08\/21\/world\/asia\/pakistan-imran-khan.html\">charged under Pakistan\u2019s antiterrorism act<\/a> after giving a speech to thousands of supporters in the capital, Islamabad, in which he threatened legal action against senior police officers and a judge involved in the recent arrest of one of his top aides.<\/p>\n<p>The charges intensified the showdown between the government and Mr. Khan, and added to a wave of reports of harassment, arrest and intimidation aimed at journalists and allies of Mr. Khan in recent weeks that many view as a coordinated effort by the authorities to dampen his political prospects.<\/p>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The Pakistani military denies accusations that it is behind the recent crackdown against Khan\u2019s supporters and the news media. It said that the institution had adopted a \u201cneutral\u201d position and remains apolitical. And military officials have stressed that the army has nothing to do with police cases and the civilian courts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cDon\u2019t drag the military into politics,\u201d Maj. Gen. Babar Iftikhar, the army spokesman, said recently, stressing that the military has taken a position of not favoring any political faction.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"><\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In any case, the crackdown appears to have heightened Mr. Khan\u2019s popularity, analysts say, bolstering his claims that the military establishment conspired to topple his government in April.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"><\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cWhat differentiates this moment from previous moments is the amount of sheer street power Khan has,\u201d said Madiha Afzal, a fellow at the Brookings Institution. \u201cAnd street power makes a difference in Pakistan even when it does not translate into electoral votes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In recent months, Mr. Khan has regularly drawn tens of thousands of supporters onto the streets, where he has lashed out at the current government and the military. The overwhelming public support has buoyed his hopes for a political comeback, and he has demanded new elections, refusing political dialogue with his rivals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The crackdown on Mr. Khan and his supporters has intensified frustrations among young, social-media-savvy Pakistanis and the older generation alike over the entrenched corruption and all-powerful hand of the military in the country\u2019s political system.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cFirst, they ousted him from the premiership, and now want to arrest him, ban his speeches at TV channels, and harass his team members,\u201d said Sharafat Ali, a university student sitting with his friends at a cafe in the country\u2019s economic hub, Karachi. \u201cBut such fascist actions cannot deter the country\u2019s people, particularly youth, from supporting Khan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Nearby at a busy market in the heart of Karachi, Jamshed Awan sat on his rickshaw as traffic lurched past him. Like many of his friends and neighbors, Mr. Awan has become increasingly disappointed with the country\u2019s politics, he says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"><\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cMost of the parts of the country have been submerged by rain-related flooding, petrol prices are on rise, and inflation is on its record,\u201d Mr. Awan said. \u201cBut instead of focusing on these issues, the government\u2019s entire focus is entirely on Imran Khan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In the past two months, Mr. Khan has managed to parlay his widespread support into electoral prowess. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, won sweeping victories in local elections in Punjab \u2014 a province that has often served as a bellwether for national politics \u2014 and in the port city of Karachi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">And however out of favor he may be with the military\u2019s top brass, Mr. Khan has retained sympathizers within the ranks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">A cohort of retired military officials have attended pro-Khan demonstrations in recent months. And his chief of staff, Shahbaz Gill, went so far as to urge officers to refuse to obey their leaders during a live TV appearance, leading to his arrest and accusations that he has been trying to incite rebellion within the military.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Khan says that Mr. Gill has been tortured and sexually abused while in custody, though senior government ministers and Islamabad police officials deny that claim. In an escalation of his case late Monday evening, police officers in Islamabad raided Mr. Gill\u2019s room in parliamentary lodging, officials said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">On Monday, Mr. Khan was granted a form of bail, which is allowed in Pakistan before an arrest is made. But many fear that if Mr. Khan is ultimately arrested, it will worsen the political turmoil that has embroiled the country in recent weeks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Khan\u2019s supporters have warned that Mr. Khan\u2019s arrest would be a \u201cred line,\u201d and as news of the charges spread on Sunday night, hundreds of them gathered outside his palatial hillside residence on the outskirts of Islamabad and vowed to resist.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIf this red line is crossed, we will be forced to shut down the country,\u201d said Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari, a close aide of Mr. Khan\u2019s. \u201cArresting him will result in a nationwide revolt.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ormer Prime Minister Imran Khan\u2019s allies have been arrested. Media outlets and public figures considered sympathetic to him have been intimidated or silenced. He has been hit with charges under Pakistan\u2019s antiterrorism act and faces the prospect of arrest. For weeks, Pakistan has been gripped by a political showdown between the ruling establishment and Mr. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26474,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"source_name":"","source_url":"","via_name":"","via_url":"","override_template":"0","override":[{"template":"1","single_blog_custom":"","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"top","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"1","show_post_related":"1","show_inline_post_related":"0"}],"override_image_size":"0","image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post":"0","trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post":"0","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","sponsored_post_name":"","sponsored_post_url":"","sponsored_post_logo_enable":"0","sponsored_post_logo":"","sponsored_post_desc":"","disable_ad":"0"},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":""},"jnews_override_counter":{"override_view_counter":"0","view_counter_number":"0","override_share_counter":"0","share_counter_number":"0","override_like_counter":"0","like_counter_number":"0","override_dislike_counter":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[74],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pardesnewsusa.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pardesnewsusa.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pardesnewsusa.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pardesnewsusa.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pardesnewsusa.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26473"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pardesnewsusa.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26473\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26475,"href":"https:\/\/pardesnewsusa.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26473\/revisions\/26475"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pardesnewsusa.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pardesnewsusa.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pardesnewsusa.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pardesnewsusa.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}