Hatred politics could destroy Pakistan

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife were sentenced to 14 years jail after being found guilty of corruption. Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi have been accused of retaining and selling state gifts when he was in power, but many see this as a political move by the military establishment of Pakistan to further isolate Khan.

In addition to his prison term, Khan was also disqualified from holding any public office for 10 years, yet another blow to Khan, the famous cricketer-cum-politician and its political carrier and team.

The verdict was announced days before political moments attempted a return to power as preparations have been underway for the country’s parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) summoned the country’s national security officials to discuss measures and steps to be taken to protect the polling stations ahead of the February 8 elections across the country. The commission also issued a notification announcing a public holiday on election day. The ECP put reason behind the public holiday as to enable voters to vote freely and easily.

At the same time, the election body has a serious concern over the security situation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces and asked the security officials to stay alert all the time to protect the sites. Militant groups are more active in these two provinces and witnessed a series of attacks. The election body preserves all rights of concern as only yesterday (Tuesday) a parliamentary candidate was killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while another political leader was shot dead in the electoral office of his party in Balochistan.

Sentencing Khan and his wife badly affecting image of Pakistan at global stage  

Whatever might be claims or strategies of military establishment but court verdicts against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and spouse badly affecting the image of Pakistan at global level, said a Pakistani political export.

Workers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) gather in front of the offices of the Election Commission of Pakistan in Karachi to protest against its decision to disqualify party chairman Imran Khan. AFP

Speaking to Harici, the veteran pundit Shamim Shaid said that all these decisions are not only made in hurry but are lacking the right of defense. “No doubt to mention that on the issue of Imran Khan state organs are divided. Powerful military establishment is bent upon elimination of Imran Khan whereas he has support within the judiciary. Only Supreme Court of Pakistan chief Justice Faez Essa making attempts to settle scores with the judiciary,” he added.

At the moment Imran Khan and his PTI kept away from the election process but PTI affiliated independent candidates becoming a serious problem for the military establishment. “It is also a fact that Imran Khan still enjoys support within Jewish lobby and on such grounds the international community is also pressurizing the military establishment to behave with Imran Khan. However, the situation is very critical for Pakistan as its internal and external problems are being complicated,” he added.

Khan and his ex-FM Qureshi accused of damaging Pak-US relations

The Special Court established under the Special Secret Act also sentenced Khan’s former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to 10 years behind bars and issued a verdict in the cipher case which accused both Khan and Qureshi for violating their oaths during their time of office as Prime Minister and Foreign Minister and caused damage to the Pakistan and US relations.

In a 77-page verdict, Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain also held that both Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi attempted to garner sympathy for personal gains, according to Pakistan observer.

The judge also accepted the prosecution stance, Azam Khan, that both the Khan and Qureshi had also damaged Pakistan ties with the US, stating that both had violated their oaths and damaged the country at the global stage.

They have failed to prove themselves innocent

According to the witnesses, Shah Mahmood Qureshi incited the people in a public gathering on the matter of cipher, and both Imran and Qureshi failed to prove themselves innocent, Pakistan Observer reported.

A special court of Pakistan handed both former premier Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi 10=14 years in jail in the cipher case.

But Khan’s lawyer, Babar Awan had dismissed the conviction as a violation of Khan’s basic rights and accused the judge of being so hasty to announce a jail sentence in such a hurry that even not waited for the legal team of Khan to arrive in the court.

Khan was removed from power in a no-confidence vote in April 2022, and he immediately accused the US and the country’s military establishment behind this decision. However, he now has over 150 legal cases of different charges, including corruption.

It is worth mentioning that Khan and his political party Tehreek-e-Insaf still remain intensely popular and his supporters have all time stood besides him and once they attacked military installations after Khan was arrested last year. But since then, the Pakistan army and the police had imposed a crackdown on his supporters and his team, where many of the party’s candidates have been disqualified from running in the upcoming elections.

Hatred politics would leave Pakistan nowhere

Chairman Pakistan People’s Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Pakistan would achieve nothing if the politicians remained engaged in hatred politics and personal hostilities.

Zardari warned against engaging in revenge politics, stating that PML-N Supremo Nawaz Sharif’s revenge and hatred politics would leave the country nowhere, and called on the politicians to restrain themselves from settling personal scores rather than work for the betterment of the country.

In a move to exhibit political maturity, Zardari disapproved the celebrations over Khan’s jail sentence, but said that Khan has been going because of his own political approach and accused him too of prompting revenge politics against his opponents.

He also accused Nawaz Sharif of always resorting to revenge politics and warned that potential continuation of such practices will leave the country nowhere.