Pakistan: Helpless nation in crisis

Pakistan is going through its worst historical point due to violent clashes and enormous confrontation between Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan and the country’s army general Asim Munir. The two sides are brazen out over the principle of governing the nuclear-country with a population of over 240 million.

The rift has come when Pakistan is on the verge of its economic collapse as well. Politically nothing is stable, but even socially and the rule of law is also fragile in the country. The society is so tense that even the army doesn’t let the people talk openly and in the last four days, beside men, several women were also arrested and beaten.

Economic inflation in Pakistan is unprecedentedly recorded and the value of the rupee has dropped significantly plus the unemployment has risen to its worst. It is worth mentioning that political fragmentation of Pakistan’s national sovereignty is threatened.

Pakistan is not trapped in a crisis in just recent years. The country has been in political crisis since its inception in 1947, where no Prime Minister had completed its five years term in office. All of them were either removed by the army or forced to resign and in some cases were targeted. But the current successive security, economic and political crises have put Pakistan into a doldrums, where the army for the first time failed in its attempt to put a leader behind bars. Munir’s men in uniform arrested Khan but that didn’t last. Khan’s supporters took to the streets across Pakistan and went violent in such a way that forced the Pakistan army to step back.

Khan’s arrest on 9th of May from inside Islamabad High Court sparked anger of the supporters who attacked the army headquarters in Rawalpindi and the houses of several army generals. These places are called as the most prestigious institutions of the country which are considered as the guardians of Pakistan’s territory against foreign enemies.

However, the workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party (PTI) and tens of thousands of Khan’s supporters did not pay any attention to these places as their intention was only to get Khan out of jail. Finally Islamabad High Court on Friday granted Khan protective bail for two weeks and protection from arrest on any other charges he faces.

Khan may be re-arrested

The government of Pakistan under Shahbz Sharif’s rule has apparently been forced to release Khan through a court decision to quell pressure by violent demonstrations of Imran Khan’s supporters. Indeed, Khan has now become one of the most famous political leaders of Pakistan.

Before being released, Khan in a video message inside the court said that he was kept there for three hours. Khan said he has been abducted and accused the army of making security an issue for his release.

Khan was arrested in connection with a case of alleged land fraud, where the court called it “invalid” and “unlawful”.

Finally Khan was free and headed toward his residency in Lahore city. His supporters lined the streets to welcome him. Khan appeared in a YouTube channel, but his speech was not aired in any Pakistani media or major tv channels.

A member of his party said that Imran Khan could be rearrested anytime as he doubts the army’s intention. Zulfiqar Bukhari, a senior figure in Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI), said: “He is [expecting it], look, he has to appear in court again, I believe, on Monday.

“Are we going to be facing a similar sort of fiasco? I believe we are,” Bukhari told the nationalnews.

Bukhari, who is Khan’s special assistant during his time as prime minister, warned of a further deterioration in law and order in Pakistan, which is enduring the worst economic crisis in its history.

“He only has bail in this case for two weeks and then will we see the same kind of fiasco again? Yes,” he said.

Meanwhile, the country’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that Khan might be arrested after Wednesday. “If there is a reason for his arrest, then he will be arrested,” Sanaullah told Geo News, a Pakistani news channel.

Khan’s supporters allegedly torched government buildings

Khan’s supporters immediately took to the streets when Pakistani forces arrested him. After days of violent protest and unrest, the government of Pakistan accused Khan’s supporters of allegedly torching or destroying government buildings and the residences of army officials in several cities, including at the army forces headquarters in Rawalpindi.

However, Khan has dismissed the claims that his supporters were responsible for the violence, and said that his supporters and workers have remained peaceful in the last 27 years of the group’s political activities.

Supporters of Imran Khan clash with police outside the former prime minister’s residence in Lahore. (EPA-EFE)

“I want an independent and complete investigation on the burning of state buildings and firing at unarmed youth protesters. I want the chief justice of Pakistan to make a panel under him for this,” Khan said.

“Violence was incited by certain elements who were not PTI members,” Bukhari told the nationalnews. Bukari said that at least 47 people had been killed in a widespread crackdown on the PTI and its supporters.

“The majority of them, at point-blank, had bullets shot at them by the armed forces in their various forms,” Bukhari said. “We have about 300 people in prison and we have most of our top-tier leadership in prison as well so we mustn’t forget that. We’ve got many people injured, of course, in hospitals,” according to Bukari. However, police and hospital confirmed the death of nine people.

Khan slams Pakistan army for jumping into politics

Mr. Khan strongly criticized the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) and called on the army to stay away from politics. Rejecting allegations against him, he said the spokesperson of the army’s military wing was not even born when he represented Pakistan in the world.

“I kept Pakistan’s flag high all over the world. Never has ISPR made such a statement. You should be ashamed of yourself. You have jumped into politics. Why don’t you make a political party,” Khan said.

Khan’s remarks came in response to ISPR Director-General Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry’s statement in which he called Khan a “hypocrite”.

“Listen to me Mr. DG ISPR you were not even born when I was representing my country in the world and earning a good name for it. You need to be ashamed of yourself for calling me a hypocrite and anti-Army,” he said in a harsh rejoinder. Khan, 70, also tore into Pakistan’s Army chief General Asim Munir and blamed him for his “abduction” after a court set him free.

These accusations are not unprecedented in the political history of Pakistan, but what is unprecedented is Khan’s claim against the army generals, especially General Asim Munir, the army chief. In the last several decades, no politician had ever delivered a single word against the army chief, especially in public. Khan is the first man who is directly accusing the army chief. Khan also openly named a senior ISI general and accused him of planning to kill him. Khan survived an assassination attempt in November last year, but he received several bullets in his leg and he says that this attack was the work of ISI.