Pakistan: Khan to start long march from Lahore to Islamabad on Friday

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imarn Khan says he will begin a protest march with his supporters from Lahore to the capital city Islamabad on October 28.

The march will start from Lahore’s Liberty Square as Imran Khan seeks early elections. Distance between the two cities is about 380km.

Khan, 77, the Chairman of Pakistan’s Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party said he agreed for a long march in order to pressurize the government to announce elections immediately. But, he called on his supporters to exercise extreme caution and avoid violence.

Khan claimed that the authorities urged him constantly not to stage a long march as the country is in trouble at the moment. But Khan said that people have become fed up with the “imported” government and really want a change.

Since being removed from office in a no-confidence vote in the legislature in April, Khan had several times staged protests and one long march, demanding for early elections. However, the government frequently rejected the demand, and said the national elections will be held as scheduled in October or November 2023.

Security tightened in Islamabad

Authorities are heightening security in the capital city Islamabad, especially in Red Zone areas, including the diplomatic enclave and other sensitive installations, government buildings, President’s House, Prime Minister’s House, ministers’ offices, parliament, and other important offices.

Islamabad was put on high alert after Khan’s announcement of the long march, and the Interior Ministry is strengthening the deployments of its forces to take necessary actions in case of fresh unrest.

Already 30,000 police, rangers, and paramilitary troops dispatched in Islamabad in preparations to block Khan’s supporters from entering the city, and more importantly to safeguard the Red Zone in case of any possible violence.

Containers also placed the surroundings of Islamabad to barricade all entry points before the arrival of the “long march”.

Khan’s last march was on May

Former PM Imran Khan (C on vehicle) and his supporters take part in a protest rally in Swabi on May 25. AFP

On 25 May, Khan reached Islamabad with hundreds of his supporters, demanding fresh elections just days after his removal from office in April. However, the march soon turned violent after police crackdown on PTI leaders and supporters in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and cities. Police also restored to shelling on protestors when they attempted to enter Islamabad in march that was meant to be peaceful.

Police also went on a shooting spree on families who gathered in Lahore’s Liberty Square, including children and women. They received injuries in firing.

Pakistani authorities banned the protest march after a police officer was shot and killed during the crackdown on Khan’s supporters, but PTI workers defied the ban and continued to march toward Islamabad.

Police became more violent and restored to more shelling and firing tear gas as some protesters tried to remove shipping containers with a crane.

Defining moment for Pakistan

This Friday will be another test for Pakistan. Khan’s long march announcement comes after the Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified him for failing to disclose gifts and proceeds of their alleged sale he received while he was in office. However, Islamabad High Court said he is not barred from contesting in the upcoming elections. Earlier this month, Khan already won six of seven National Assembly seats in a by-election, a win not only highlighting his popularity but also raising expectations that he could succeed in next general elections to once again run the nuclear-state.

Indeed, political tension is growing in Pakistan aimed at a fragile economic situation also in the wake of preparation for an important meeting in China as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to visit Beijing in early November. All is set for the 11th JCC meeting of CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor), a billion dollars infrastructure projects which are underway through Pakistan since 2013.

Without doubt, political instability has fuelled economic uncertainty as the country is scrambling to recover. Pakistan can’t pay its billion dollars debt to the International Monetary Fund, while recent flooding catastrophes had sustained an estimated as high as $30 billion. “Today, when we go to any friendly country or make a phone call, they think that we have come (to them) to beg for money,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier said at a gathering in Islamabad while describing the uphill battle to secure aid.

Pakistan’s economic woes worsen.

Indeed, Pakistan is in a dire situation, but it would be naïve to think that foreign powers should come up to the fore to help them. Pakistan has to act now and should not hope for its allies to come for help because “hope” is not a strategy.

The first option that can help Pakistan to restore its economy and political stability is to establish a new government by an election which is acceptable to the people.