The recent events in Pakistan displays the sheer mindlessness of the local population. The general public of Pakistan suffers from lack of basic civil amenities, dearth of funds, terrorist and separatist activities. However, the politicians of the nation are busy with underhand tactics to control the reins of the nation.
The streets of Pakistan have been overtaken by a rabid mob of supporters of Imran Khan, the former PM. The nation that was tethering on the brink of bankruptcy, plunged head first into full-blown chaos over the arrest of Imran Khan. The events that have led up to the complete breakdown of law and order in Pakistan are as follows.
NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION AGAINST IMRAN KHAN
In April 2022 the Imran Khan government was ousted from power by a No-Confidence-Motion in the Pakistan Parliament. For his entire term, which was shorter than the elected 5 years, the former PM was ridiculed as a militarily-selected-man. However, in the last half of his term, Imran Khan faced public scrutiny for lack of governance and economic failures of the nation. He also lost the favor of the support that had propped him up on the seat of power. Therefore, after the loss of support from the military Imran Khan lost the no-confidence motion in parliament. He left his seat with deep acrimony and dissatisfaction.
NEW GOVERNMENT OLD PROBLEMS
After the exit of Khan’s government; Shahbaz Sharif was jointly elected by all the parties that supported the no-confidence motion. While Shahbaz Sharif was elected Prime Minister of Pakistan; the recently ousted government party members boycotted the election.
Imran Khan and his allies alluded that his exit from power was part of a giant conspiracy for the military to install a puppet government on the behest of foreign powers. The new government was inundated in the last year with lack of food, provisions, or funds. Additionally, the Shahbaz Sharif government was plagued with voices of public dissent. Khan incited this dissent in an attempt to destabilize the new government. He continually put his own love of power above the nations’ interest when he added public disenchantment to the other problems that Pakistan faces.
CORRUPTION CASE AGAINST IMRAN KHAN
In October 2022, Imran Khan was charged by officials on charges of corruption. Allegedly Khan and his wife received land worth millions of dollars as a bribe from a real estate tycoon through the Al-Qadir Trust. This trust is a NGO set up by Khan and his third wife Bushra Watto in 2018, while Khan was still PM. The trust has 60 acres of land worth $24.7 million and another piece of land in Islamabad close to Imran Khan’s hilltop home.
Officials claim that the 60-acre parcel of land was to open a university for Islamic studies; however, there is nothing built on the land as yet.
Moreover, the Al-Qadir trust received $635,144.67 for operational expenses and construction of the university campus; but the account records showed only a minute fraction of the donations received
Allegedly, the trust was a front devised by Khan to receive land from a Pakistani property developer Malik Riaz Hussain. Officials claim that 190 million pounds were received by Khan’s government from Hussain as a repatriated amount to Pakistan in 2019 by Britain. This money was forfeited by Hussain, in cash and assets, to settle a British investigation. The government claims that Khan’s government used this money to pay fines for Hussain in cases related to illegal acquisition of government lands in Karachi.
THE ARREST OF IMRAN KHAN
Imran Khan was arrested by paramilitary forces on 9th May 2023. He was arrested in the High Court in Islamabad by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the charges of corruption. Khan released a pre-recorded statement after his arrest that denied all allegations against him. He maintains that his arrest is a vendetta against him and his supporters. He claims that his arrest was illegal and called for support from his followers. Khan’s aides and supporters answered his call for support by rioting on the streets, burning public property, trashing the Corps Commanders official residence, and releasing chaos across the nation.
On 12th May 2023 the Islamabad High Court declared Khan’s arrest as unlawful and granted him two weeks bail. He is currently living in a state guest room and the army is responsible for his security. Shortly after his release, Khan accused the army chief Asim Munir of playing a major role in his arrest. His anti-army stance and conspiracy theory mindset leads his supporters to create tensions in the country nation.
Currently, Khan and his party members stand accused of as many as 140 crimes. This number will grow in light of recent events and developments in the nation. The country is on the brink of collapse due to internal conflicts, separatist movements, and cross-border terrorism. Imran Khan’s tactics will lead to the demise of Pakistan and the country is expected to implode from within. International communities can only watch as this young nation burns while the government tries to walk the tightrope of survival.