Armystan or Pakistan? Army to Dissolve Imran Khan’s Party After Failed “Assassination Attempts”

Engaging in a confrontation with Pakistan’s military was always going to be an arduous battle. Imran Khan, the former prime minister and leader of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, found himself propelled towards direct conflict when his army backers withdrew their support in April 2022, resulting in the fall of his government.

The relationship between Khan and the military had never been harmonious. Four years earlier, the military establishment had supported Khan as a means to oust the scandal-ridden Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) regime, despite knowing him to be an unpredictable and self-centered individual. In return, Khan had accepted a civilian rule tightly controlled by the military to fulfill his ambition of forming a government.

Imran Khan: Tensions Escalate

However, tensions between Khan’s PTI cabinet and the Army’s leadership escalated after the generals criticized the new government’s perceived incompetence, Khan’s ambitious foreign policies, and his interference in the military’s promotion system. Faced with no viable alternatives, the generals felt compelled to restore ties with Khan’s political adversaries, who had formed a 13-party coalition known as the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), led by the PML-N, the party previously ousted by the military in 2017.

Driven by resentment and a desire to regain power, Khan launched an aggressive campaign against the military. He rallied support from educated, middle-class urbanites, successfully dominating the political stage with his oratory skills, overshadowing interim Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Sharif.

Imran Khan’s Way Into Pakistanis’ Hearts

Imran Khan tapped into public grievances, particularly regarding rising inflation and reduced subsidies, capitalizing on favorable court rulings, including those by Supreme Court Chief Justice Umar Bandial. Meanwhile, the Armed Forces sought to project an image of neutrality and a willingness to act as an impartial mediator. Though Khan and his loyalists refrained from openly criticizing the military as an institution, their animosity toward Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa was poorly concealed, holding him responsible for the PTI’s parliamentary defeat and accusing him of causing their political setbacks.

When Bajwa’s tenure expired in November 2022, his replacement, Gen. Asim Munir, was seen as having a personal antagonism towards Imran Khan. While the military cited security concerns to delay early elections, it couldn’t ignore Khan’s growing popularity and the challenges it would face in manipulating the next election, scheduled for October 2023.

The military seemed inclined to support a negotiated political solution that would allow Khan and his party to regain power while curbing his authority through a strong opposition. However, initial discussions between Khan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government yielded no progress, leading to their failure.

The Failed Assassination Attempt on Imran Khan

The rift between Khan and the military escalated further after an assassination attempt in November 2022, which Khan blamed on a high-ranking official from Pakistan’s main intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Directorate. The true crisis between the military and the civilian government unfolded with Khan’s arrest in May 2023 on various pending criminal charges, carried out by paramilitary forces.

Outraged by the arrests, Khan’s supporters took to the streets nationwide, leading to riots and violent demonstrations. Surprisingly, the military displayed restraint in dealing with the protesters, raising suspicions that they had been instructed to stand down or had defied orders from their superiors.

Many PTI leaders expected the ruling coalition government and the military establishment to capitulate to the protestors’ demands, paving the way for Khan’s reinstatement. However, the military struck back by detaining over 80 top PTI leaders and hundreds of supporters, accusing them of sedition. The military crackdown has targeted Imran Khan’s political party in an attempt to make him a part of history. However, the masses, the biggest power in a democracy, have decided to think otherwise. Pakistan Amry, which once was Pakistani people’s top romance, has totally lost its popularity in the last one and a half year.

What to Expect from Imran Khan and Pakistan in the Future?

Jerrymusa.com concludes that only time will tell if the powers holding Pakistan hostage will surrender their ‘prey’ or tighten their hold on her. It’s high time the nation began to flourish and rub shoulders with other progressive countries. Given the abundance of talent and resources at her disposal, Pakistan deserves her place in the comity of developed nations on earth. As an African and Nigerian particularly, I want nothing but the best for Pakistan.

History beckons and everyone putting personal interests ahead of the collective good of all Pakistanis will find themselves on the wrong side of history. Their generations, even the ones unborn shall taste of the water of affliction which they serve with reckless abandon.