Why Pakistanis won’t give up on Imran Khan
Imran Khan, 72, former Prime Minister of Pakistan
Thousands of Pakistanis stepped out across Islamabad and other major cities to protest against the imprisonment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, defying a lockdown. Over 4,000 were arrested for demanding the release of Khan.
Some five parliamentarians have also been arrested.
Despite facing political challenges, legal battles, and being sidelined by the establishment, his supporters remain fiercely loyal. But why? What fuels this loyalty, even in the face of difficulty?
The main reason behind Imran Khan’s popularity is his image as a symbol of change. He began his tenure in 2018 with the promise of “Naya Pakistan”, which means a new Pakistan. For decades, Pakistan’s politics had been dominated by two parties, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N).
Prior to joining politics, Imran Khan was considered a legendary cricketer and earned accolades for social endeavors including the construction of the country’s first and largest free-of-cost cancer hospital. He launched his political career in 1996, campaigning on the promise to dismantle the political establishment, root out corruption and establish a welfare state in the country.
His unmatched charm and charisma set him apart from those advocating for a civilian democracy over a military-led government.
Current scenario
As thousands stepped out to protest his imprisonment, members of Imran Khan’s entourage and Pakistan Movement for Justice Party (PTI) claimed that government security forces were even using live bullets to curb protestors.
Over the weekend internet and cellular services were blocked. The Pakistani Ministry of Interior did not indicate how long the suspension will be in place.
While roads and highways leading to the nation’s capital have been sealed, officials claim these closures are due to ongoing civil works in the area. Despite the blockages, many of Khan’s supporters are marching on Islamabad to demand his release from jail.
Pakistan since Saturday sealed off Islamabad, PTI strongholds in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
Khan has been imprisoned since May 2023 and faces over 150 criminal cases against him. His supporters demand that the charges against him are politically motivated.
Rallies for his release by the Pakistani public have been ongoing since Khan’s imprisonment.
Who is Imran Khan?
Imran Khan, 72, is arguably the most famous Pakistani politician since Pakistan’s founder Muhammed Ali Jinnah.
After graduating from Oxford University in 1975 and studying philosophy, politics and economics, he pursued professional cricket.
Representing Pakistan and becoming the captain of the national cricket team, Khan brought the nation the top prize with the 1992 Cricket World Cup victory. The only time Pakistan won the tournament.
He hails from an affluent Pashtun family in Lahore with a long history of producing national athletes.
In 1996, Imran Khan decided to enter politics and founded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He consistently alleged widespread vote rigging by established political parties. By 2002, the PTI secured a single seat in Parliament, which Khan himself occupied.
Khan’s career was marked with arrests and escaping arrests, surviving an assassination attempt, and being mislabeled to be part of the “Jewish lobby” due to his first marriage to Jemima Goldsmith.
How Pakistan got here
Pakistan for decades faced struggles with widescale corruption and poverty. Two of Khan’s key political agenda items.
In July 2018, the PTI won a plurality of seats in Pakistan’s Parliament, allowing a coalition government to appoint Khan as prime minister in August 2018.
Khan’s government is credited with navigating a balance-of-payments crisis soon after taking office. Their unusual approach to tackling the COVID-19 pandemic also incited fierce debate. Unlike most other governments, Khan opted to resist nationwide lockdowns and sought vaccines from China, Russia and other countries.
However, his government resisted seeking financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund at a time when U.S. military assistance to the country was also slashed, citing a failure to curb terrorism in the country.
Khan implemented several austerity measures, including reducing the number of employees in his office and selling luxury vehicles and helicopters.
Khan’s government was also involved in a faceoff with neighboring India in 2019 when New Delhi launched an air assault on the country in response to a suicide attack by Kashmiri-based militants that killed 40 Indian security personnel.
Despite the opposition coalescing to unseat Khan with the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in 2020 over claims that he was a “puppet” of the military, Khan had a falling out in early 2021 with the Pakistani military after he sought to change the top slots.
Khan and his supporters have previously claimed that the United States conspired against his government.
In April 2022, Khan became the first Pakistani prime minister to be ousted via a vote of no confidence. In the subsequent months, with political rallies, he survived an assassination attempt which he blamed the Pakistani military for as legal cases against him mounted.
Khan was eventually imprisoned in August 2023 and faces more than 130 cases, ranging from terrorism to corruption charges.
He is currently barred from politics.
