Fraught with political and, now mortal, peril, Imran Khan’s journey from one of international cricket’s biggest stars to Pakistan prime minister has been a rough one. Khan, who was wounded in the shin when his convoy was shot at on Thursday, is out of danger now and has said “Allah (Almighty God) has given me another life and I will fight back”.
It is only obvious that Khan, who was ousted in a shock no-confidence vote only in April, will resolve to come back stronger now that he is in the crosshairs, quite literally and even figuratively. The cricketer-turned-politician has had a tumultuous journey, but was on a roadshow – a so-called long march starting in Lahore – staged to demonstrate mass support for early general elections.
Surrounded by feverish followers, the populist leader painted a chaotic picture not unlike the one his political career has turned into. The 70-year-old populist leader, who many of his supporters say was “great” while he was in power, is hoping to be propelled to Pakistan’s highest office for a second term.
And now, with the attempt on his life, it looks like Khan has a strong chance of achieving what was impossible only a few months ago when the country’s economy crumbled and he lost the support of all-powerful army leaders, considered Pakistan’s true powerbrokers.
“This is a movement, it’s a struggle,” Khan told AFP this week. “That’s why I have this massive following right now.”
Entered politics as a ‘reformer’
When he founded his Pakistan tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 1996, Khan intended to be a political reformer, taking a stand against corrosive corruption and dynastic families that have historically held power.
He was the party’s only national MP for years, but the PTI became a genuine opposition force in 2013 and won the largest share of seats in the 2018 election.
Since losing power after three-and-a-half years in the country’s top seat, Khan has been riddled with corruption allegations and a series of complex legal cases.
When he did lose power in the no-confidence vote, Khan had accused the United States of orchestrating his ousting in a “regime change” conspiracy. While analysts said there was no evidence to prove his claims, he has managed to reach out to his supporters with his “anti-America” message.
As his support reaches a fanatical pitch, on October 31, it was a resounding win for Khan in a weekend by-election despite being embroiled in a legal battle in a matter that concerns a five-year five year disqualification from office for him.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had earlier ruled that Khan had failed to properly declare the value of gifts he received from foreign leaders while in office. Lawyers had initially said the ruling amounted to a five-year disqualification from office, but later backtracked. The matter is now before the courts, which last week allowed Khan to contest the latest bypoll.
Earlier this month, he won six out of eight seats in a by-election.
‘Anti-establishment’ Khan
After being ousted from office, Khan has railed against the establishment and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government. His so-called “long march” to demand early elections is to pile pressure on a government already in crisis.
Khan’s mishandling of the economy might have sealed his fate when he was in power but his anti-government rants have found resonance once again. “This nation is ready to make every sacrifice but it will not accept thieves. The objective of the march is that decisions should be taken by the people themselves,” Khan told a crowd from the top of a shipping container, as part of his long march.
His speeches have also addressed the heads of the military and intelligence services, which were even censored by Pakistani television channels. He has already staged a string of well-attended rallies demonstrating his popularity.
Last week, the head of the country’s main intelligence service and chief of military public relations held an unprecedented press conference where they defended the institutions against Khan’s accusations that they were meddling in politics.
(With agency inputs)
Read all the Latest News here
The post Imran Khan’s Journey Fraught with Political Peril, But Populist Leader Looks Ahead at Second Term as Pak PM appeared first on Spotlight 7.
source https://spotlight7.com/news/imran-khans-journey-fraught-with-political-peril-but-populist-leader-looks-ahead-at-second-term-as-pak-pm/
Comment Policy : The owner of this blog reserves the right to edit or delete any comments submitted to the blog without notice. This comment policy is subject to change at any time. If you have any questions on the commenting policy, please let us know at [blog contact information]..