Like the Pakistan Cricket Team, the embattled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its founder Imran Khan also appear to be suffering from their own versions of 'Qudrat ka Nizam' (force of nature) in the country's chaotic political landscape. However, in the PTI's case - it is the complete opposite, as they get slapped with a new form of persecution each time they score any legal or political victory. Upping the ante of political persecution on the party reeling under a military-backed crackdown for months, the Pakistan government announced that it may impose a ban on the PTI, while Imran and former President Arif Alvi may be tried for treason.
This is just the latest in what appears to be a systematic process to keep the PTI from occupying any position of power in the Parliament and signals a desperation on the government's part. It is important to mention here that despite being barred from contesting the elections directly, party-backed independents won the highest number of seats in the Parliament and recently, the Supreme Court deemed the PTI eligible for over 20 reserved seats, making it the largest party in Pakistan's legislative body.
Pakistan's Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar cited the cases of illegal foreign funds, involvement in the May 9 riots and involvement in "anti-state" activities as adequate reasons for banning the party and charging leaders with treason. “In view of the foreign funding case, May 9 riots, and the cipher episode as well as the resolution passed in the US, we believe that there is very credible evidence present to have Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) banned,” he said.
Tarar heightened his party's rhetoric in a fiery remark, claiming that "PTI and Pakistan cannot co-exist together", which gives an insight in the Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) efforts to completely crush the opposition with a tinge of military involvement. However, even by Pakistan's standards, this is one step too far. Let's see why Pakistan has possibly decided to take the extreme step against Imran Khan and his party.
Imran Khan: From a blue-eyed boy to a nemesis
It was in 2018 when Imran Khan, a legendary figure in the world of cricket, made history by defeating both the PML-N and the PPP and formed a coalition government with smaller parties and formed the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. Imran was believed to have garnered the support of the military established - called as 'laadla' by Nawaz Sharif - and secured the Army's support in forming the government.
After a few years of warmer ties, things went on a downward spiral when the military became frustrated with the failure of Imran's promises to bring decent governance in the country and a rift developed between the two sides when Imran wanted Lieutenant General Nadeem Arjun was appointed as the new Director General (DG) of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Imran's troubled relationship with former Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa turned to full hostility when the former's government wanted a bigger say in foreign policy matters - such as when Bajwa openly condemned the Russia-Ukraine war when Imran refused.
The cracks in their relationship ultimately led to Imran's ouster in 2022 through a no-confidence motion. A few years forward, Imran Khan was jailed in August last year and convicted in a sea of cases along with several of his party leaders. In the latest development, Imran Khan secured the acquittal in the illegal marriage against him and his wife Bushra Bibi, and he was legally a free man for a few hours, before he was re-arrested in another case and his agony behind bars extended.
What are the cases against Imran Khan and his party?
Foreign funding case: In August 2022, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ruled that PTI had received prohibited funding from abroad and had kept 13 bank accounts hidden, according to Dawn. Responding to a plea filed by PTI founding member Akbar S Babar, the ECP said the party "knowingly and willfully" received funding worth $2.1 million from Wootton Cricket Limited, operated by business tycoon Arif Naqvi. However, the Islamabad High Court ruled in 2023 that there was not enough evidence to link against Imran with the prohibited funding allegedly secured by his party.
Toshakhana case: Imran Kha was arrested in August after an Islamabad trial court declared him guilty of “corrupt practices” in the Toshakhana case, which pertains to the former PM "intentionally hiding" subtleties of the gifts he held from the Toshaskhana — a storehouse where presents gave to government authorities from foreign dignitaries are kept - under his tenure. He was also been barred from politics for five years. The conviction was also suspended by the IHC.
Cipher case: Arguably one of the most notorious cases against the cricketer-turned-politician, this case pertains to the incident in which the former premier showed a piece of paper -- allegedly a copy of a diplomatic communication -- at a public rally in Islamabad, claiming it contained a "threatening message" from the US as proof of a conspiracy against his government. Imran was convicted of treason for making public the contents of the classified cable and sentenced to 10 years. On June 3, the IHC acquitted Imran and his deputy Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the case.
May 9 riots: Chaos engulfed Pakistan in May 9, 2023 when thousands of PTI supporters vandalised over 20 military installations and government buildings, including the Lahore Corps Commander House, Mianwali airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad. The violent protests came in the wake of Imran's arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on corruption charges and at least 10 people were killed. The riots prompted a severe crackdown on Imran and his party, with over 100 party leaders imprisoned. The PTI founder was arrested by Lahore police on Monday in connection with a dozen cases related to the violence.
What now for PTI?
It is widely known that Pakistan's all-powerful Army "calls the shots" on the country's politics, and current Army chief General Asim Munir pulled all levers to crush Imran and his party. The election results dealt a major blow to the military and particularly Nawaz Sharif, who was exiled after a similarly strained relationship with the Army and returned to Pakistan after four years after making some compromises. Despite enjoying the Army's support, the PML-N failed not only to get a majority, but lagged far behind the support of the PTI-backed candidates.
With a hard-fought fragile coalition with Bilawal Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the PML-N risks further spiralling the political crisis that has burdened the public for years by imposing an outright ban on the PTI, a plan that has been met with widespread backlash. The PTI's recent legal successes, such as the Supreme Court verdict in the reserved seats case, seems to have forced the government's hand.
The PTI reacted sharply to the government's decision to ban the party, saying the move came “out of desperation” and was a “sign of panic" within the federal administration. "Reasons cited by the information minister are the cipher case and the US Congressional Resolution on electoral rigging and politically motivated cases with no merit in sight. The PML-N is shooting its own foot for these reasons,” the PTI said in a statement.
Several political parties joined the PTI in strongly condemning the ruling coalition's potential move, terming it "childish" and "unconstitutional". Members of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) - part of the coalition - along with those from Awami National Party (ANP), Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), and Jamaat-i-Islami, criticised the decision. However, it remains to be seen whether this backlash will stop the government's reckless course.
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