Imran’s arrest hardens political battle lines

The arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a corruption case has triggered widespread violence in Pakistan and plunged the economically beleaguered country into a political crisis, months before the national election scheduled for November. Imran’s irate supporters have upped the ante against the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) government and the army leadership. A prolonged confrontation is expected, with a court on Wednesday indicting Imran in a separate case of corruption on the charge of illegally selling state gifts during his tenure as PM. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, is accusing the powers that be of plotting to defame and defang him with the motive of derailing his electoral comeback. After being in power for four years, Imran stepped down as PM in April last year following a parliamentary no-confidence vote. He has repeatedly blamed the US for engineering his ouster in league with the Pakistan army.

It’s apparent that the drastic action of taking the popular leader into custody has been carried out at the behest of or with the consent of Pakistan’s military. It’s no coincidence that a day before the arrest, the Inter Services Public Relations — the media wing of the military — issued a statement accusing Imran of targeting officials of the military and intelligence agencies by making ‘fabricated and malicious allegations.’ However, the ploy might backfire in the long run if he effectively plays the ‘victim card’ and gains the sympathy of the masses.
The political uncertainty in Pakistan has grave implications for India, which has been grappling with cross-border terrorism for decades. With the recent killings of soldiers in Poonch and Rajouri indicating an escalation in terror activities, New Delhi must remain on guard in the coming weeks and months. There could be more trouble in store, especially if Pakistan’s civil-military establishment emerges stronger from the present upheaval.
(Tribune, India)