What’s happening in Pakistan?
Pakistan is facing political turmoil once again following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. We asked Fellow Madiha Afzal a few questions about the state of affairs in the country. Below are her responses.
Why do you think Imran Khan was arrested?
Khan was arrested on May 9, ostensibly in a corruption case. But the manner of his arrest (from the premises of the Islamabad High Court, with dozens of paramilitary troops in riot gear) and its timing (just after he had doubled down on his allegations that a senior intelligence official was responsible for the assassination attempt against him last November) indicate that the arrest was more about the confrontation between Khan and Pakistan’s military that has been escalating since his ouster in a vote of no-confidence last year.
The arrest set off protests across Pakistan, some of which became violent. In unprecedented scenes, protesters attacked the gate of the army headquarters in Rawalpindi, the corps commander’s house in Lahore, and other buildings. At least 8 people were killed in clashes with the police.
Khan was released after Pakistan’s Supreme Court deemed his arrest unlawful on May 11, and the Islamabad High Court granted him bail the following day. Since his release, he has pointed fingers at one man: Pakistan’s all-powerful army chief, General Asim Munir.
What should people outside of Pakistan know about what’s happening with the country’s politics?
Khan’s confrontation with the military has now devolved into an existential, zero-sum fight between the country’s most popular politician and its most powerful institution. Khan, once favored by the military, has stoked popular resentment against the institution, which he blames for his ouster. In turn, the military has reverted to its usual playbook for dissenting political leaders, and it is using the willing and pliant coalition government as its partner. Senior members of Khan’s party have been arrested, others are being coaxed into quitting the party, and thousands of Khan’s supporters have been taken into custody across Pakistan.
The attacks on military buildings after Khan’s arrest badly damaged the institution’s veneer of invincibility, and the army chief has responded by saying that violent protesters will be tried in military courts (in violation of international human rights law). Meanwhile, the coalition government has taken on a separate confrontation with the chief justice of Pakistan’s Supreme Court, alleging that the judiciary is biased in favor of Khan.
General elections are due in Pakistan by October. It is far from clear whether they will happen on time or whether they will be free and fair. It is apparent the establishment wants Khan sidelined before then. Pakistan’s troubled democracy is in dire straits, and no institution in the country seems capable of taking it out of its current mess.
Is there anything the Biden administration can do to help alleviate the situation in the short term?
The Biden administration can stand in favor of democracy in Pakistan, the rule of law, and the supremacy of its constitution, all of which are under threat in this current crisis—and not with the United States’ usual and favored partner in Pakistan, its military. This means the U.S. should explicitly speak up in favor of free, fair, and on-time elections in Pakistan this year, and against violations of the rule of law and the country’s constitution.
