What's The Deal With Imran Khan?
WHAT IS PAKISTAN?
PAKISTAN is known officially as the ‘Islamic Republic of Pakistan.’ Pakistan is bordered by: Afghanistan, China, India, and Iran. Pakistan was founded and partitioned from India in 1947, following freedom from British Colonial Rule.
Pakistan has a population of 247 million (the UK has 67 million!) and 64% of the population are under 30. Pakistan has a wealth of natural resources and large variety of plant and animal life. Pakistan has a rich and varied culture - with influences from India and the Middle East, as well as architecture from Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Pakistan’s identity and history is tied to the idea of “untapped potential.”
MAINSTREAM ISLAM (my personal definition!!!)
“The Mosque” (in the same way one would say “The Church”) is currently under the control of corrupt religious leaders, who use fear tactics and manipulation in order to maintain control. These leaders encourage a culture of self-righteousness and sectarianism. True Islamic teachings come from the Qur’an and life of The Prophet (PBUH).
True Islam encourages Kindness, Justice, Honesty, and respect (for life, property, and honour.)
Corrupt religious leaders have created doctrines - their own versions of these teachings, that support their positions of power.
WHO IS IMRAN KHAN?
Pakistan’s most popular anti-establishment politician, and former prime minister.
Imran Khan was born in 1952 to a wealthy family in Lahore. Khan studied philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford.
CRICKETER: Khan became famous as a cricket player in the UK and Pakistan, and led Pakistan to its 1992 World Cup victory against England.
80’S HEARTTHROB: Khan was a regular fixture of the London nightclub circuit, and UK tabloid fodder.
PHILANTHROPIST: Following his Mother, Shaukat Khanam’s, death in 1985 Khan left his playboy lifestyle behind.
(Sorry ladies!)
Khan turned to philanthropy and experienced a religious awakening, embracing Islam, through Sufism. In 1994, Khan set up the first and only cancer hospital in Pakistan in his mother’s memory. The hospital provides free care to 75% of its patients.
In 2008, Khan established Namal College, aiming to provide quality higher education to Pakistan’s less privileged youth.
SUFI
Sufism is an Islamic practice that seeks to achieve direct and personal connection with God through love and knowledge. Due to Sufism’s Anti-Establishment nature, it is not accepted by mainstream Islam.
PAKISTAN TEHREEK-E-INSAF (PTI)
In 1996, Imran Khan founded the political party Pakistan Tehreek - e - Insaf (Pakistan Movement for Justice; PTI.) The PTI aim to turn Pakistan into an “Islamic welfare state” based on True Islamic Teachings - as Pakistan’s founding fathers had intended.
Plans for reform include improved healthcare and education systems, poverty reduction and diverse livelihood options. The PTI also proposes civilian control of Pakistan’s military, greater representation for minorities, and a relationship with the US defined by “self-dignity and respect.”
Khan maintains that vote rigging has plagued his party from the start - PTI did not win their first seat until the 2002 elections, which Khan himself filled. Khan has explained that going into Pakistani politics means to take on the “political mafia.” Anyone who threatens them must be “bought” or “eliminated.”
Imran Khan’s unwavering criticism of corruption and economic inequality in Pakistan found large amounts of support, particularly amongst young people, despite election results.
By 2012, Imran Khan had become Pakistan’s most popular political figure. In 2013, a few days before elections, Khan fell from a platform at a campaign rally - injuring his head and back. Khan made a televised final appeal to voters from his hospital bed hours later.
The 2013 elections produced PTI’s highest totals at that point, however this was little compared to political rival Nawaz Sharif’s party. Sharif was accused of rigging the elections, but as calls for investigation went ignored, Khan and other opposition leaders led four months of protests in 2014 pressuring Sharif to step down.
Although the protests failed, Sharif was forced to resign by the Supreme Court, in response to the 2016 release of the Panama Papers which linked his family to offshore holdings. Sharif was also disqualified from holding office in 2017.
The PTI won a large number of seats in 2018, allowing for a coalition to be created with independent members of the parliament. Imran Khan became prime minister of Pakistan in August 2018.
WHO HAS POLITICAL POWER IN PAKISTAN?
Pakistan’s founding fathers Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal envisioned a society built on Islamic teachings of equal opportunities, civil liberties, justice and merit. Jinnah insisted that Pakistan would not be “a theocratic state run by priests” but instead, a democracy.
Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal passed away in 1938, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah passed away just over a year after Pakistan’s independence, in 1948.
Jinnah’s successor and right hand man, Liaqat Ali Khan, was assassinated in 1951- since then, the military has had full control over the nation.
The military has ruled both directly and through ‘managed democracy’ (a democracy on paper, but an authoritarian regime in practice!)
A far cry from what the founders envisioned - Pakistan’s military generals have taken advantage of the colonial systems left intact, building a network of corrupt landowners, judges, civil servants, and religious leaders to support their rule.
Pakistan’s parliamentarians belong to political dynasties, who own most parts of the land, stolen from natives through military conquests and deals with the British.
They are appointed by the military through rigged elections, and act in the military’s interests (signing away Pakistan’s natural resources to multinational corporations…)
“MILITARY OFFICERS SEE THEMSELVES AS PRINCIPLED GUARDIANS AGAINST CHAOS. IN FACT, THEY ARE AGENTS OF DECLINE.” - THE ECONOMIST
WHY WAS IMRAN KHAN KICKED OUT OF POWER?
At time of writing (May, 2024) no Prime Minister of Pakistan has yet served a full five year term. Imran Khan served as Prime Minister between 2018 and 2022.
During his time in government, Khan established the ‘Pakistan Sehat (health) Card’ providing quality healthcare to the poorest parts of the country. Khan also established the ‘Ehaaas (compassion) Program’ to provide a social safety net and poverty alleviation.
Khan’s COVID response ranked third in The Economist’s global normalcy index measuring post-pandemic recovery.
Khan created 5.5 million new jobs, and began work on shelter homes and soup kitchens.
However, in April 2022, Khan was removed as Prime Minister following a no-confidence vote. This followed a breakdown of the relationship between Khan and the military.
The PTI’s opposition claims that Khan failed to deliver, citing inflation and economic pressures, as well as claims that Khan “acted unconstitutionally.” Khan claims that the military’s unwillingness to go after influential families for alleged corruption is what caused their relationship to break down .
Pakistan’s military is backed by the U.S. Khan has repeatedly spoken out against this relationship, likening it to the U.S. using Pakistan as its “slave.”
Khan alleges that the U.S. was behind his ouster, and that Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.S was told that “there will be consequences” unless he was removed as prime minister.
The State Department and White House have repeatedly denied these claims.
Khan told the US that he would “absolutely not” allow Pakistan to be used as a base for their illegal war in Afghanistan.
This was met with hugely positive response from the people of Pakistan (and Pakistanis worldwide!), resulting in #AbsolutelyNot trending across the country.
Khan’s taunting was a threat to the military’s close relationship with the U.S.
WHAT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW? (originally written in April 2024)
The military rigged the February 2024 election against Imran Khan.
HOW?
- First and foremost, manipulating the courts - jailing imran khan (and his wife) on bogus charges.
- Banning PTI’s cricket bat logo - a vital part of Khan’s campaign as 40% of Pakistan’s electorate is illiterate.
- Nationwide suspension of mobile phone and social media networks
- Wiping Imran Khan’s name from the media
- Stuffing ballot boxes
- Banning exit polls
Barring PTI party officials from monitoring polling stations and telling supporters who their preferred independent candidate is.
Through all of this, the military expected a win for Nawaz Sharif, whom the military has previously:
- kicked out of office (thrice on corruption charges)
- exiled from the country
- given a lifetime ban from politics.
All charges have now been dropped, and Sharif rehabilitated…
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR PAKISTAN?
Pakistan currently faces economic, social, and political turmoil. In recent years, the country has faced record-high inflation, mass job losses, devastating floods, and a number of security and political crises.
It is left up to Pakistan’s military and elites to decide what is next for the country.
“NATIONS ARE BORN IN THE HEARTS OF POETS. THEY PROSPER AND DIE IN THE HANDS OF POLITICIANS.” - DR ALLAMA MUHAMMAD IQBAL