Imran Khan will struggle to survive as prime minister now that he is no longer the army’s favorite
Imran Khan will struggle to survive as prime minister now that he is no longer the army’s favorite
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday showed that the passionate base of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) remained intact as tens of thousands of people turned out at the Parade Ground in Islamabad to witness his rally. But his lengthy speech also signaled that the cricketer-turned-politician has finally come to terms with the political challenges he faces. Mr Khan, who faces a vote of no confidence in parliament, used his carefully worded speech to defend his government’s performance, reiterate the PTI’s “welfarist Islamist” ideology and set the tone for future political battles. Drawing parallels between himself and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the former prime minister who was overthrown in 1977 by General Zia-ul-Haq and then executed, Mr Khan alleged there was an international plot against his government . Whether his allegations are true or not, his coalition government is struggling, surviving with a slim majority in parliament. At least a dozen members of his party revolted against him. Some coalition members have hinted that there may be early elections. Mr Khan’s invocation of Bhutto’s plight is also seen as a veiled criticism of the military establishment. He had been a close ally of the generals before the 2018 election. But the establishment seems to have given him the cold shoulder.
While Mr Khan has fiercely defended his government’s record, all is not well on the ground. There is widespread resentment at the government’s handling of the economy, which the opposition has tried to capture by rallying support for the no-confidence motion. The crisis is so deep that even government officials would not be paid on time. On Sunday, Mr Khan said he would continue his crusade against “white collar crimes”, referring to corruption charges against opposition leaders. He calls his opponents rodents and has brought dozens of corruption cases against them over the past four years, but none have resulted in a conviction. On the other side, his radical approach galvanized the opposition, including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan People’s Party, who joined forces with Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam to form Pakistan Democratic Movement. , an umbrella organization whose sole purpose is to bring down the PTI government. As one crisis after another piled up, Mr. Khan’s approval ratings began to decline. According to a January Gallup poll, Nawaz Sharif, currently in exile, was 19 points ahead of Mr Khan in popularity. Whether or not Mr Khan survives the no-confidence vote, his run as a clean anti-corruption crusader with a mission to build ‘Naya Pakistan’ has come to a halt. His political survival will depend on how he adapts and adapts the PTI to the new political environment where he faces a united opposition without direct help from the military establishment.
