The firing of an ex-Prime Minister on Twitter has angered the Pakistani public : a man accused of lying on Twitter
An official from the party of the Pakistan ex-Prime Minister said that he was shot at a rally, and that it was an assassination attempt.
The former Pakistan cricket captain was taken from the rally site just outside the town of Gujranwala to receive treatment in Lahore. Three people have been injured by gunfire. The extent of the other injuries is not yet known.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who came to power after Khan lost a parliamentary vote of no confidence in April, condemned Thursday’s attack on his political rival on Twitter.
Sharif wrote that he condemns the firing on Khan and wants an immediate report on the incident, and is praying for those injured.
On October 21, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) recommended that Khan be disqualified from holding political office for five years, a move likely to further inflame political tensions in the country.
The commission said its decision was based on the grounds that Khan had “made false statements” regarding the declaration of the sale of gifts sent to him by the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Dubai while in office – an offense that is illegal under the country’s constitution.
He has repeatedly claimed since then that the US masterminded his ousting. At rallies that he has held across Pakistan, Khan has made accusations.
His claims have struck a chord with a young population in a country where anti-American sentiment runs high, and anti-establishment feelings are being fueled by a rising cost of living crisis.
Lahore-Mumford: The Case of Benazir Bhutto and Raza Gillani, Revisited
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on December 27, 2007, and then Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani survived an assassination attempt in 2008.
During an interview with CNN, Khan stated that they took out three bullets from his leg. The left had some bombs inside.
Speaking from his residence in Zaman Park, Lahore, Khan said that he had information from within intelligence agencies that the shooting which injured him last week would take place.
Last week, the Pakistani intelligence agency said it had communicated “about the threat” to Khan prior to the rally. The ISI said that the federal government was sensitized to the threat against the former prime minister by the organization.
The ISI believes that the security of Khan is in the hands of the Punjab government, which is led by Khan.
“As the events unfolded, they are in that speech. How would a religious fanatic killed me in this way, and they would blame him? He said that he laid out how the shooting would take place in a speech he gave on September 24, which he put on television and on social media.
The Pakistani defense minister, Khwaja Asif, also dismisses allegations that there was a plan to kill Khan. “This allegation is so scandalous that I don’t think it’s right,” Asif responded to a question by NPR at the Islamabad press conference on Friday. He described it as a claim Khan used to whip up his supporters, whom he likened to a “cult.” “This allegation of conspiring to murder him — I think this is, you know, stretching it a bit too far.”
The military of Pakistan called Khan’s claims unacceptable and uncalled for. The Inter-Services Public Relations called Khans accusations against the military and military officials highly regrettable and strongly condemned.
“However, if the honour, safety and prestige of its rank and file is being tarnished by vested interests through frivolous allegations, the institution will jealousy safeguard its officers and soldiers no matter what,” it continued.
A frustrated defense minister confronted by protesters: “The government is going to sweep the elections,’” Amir Khan told NRFC
The parties formed the current government are worried that if Khan becomes prime minister again he will resume his crusade against his opponents.
Pakistan appears to lurch from crisis to crisis, as highlighted by Khan’s statements. Yet analysts say this country, the world’s fifth-most populous nation and one that is nuclear-armed, faces a particularly dire moment.
Millions of people are close to famine and families are trying to cut back on food because of soaring inflation as the International Monetary Fund stalls on releasing a large part of its current rescue plan for the country.
He was referring to the police attempt to arrest him a week ago after he failed to appear in court for a second time in a corruption case. Khan’s supporters clashed with the police for nearly a day and a half, using stones and sticks to beat the police with volleys of tear gas. Khan wants to attend a court hearing to prevent his arrest, but he was attacked by protesters in the capital city of Pakistan.
Pakistan’s civilian governments over the past few decades have been dominated by two political dynasties, and Khan says he will pursue corruption cases against them. His supporters think both families are corrupt.
But Khan insisted that would not dent his party’s popularity. It doesn’t matter because the party I lead has a popularity wave never before seen in our history. So whether I am in jail or not, the party is going to sweep the elections anyway,” he said.
Analysts have said that the current government is trying to shore up its popularity, which has been devastated because of the country’s economic crisis.
But Asif, the defense minister, insisted they would be held on schedule. “National elections are due in October and they will be held on time,” Asif said, even as he acknowledged the government’s popularity had thinned out over the past year of rule.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/03/24/1165728882/pakistan-imran-khan-conspiracies-politics
The “people who beg for money”: The case against the U.S. during a “divisive” prime minister’s term
“It’s not the severity of the laws — it is the certainty of punishment that stops crime in Pakistan. The powerful have always got away with stealing money from the country because they are above law,” Khan said. The powerful elite in Pakistan will be brought under the law. The fight is here. It’s a level playing field for our people when we do that.
During his press conference, Asif said that the former prime minister has repeatedly skipped court appearances, and his supporters have clashed with security forces.
Critics of Khan say his attacks on his competitors are to blame for Pakistan’s deep divisiveness today. The cases that Khan was able to prosecute against his rivals were not successful. His critics say this was because there was not enough proof, while Khan insists the former army chief helped them avert prosecution.
The perception of corruption in Pakistan worsened during Khan’s rule. The anti-corruption aid group Transparency International said in its 2022 report that Pakistan was rated at 140 – under the previous government, it had ranked at 124, with 180 being the most corrupt.
Khan first blamed Washington for his ouster, but more recently, he has offered a more complicated narrative in which he claims the former army chief, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, orchestrated a campaign to turn Washington against him.
“Unfortunately, the Pakistan-U.S. relationship has always been lopsided, mainly because we keep asking for money,” Khan said. So the U.S., he said, treats Pakistan like “people who beg for money.”
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/03/24/1165728882/pakistan-imran-khan-conspiracies-politics
Inskeeper’s View of the Inflationary Scenario in the United States and the Near Future: An Interview with Zahareev Khan
The current coalition government is struggling to convince the IMF to resume a bailout to shore up the country’s depleting foreign reserves. That bailout, in all cases, is expected to expire by the summer. Economists have expressed doubt that the institution would agree to another bailout with elections looming.
Khan thinks that a government that wins fair elections would bring political stability because it would have a mandate for five years.
Inskeeper interviewed Khan from DC, while Hadid was in Pakistan. Majd Al-Waheidi produced the interview for the web and Ally Schweitzer edited it.