In the aftermath of the intense turmoil on May 9, triggered by the dramatic arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the political landscape in the country is undergoing a seismic shift as prominent figures choose to part ways with the party.
Whispers abound that the party’s stalwarts, the charismatic Shah Mehmood Qureshi and the dynamic Fawad Chaudhary, have mysteriously vanished from the public eye, their absence palpable and shrouded in intrigue for a staggering eight days. Adding to the mounting exodus, the seasoned former Federal Minister and PTI stalwart, Shireen Mazari, has decisively severed her ties with the party, sending shockwaves through the political realm.
As the aftermath of the May 9 unrest continues to unfold, the unraveling of key players from the PTI signals a time of profound transformation, leaving onlookers eager to decipher the implications of these notable departures.
Amid the unrest, let’s take a look at what has happened in Pakistan so far, and what the future could hold:
A Win for Khan
Khan on Tuesday pressed his legal battle before a court in Islamabad, which granted him protection from arrest until early next month in several cases including terrorism charges for inciting violence.
The development comes as authorities have been cracking down on the supporters of Khan, now Pakistan’s top opposition leader. Thousands staged violent protests and attacked public property and military installations following Khan’s arrest earlier this month.
The violence subsided only days later, after Khan was released on the orders of the country’s Supreme Court. Ten people were killed in clashes with the police.
The Cases Against Him
Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April last year, has campaigned against the government of his successor, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, claiming his ouster was illegal and demanding early elections.
But Khan claims he was ousted under a U.S. plot, a charge that Washington and Sharif’s government deny. Since his exit, he has stepped up his campaign to oust Sharif’s government through “pressure from the people.”
Since then, the 70-year-old former cricket star turned Islamist politician has become embroiled in more than 100 legal cases against him. He faces charges of graft purportedly committed while he was in office and has been charged with terrorism in eight cases over the violent protests by his supporters and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf opposition party.
After the Islamabad court on Tuesday granted Khan protection from arrest on terrorism charges until June 8, he and his wife travelled to the nearby city of Rawalpindi, where Khan appeared before the National Accountability Bureau to answer questions in a separate graft case.
After a four-hour questioning, the couple returned home to Lahore. No details were immediately available about Khan’s appearance before the agency.
The couple is accused of accepting the gift of property to build a private university in exchange for providing benefits to a real estate tycoon. Khan denies the charge, saying he and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were not involved in any wrongdoing.
Trouble in PTI?
Meanwhile, in a blow to Khan, a close associate who served as a rights minister in his 2018-2022 government, announced on Tuesday that she was leaving the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party and politics altogether.
Shireen Mazari has been a vocal critic of Pakistan’s military and Sharif’s government. She was arrested last Thursday on charges of inciting people to violence, then released on Monday, only to be rearrested again later in the evening. She was freed again sometime later and spoke at a news conference on Tuesday afternoon.
“I have decided to leave active politics and I will not be a part of PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) or any political party from today,” Mazari said, adding that she was quitting for health reasons. She did not elaborate.
Mazari, who also denounced the recent violence by Khan’s supporters, is among several leaders from Khan’s party who have quit him because of the deadly protests.
Also on Tuesday, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, another key leader in Khan’s party, said at a news conference in Islamabad he is quitting the party over Khan’s “politics of confrontation with the state and the military.”
In Pakistan, the military has ruled for half of its 75-year history.
But Khan Continues to Inspire Supporters’ Confidence
Since his dramatic release from police custody, a transformed Imran Khan has embarked on a relentless campaign to reclaim the political spotlight. With unwavering determination, he takes to the digital stage almost daily, captivating audiences through YouTube and Twitter with his impassioned calls for early elections and his self-proclaimed role as Pakistan’s resolute anti-establishment savior. Each address he delivers is met with an awe-inspiring surge of viewers, numbering in the tens of thousands, who hang on to his every word, as per a report by The Guardian.
In a bold assertion, Khan boldly claims that his extraordinary popularity among the masses is the very catalyst behind the onslaught of legal battles he faces, with a staggering count of over 100 cases against him. Undeterred, the former prime minister insists that provincial and national elections must be held, painting a vivid picture of a grand conspiracy orchestrated by Pakistan’s influential political establishment and the ruling coalition government, led by the formidable Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, all orchestrated to prevent the PTI from ascending to power and forming the next government.
In a titanic clash of words, the military leadership and the Sharif government retaliate vehemently, accusing Khan of endorsing violence and terrorism. The battleground of accusations rages on, further fueling the flames of political unrest and cementing Imran Khan’s status as a polarizing figure challenging the very foundations of power in Pakistan.
Associated Press contributed to this report
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