Born in 1952 and brought up in a wealthy family in Lahore, Khan studied at top schools and Oxford University. He gained a reputation as one of the most amazingly talented and brave cricketers ever seen, leading his nation to glory as the captain of the team. After retiring from sports, energetic philanthropic work coincided with a religious awakening and led to a budding political career. However, pundits and satirists in the late 1990s did not rate “Im the Dim”‘s chances highly. Khan finally proved the naysayers wrong. Perseverance, luck and a simple populist message that led to deep disappointment made the former athlete a genuine contender for power. Khan promised a “new Pakistan” that would be free of corruption, competently governed and no longer owned by the US or the West. His piety, social conservatism, and unquestionable personal dignity resonated beyond Pakistan’s mass Islamist organizations. Crucially, Pakistan’s powerful military – the country’s political kingpins – eventually backed his campaign. After some near misses, Khan’s party – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf – won the 2018 elections.
What happened when he was in power?
Khan had a fate known to many predecessors. No prime minister since Pakistan’s founding in 1948 has served a full five-year term. Unable to find policies that brought relief from Pakistan’s rolling crises – although his handling of the Covid pandemic has been praised – high expectations have gone unfulfilled. “He wanted to create a new Pakistan, but how? It’s actually very difficult and to give in to Islam doesn’t answer the question,” said Gareth Price, a South Asia expert at Chatham House in London. Perhaps most importantly, Khan made a familiar mistake by seeking to influence the selection of the next head of Pakistan’s military intelligence agency, the notorious ISI. Already wavering, several top generals saw a threat to their interests in fatally weakening the prime minister. An activist opposition that had so far been unable to pressure Khan saw its chance. After weeks of political crisis, he was forced to resign in April this year following a vote of no confidence in parliament. Imran Khan’s supporters gather outside residence after terrorism charges against him – video
what is happening now
Khan successfully fought back and became “the ultimate symbol of Pakistan’s anti-status quo”, according to commentator Mosharraf Zaidi. This may explain why the former prime minister has now been hit with police charges after questioning the impartiality of the judiciary in speeches to huge rallies in the heartland of his support. While Khan is unlikely to be arrested – such a move could lead to trouble for the current coalition government – he could still be embroiled in court cases leading to his possible exclusion from politics. “Khan’s messages are quite sharp and harsh, but it is very difficult by any legal interpretation to argue that he could be charged with terrorism… His power on the streets has never been as strong as it is now. The idea may well be to silence him and make it impossible for him to be a political player,” said Michael Kugelman, a South Asia expert at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC.
What does this mean for Pakistan?
Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state located in one of the most unstable parts of the world. Many South Asian countries have been hit hard by recent global increases in grain and fuel prices, but Pakistan is more vulnerable than many others. Deadly floods wreak havoc in its southwestern province. Islamic militant violence is on the rise. it has huge debts and an IMF bailout is looming that could lead to subsidy cuts that will hurt ordinary people. unemployment is soaring. Public services are woefully inadequate. and relations with India, China, Afghanistan and Iran range from hostile to very complicated. “Pakistan is in a very difficult position,” Kugelman said, and according to Price, the last thing the country needs is “petty politics” that distracts from real issues. A decade ago, Khan compared Pakistan’s politics to “facing six balls from a fast bowler without pads, helmet or gloves”. The analogy remains apt. The former cricketer’s career is far from over.
