Once again, Pakistan’s best-known politician, Imran Khan, seems to have come to the end of his long rope while in jail.
Since his ouster as prime minister through a vote of no-confidence in 2022, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder’s popularity has soared, but has proved insufficient to facilitate him or his party in achieving parliamentary supremacy—largely due to a widening rift with the military establishment. Adding to his woes is his party’s refusal to engage in dialogue with the PPP and PMLN—potential saviors in Parliament—as well as numerous cases and party infighting arising out of his absence.
Despite the tensions, Khan remains confident in jail, predicting to journalists during court hearings at Adiala Jail another return to power, while rubbishing any talk of speaking ill of the Army, stressing he criticizes “individuals” and not “institutions.” In recent days, he has also claimed to predict the imminent downfall of his political opponents, claiming PMLN President Nawaz Sharif would soon “flee” to London. Additionally, Khan maintains he is being “punished” for demanding “real freedom” and rule of law, and asserts all cases against him are fake. The fact remains that Khan is on the outs for two primary reasons: his public fallout with the Army, arising from rifts over senior military appointments and policy decisions, and his political isolation, stemming from his refusal to commit to any dialogue with his rivals.
Today, the prevailing wisdom holds that the duel between Imran Khan and the Army shows no signs of abating. While the very charisma and anti-establishment that attracts him to the electorate is fueling the tensions and facilitating his downfall. Last month’s arrest of Lt. Gen. (retd.) Faiz Hameed and subsequent initiation of court martial proceedings has also raised the heat, as speculation mounts over the former ISI chief’s alleged role in the May 9 riots. As Karl Marx once noted, “history repeats itself first as tragedy, then as farce.” Whether the farce currently unfolding in Pakistan leads to the end of Imran Khan remains to be seen, but if history is any indication, there is rarely any finality in Pakistan’s politics.