Can Imran Khan return ?
IMRAN Khan after getting voted out, did go on to become dangerous, to the extent of becoming an existential threat to the army and society.
He did lead their children away with deeply populist rhetoric. He painted General Bajwa as Mir Jaffer, the traitor who held back his forces in the Battle of Plassey and allowed the British Crown via the East India Company to gain a foothold in Bengal.
He implied that the army and the new government were ‘slaves’ of America. All this has resonated deeply with Imran’s core base, which has become wildly angry and recharged.
The most unexpected war to emerge after the nail-biting cliff-hanger vote of no-confidence by the combined opposition against ousted Imran Khan was not between his party and the Opposition, but between Imran’s party and his followers against the military establishment.
In the ugliest and one of the most dangerous fallouts, it has seen angry, filthy abuse being hurled at Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, DG ISI Lt.
General Nadeem Anjum, and some of the judges who ruled that the vote must be carried out on 9 April.
Knowing that he has nothing to show for his three-and-a-half years in office and that the ouster was certain, the Pied Piper alleged American conspiracy against him in his bid to ward off or delay the ouster.
Just like the Pied Piper of medieval folklore had threatened the villagers that he would lead their children away like rats with his magic pipe, Imran Khan, too, threatened to become dangerous in opposition.
The army has been at pains to hold formation commanders’ meetings, press conferences, garrison meetings, and Q&A sessions with ex-servicemen to justify their neutrality or apolitical stance.
In the press conference by the DG ISPR, all of Imran Khan’s conspiracy theories of American plot, false claims of refusing US demands, and allegations that he was presented with three options by the establishment were dismantled.
But the problem is, Imran Khan’s core base is the same as the army high command: serving and retired army officers and their families, and a middle class connected with them in various ways.
Now, it appears that there is deep resentment, at least in the retired cadre. Some say a fair amount of resentment also exists in the serving rank and file.
In the meetings, General Qamar Javed Bajwa has been asked tough questions by those who believe that the army should have supported Imran Khan.
General Qamar Bajwa has responded with exhaustive detail on Imran Khan’s lack of capacity, delivery, intransigence and dubious character.
There are a few fascinating takeaways from this discourse, and these are mirrored in social media conversations, too.
Supporters of Imran Khan feel that the army is a traitor for not intervening to keep ‘dacoits’ out and supporting the ‘true leader’, who, according to them, is the only person who can solve all ills and set Pakistan on its flight to greatness.
He has also said that he had to do everything, including having to get the budget passed, keeping Imran’s allies and party members together, getting money from abroad, and so on and so forth.
He added that now, it was time for Imran to stand on his own feet and that he cannot baby-sit him forever.
Elections are coming, if he gets a majority and forms a government, we will have no problem.
” It was like calling a bluff. But apparently, the resentment continues to fester. Imran’s supporters, both inside and outside of the army, are now accusing people like myself of being ‘bootlickers’ for applauding the Supreme Court decision that led to the vote of the no-confidence motion – we are being questioned for supporting the army.
Why the army, for a change, deserves to be endorsed this time is because for once, it has abided by its oath to defend and protect the constitution of Pakistan – even if it was to rid itself of its own project gone awry.
Such has been the pressure on the army chief that he did not attend the Prime Minister’s oath-taking ceremony.
He only paid a courtesy visit to the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, seven days after oath-taking, after eyebrows were raised at these unprecedented infractions of the settled protocol.
At the end of the day, the army leadership finds itself in a pickle as Imran and his former cabinet ministers continue their attack on the army leadership and the Supreme Court bench that ruled against his filibuster.
Indeed, the PTI bettered the fifth-generation warfare and the use of disinformation, Islam and patriotism – it learned the trick from the master himself.
They do not think that the true leader can actually do this himself. The dishonesty being displayed by Imran Khan’s supporters is that they now see themselves as constitutionalists who oppose the army’s role in Imran Khan’s downfall, even though the role has been to let a constitutional process take its course.
With a neutral establishment and without the Jahangir Tareen factor can Imran Khan return to power in 2023?
Only time and his behaviour will answer this question. Presently, tactfully Imran Khan in his speeches is repeatedly focusing on so-called “letter”, not on his deliverance and performance because in his basket he has nothing to sell.
Will very soon Imran Khan and Sheikh Rashid once again fuel the fire? Like the D-Chowk sit-in of 2014 will Imran Khan provoke the masses and plunge the country into more civil unrest and disobedience?
Is Pakistan really inches away from full-fledged chaos? Will the State be able to control this ever deteriorating situation and crush the miscreants once for all with an iron hand?
—The writer is editor, book ambassador, political analyst and author of several books based in Islamabad.
