Imran Khan’s Arrest and Violent Protests

By Sajjad Shaukat

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister and Chairman of the main opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan who was arrested on May 9, this year was granted five bails by the Islamabad High Court on May 12, 2023 after the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled one day ago that that arrest was illegal and ordered his immediate release.

He was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with corruption involving the Al-Qadir University Trust, headed by Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, during a court appearance (Islamabad High Court) related to a separate case, in the capital Islamabad.

After the arrest of Imran Khan, violent protests erupted across the country, as PTI supporters took to the streets. Reportedly, at least 10 people including police men were killed all over the country, as the result of clashes between police and protesters. Sources suggest that in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Islamabad, both sides fired at each other, while, more than 100 policemen were injured. At some places personnel of the Rangers were also targeted, and due to the unprecedented situation, the interim provincial governments deployed army troops to maintain law and order in Punjab and K-P as well as other affected areas.

In various cities, the PTI supporters damaged the civil and military installations on a large scale, which also includes the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar, where, the protesters vandalised the building, tortured the staff including women and engaged in arson—office of the election commission in K-P, Police stations in Lahore and other towns, while many vehicles were set to ablaze.

Besides, government buildings, particularly, in the cantonment areas, the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore also known as Jinnah House was ransacked and set to fire by a large number of PTI workers. In Rawalpindi, PTI supporters pelted stones on the gate of army’s General Headquarters, damaged army martyrs’ monuments and memorials. In cant areas, houses and offices of the army were also targeted.

Meanwhile, in an alleged audio-leak, PTI leader and provincial president Dr Yasmin Rashid’s conversation of instructing the workers to go to the Corps Commander House has also come to light.—the PTI sources declared it as ‘fake’. However, it was an appalling incident of vandalism never witnessed before in the country’s political history.

Almost all the leaders of the coalition government, including Prime Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), federal ministers and several members of the civil society strongly condemned the PTI workers’ violent attacks at civil and military installations as undemocratic and unconstitutional move, saying these have shown fascist approach of the PTI. They also reminded the sacrifices of the armed forces, especially for maintaining the internal and external security of the country.

Besides, people belonging to various segments of society staged rallies, showing solidarity with the armed forces. Addressing the rallies, the speakers reaffirmed the nation’s resolve to firmly stand shoulder to shoulder with armed forces of the country. They strongly condemned the attacks of miscreants on government installations and vandalising of state institutions.

However, in a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on May 10, 2023 termed May 9 as a dark day in national history in wake of the violent incidents which took place against the Pakistan Army. The statement elaborated that immediately after the PTI chief’s arrest, there were organised attacks on army installations and anti-army slogans were raised—“One group wearing a political cloak, driven by its lust for power, has accomplished what the eternal enemies of the country could not do in 75 years.”

The ISPR added:  “Without caring about its own reputation, the army showed extreme patience, tolerance and restraint in the wider interest of the country. Army’s mature response thwarted this conspiracy…We are well aware that behind this are directives of some evil leadership of the party (PTI). There was complete pre-planning…evil elements (PTI workers mobs) vigorously stirred up public sentiments to fulfill their limited and selfish goals…action against all miscreants would be taken according to law”.

During his visit at Corps Headquarters Peshawar on May 13, 2023, Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir stated: “We shall continue with our endeavors of peace and stability and there will be no room for spoilers of the process…The Armed Forces will not tolerate any further attempt of violating the sanctity and security of its installations or vandalism and resolved to bring to justice all the planners, abetters, instigators and executors of vandalism on the Black Day of 9th May.” He highlighted by saying: “A concerted effort is being made maliciously by inimical elements to target the Armed Forces…such nefarious attempts will be foiled through the support of people of Pakistan.”

In this respect Chief of Army Staff Gen. Syed Asim Munir presided over Special Corps Commanders Conference held at GHQ on May 15, 2023. Army top brass “expressed anguish over well-coordinated attacks on military installations—observed the situation created to achieve vested political interests—decided that those involved in attacks on military installations, personnel and equipment during violence created on May 9, would be tried under relevant laws of Pakistan Army, including Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act”, said a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

Premier Shehbaz Sharif ordered the caretaker government of Punjab on May 13, this year to arrest those involved in the incidents of “vandalism, attacks, and arson” in Punjab. He expressed grief over the incidents and condemned the “actions of Khan and his followers”, who he believes acted as enemies of Pakistan. PM Shehbaz allegedly stated that Khan was responsible for the barbaric act of torching of Corps Commander House in Lahore as he planned and instigated the act of arson.

Under Section 3 of Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), and creating law and order situation, countrywide, Police has arrested more than 4000 individuals and suspects regarding riots of May 9 and May 10. As part of the crackdown top PTI leaders, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi were detained.

Earlier, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Imran Khan was arrested in a corruption case by NAB and the government is not involved in it. She explained that whatever the PTI activists did on May 9 was not a public reaction; rather it was done in a pre-planned manner.

On the other side, the PTI leaders clarified that they had called for peaceful protests against the arrest of Imran Khan, but some miscreants who were penetrated in the protest-rallies conducted violent assaults on public and state buildings as well as the military installations. But, mistreatment with ladies by the law enforcing agencies also provoked the PTI supporters to adopt violent tactics at some places.  

PTI Chairman Khan on May 13, 2023 demanded Supreme Court-led an independent investigation into the vandalism and violence which broke out during the protests in the aftermath of his arrest.

As regards the release of Imran Khan, leaders of the Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM)-the ruling coalition parties accused the three member bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial of favouring Khan.

In her tweet, Maryam Nawaz, the senior vice president of the PML-N claimed that the chief justice seemed exceedingly pleased with meeting an individual [Khan] who was accused of embezzling Rs. 60 billion from the national treasury. She accused the chief justice of being responsible for the attacks on “crucial and sensitive institutions” in the country. “The chief justice of Pakistan should leave the post and join the Tehreek-e-Insaf,” she stated on the micro-blogging website.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated that release of Khan shows the double standards of the judiciary, saying: “Why did politicians, including Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, Asif Zardari, Maryam Nawaz and me not get this kind of treatment from the Supreme Court?”

Nevertheless, on May 9 and May 10, the country faced multiple losses of various kinds—billions of rupees due to the PTI protests—and the cost imposed by the ban on mobile data, as the shift to a digital economy received a huge shock. The all-important deal with the IMF, on the table has been pushed farther away. Nonetheless, the entire nation has been left to bear the brunt of the cost of the protests.

Apart from the damage done to government buildings, for which taxpayers’ money will be used to repair, while Pakistan is already facing multi-faceted crises and challenges like corruption, inflation, soaring prices of commodities, energy-shortage, lack of investment, upsurge of the US dollar, increase in oil prices, load shedding inability of the importer to open Letters of Credit (LC) owing to lack of dollars etc. And the foreign exchange reserves of the State Bank of Pakistan have fallen to the lowest.

In the recent past, a tussle between the parliament and Supreme Court has already started when PDM leaders and law-makers openly spoke against the apex court and passed legislation/bills in curtailing its powers, while delivering threatening speeches.

In a major development, at a peaceful protest sit-in (Dharna) outside the Supreme Court of Pakistan on May 15, this year, the leadership of the PDM targeted the apex court for what it called the weakening of the democratic order in the country. Speaking to a massive crowd gathered, Senior Vice President of PML-N Maryam Nawaz especially criticised Chief Justice Umra Ata Bandial, and two other judges as the facilitators of Imran Khan.

PDM chief and head of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUL-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman who had announced the protest sit-in outside the Supreme Court of Pakistan had clarified that it would continue till the resignation of the Chief Justice Bandial. But, the PDM called off the (Dharna) on the same day (May 15).

Notably, the above mentioned Corps Commanders Conference also emphasised the need for national consensus amongst all stakeholders to address the ongoing political instability at priority to restore public confidence, reinvigorate economic activity and strengthen democratic process.

Hence, showing flexibility, PDM and PTI should restart talks in conducting the general elections in Pakistan and must fix appropriate date in this regard.

In the meantime, former PM Imran Khan on May 17, 2023 invited all stakeholders to sit and talk, while there was still time, as he also claimed that under the pretense of the caretaker government that 40 terrorists who were behind army’s installations attacks on the May 9, have taken shelter at his residence in Lahore’s Zaman Park—there would be his another arrest during a raid, while PTI Central Secretary Information Farrukh Habib dared the Punjab government to release list of so-called 40 terrorists and the party would fully cooperate with police, but would not allow fascist government to carry out operation there at any cost.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

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