File photo of PTI Chairman Imran Khan
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was, on Saturday, found guilty of “corrupt practices” in the Toshakhana case and sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of Rs. 100,000, as well as disqualification from holding public office for five years. He was subsequently arrested by police from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore and is currently housed at Attock Jail.
Khan’s dramatic downfall started last year when his PTI-led government was ousted through a vote of no-confidence, a standard procedural tool in parliamentary democracies for ousting prime ministers who have lost their majority in the legislature. In fact, he was the first Pakistani premier to be removed through a constitutional procedure rather than a military coup. Nonetheless, he attempted to avoid it by unconstitutionally dismissing Parliament and announcing early elections, justifying these measures by claiming his political opposition had conspired against him “on instructions from the United States.” The matter eventually ended up before the Supreme Court, which validated the no-trust vote.
No one can argue the PTI chief’s mass popularity, bolstered by years of propaganda against his opponents. But rather than capitalizing on the public’s apathy, he faltered by refusing to learn the art of democratic politics, adjustment, commitments, or principles. Khan’s politics, instead, relied on agitation that saw increasingly disapproval from state institutions. His lofty claims of ending corruption, youth unemployment, and ensuring economic revival within 90 days were never realized, resulting in the military establishment withdrawing its support. To add to his woes, his tenure saw Pakistan internationally isolated; a dangerous prospect for a country reliant on foreign support for its survival.
The PTI chief’s downfall was also preceded by bad governance and a rise in economic hardship—which has only worsened under the incumbent rulers—triggered by an overreliance on remittances, domestic and international borrowing and a financial bailout from the IMF with tough “conditionalities” difficult for any government to fulfill. Khan sought to paper over these issues through his “Islamic touch” and vitriolic rhetoric against the opposition. Unfortunately, while domestic concerns could be ignored, the state’s limit was reached as “friendly nations” voiced increasing offense, leaving little choice but to withdraw support that had seen him achieve power in 2018.