Charismatic personality Imran Khan is spending the eighth decade of Umar Aziz and he saw the rise before May 9 this year. The events of May 9 have put Imran Khan on the one-way road of decline from which there is no return. If he became a cricketer in his youth, he became the heartbeat of the youth with his height and appearance. He was well received as a versatile cricketer in Pakistan and abroad. To catch a glimpse of them was considered an honor for the younger generation. Rumors of his marriage with famous actresses and models were spreading day by day. As a cricketer, he gained fame, rise and acclaim for winning the Cricket World Cup as captain for Pakistan. This recognition skyrocketed when he announced the construction of a cancer hospital dedicated to his late mother Shaukat Khanum. The people responded to the voice of Imran Khan, donated generously and this welfare project was completed. Seeing this acceptance, in 1996 Imran Khan entered the field of politics and formed a political party named Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf. Imran Khan was given importance in political circles. On the other hand, Imran Khan married into a British family which is considered one of the richest families. His bride Jemima Goldsmith converted to Islam, changed her name to Jemima Khan and shifted to Pakistan. Although Jemima and Imran parted ways after 9 years of association, during this time they had become a successful rider on the political track. In the 2013 Ram elections, his party got an opportunity to form the government in KPK, which he did confidently. In this way the confidence of the voter was strengthened on PTI. In 2014, Ramran Khan’s political rally at Minar Pakistan was attended by a record number of people. In the same year, Tehreek-e-Insaf staged a sit-in against the Muslim League government in Shahrah Dastur D Chowk and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. This sit-in was probably the longest sit-in in the political history of the world, lasting more than four months. Nawaz Sharif did not resign but was declared ineligible by the court in a case of Panama Leaks. After staying in jail for some time, he shifted to London. 2018 was an election year. In these elections, Imran Khan’s party got a chance to form the government in Federation, Punjab, KPK and Balochistan along with allies. After some time, PTI governments were established in Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan as well. President Aaf Alvi was also nominated by Ramran Khan. Imran Khan had a good understanding with the then Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and he used to proudly say that the government and the army were on the same page. This is the rise of Imran Khan for three and a half years, the sun of Imran Khan’s power continued to shine on the spear. Then the story took a new turn. By replacing Prime Minister Imran Khan’s favorite Director General ISI Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, the establishment wanted to bring Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum to this post. Imran Khan wanted to keep General Faiz as DG for some more time. The appointment of the Director General of ISI in the state system of Pakistan has never been a simple process. All the processes and steps from the election or selection of the individual to the consultation and issuance of notification in this regard are hidden in the background and veils of secrecy. The conflict escalated but the establishment won.
Imran Khan and the establishment are no longer on the same page. Imran Khan’s government was ousted in April 2022 by a no-confidence motion. Thirteen opposition parties formed an alliance in the name of PDM and Shahbaz Sharif, the president of the Muslim League-N party included in this alliance, was made the prime minister. Imran Khan did not get as much popularity as the Prime Minister as he got in the opposition. He accused the establishment of ending my government at the behest of America. Imran Khan’s statement was well received. It was popular that Imran Khan was paved the way. Tehreek-e-Insaf resigned from the National Assembly. In January, the Punjab Assembly and the KPK Assemblies were dissolved. Constitutionally, new elections were to be held in these two provinces in April. The Supreme Court also issued instructions to the Election Commission to conduct the election. At the height of Imran Khan’s popularity, his party was in a position to make a clean sweep in the election. But the government did not conduct the election by adopting the position of lack of funds and security. During this time, more than one and a half hundred cases had been established against Imran Khan at different times. NAB initiated an inquiry into the Al-Qadir Trust case. In this case, on May 9, Imran Khan reached the Islamabad High Court to seek security, then he was arrested by Rangers and handed over to NAB. Reaction to the arrest of a popular political leader is natural, but PTI activists left behind the usual vandalism and targeted the military commander’s house and other armed forces installations in Lahore. The Pakistan Army reacted strongly to this and announced to prosecute the culprits under the Army Act. The government also approved it. From here begins the downfall of Imran Khan. Within two or three weeks, the entire PTI leadership and thousands of workers have been put in jails. Imran Khan is facing more than 100 cases ranging from corruption to terrorism and blasphemy, which he says are politically motivated. He claims that 10,000 of his workers and supporters are behind bars, and the top leadership of his party has been arrested. Even if the arrested leaders have bail, they are arrested in another case. Pardon and release is available only to those who condemn the events of May 9 and profess their indifference to Imran Khan and his horticulture. Many of his close colleagues and party leaders have announced their separation from the party. Imran Khan has termed these separations as forced divorces and said that they have been forcibly separated. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has hinted at banning PTI and says that leaders who left the party were trimmed to bring Imran Khan to power. According to him, his political birth took place during the last ten years, leaving the party is not a shameful thing for him. There are some of them who have left the party four, four, five, five times and you know them who were running.
According to the defense minister, making the army a party to politics at this time is the biggest crime. It is not appropriate to drag the army into politics at this time. According to him, Imran Khan repeatedly says that he has to talk to the army. He considers the army as his rival. According to him, this is his past. Imran Khan has gone too far in his lust for power. Imran Khan did not condemn the events of May 9 for ten days and when he condemned later, it was a conditional condemnation. The defense minister is also a royal man, he is not ready to accept the army as a political party. Perhaps the word party is not worthy of the army. Imran Khan is trying to save party ranks, and his support within the army seems to be waning. Although Imran Khan says allegations of his workers’ involvement in violent attacks are organized propaganda, part of a conspiracy to destroy his party. After that he kept saying that he has no differences with the establishment. He claims that it is the PDM that is trying to create distance between the army and me, but it is clear that there is a deep sense of anxiety and humiliation within the army because of the attacks on military installations. Two swords cannot be cut in one sword. This principle applies to Imran Khan’s confrontation with the establishment. As Imran Khan’s colleagues are leaving him in large numbers, I am reminded of the women sitting in the house of the dead who are comforting the heirs of the deceased and saying, “Moola di Amanat si, Ohne take back”. (He took back the trust of Allah). To Imran Khan, the colleagues who have left and are leaving were the trust of those on whose request he joined the PTI. Now their owners are withdrawing their trusts. Now these trusts will become the adornment of another dargah on the instructions of their owners. Safe owners and safe this game. Imran Khan should now understand that he has played his innings. Now, instead of playing more, he has to find a way to retire with dignity.
Lock up your sleepless rams
No one is here now, no one will come