Govt to wait, watch as Imran 'gets exhausted’

A key member of federal cabinet says PTI chief likely to land in jail soon

ISLAMABAD:

A member of the federal cabinet has revealed that the government’s current strategy is to simply watch and wait for former prime minister Imran Khan to get “exhausted” from an onslaught of cases as party leaders abandon him in flocks.

The minister who requested anonymity said on Saturday Imran used to “assail his rivals” over corruption and for criticising the military, among other things. Now, he said, Imran is himself now facing criminal charges and is accused of inciting his party workers to attack civil and military installations on May 9.

“Things are coming full circle,” the minister said, adding that the government meanwhile has adopted a “chill policy” and is only seeing how things, politically and legally, move ahead. To a question, he said Imran would not be immediately allowed to go abroad as it is “time to face the music”.

He alleged that Imran used the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and other investigating agencies against his opponents, kept accusing them of committing corruption, and poisoned the political arena by labeling others as thieves, looters, and traitors.

"Just see the irony. He (Imran) is facing the same criminal charges now [that he used to level against others]. It is karma, I guess”

A day after the coalition government presented its second federal budget, another member of the ruling alliance seconded the minister’s statement and also agreed with Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah who recently said either Imran or his political opponents would survive as things had reached to a point of no return.

In March, Sana had said that Imran had brought politics to a point where they would be forced not to follow any principle let alone talk about democracy, saying that either Imran or they would survive.

The minister said Imran, once an expert in wearing down opponents with relentless cases, now finds himself at the receiving end, saying he was simply mirroring the tactics he employed during his own rule.

While claiming that Imran was facing the cases arising out of his own actions and decisions, he said the government was simply seeing him getting exhausted in legal battles, hoping that Imran would ultimately land in jail.

“If former premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter could go to jail just ahead of the 2018 elections, why could not Imran face the same fate ahead of the upcoming 2023 elections?” he asked.

Not long ago, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief would frequently accuse his political rivals as corrupt, thieves and traitors, he recalled, saying that Imran’s desire to eliminate his political opponents was not even a secret.

Alleging that NAB was used against Imran’s rivals, he said, the PTI government had even conveniently shown NAB’s performance in the government’s performance report.

During Imran’s rule, several key opposition figures, including the then opposition leader and incumbent PM Shehbaz Sharif, were sent behind bars while others were released on bail as they continued fighting corruption charges in courts.

Throughout his tenure, the source said, Imran castigated his rivals, lashed out at them for criticising the military, plainly rejected the allegations of resorting to the “dual standards of accountability” in his anti-corruption drive, and ran his opponents ragged.

While alleging that Imran considered “accountability as a useful political weapon”, he said Imran would frequently remind that “no one is above the law”. “He also is not above the law,” he said.

Just a year after being ousted, Imran is facing charges of corruption and being accused of inciting his party workers and supporters to attack civil and military installations on May 9, an allegation which he refuses.

Soon after Imran was arrested on May 9, PTI workers and supporters stormed the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore while burning down the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar beside desecrating several other state symbols.

Shortly, the government and military swung into action as the Corps Commander Conference, National Security Council and federal cabinet vowed that all those involved in arson attacks and vandalism on key installations would not be allowed to go scot-free.

Resultantly, a crackdown began against PTI leaders and workers, which is still going on.

It seems that the forces that helped propel Imran to the power corridors now threaten to ruin his chances of coming back to power.

Just a few weeks ago, almost everyone was convinced that Imran was the most popular leader and nothing could stop him from coming back to power.

May 9 incidents, however, have changed a lot in a short span as not only his party leaders and workers are facing court cases but several bigwigs have left him and joined a new political party established by Imran’s old friend, Jahangir Khan Tareen, who had helped him form government in 2018.