Pakistan Election Commission’s decision To disqualify Imran Khan from completing his term Parliament is in a blow to the former prime minister, who has been rallying his supporters against his political rivals as well as the military establishment since his ouster in April. The commission found Mr Khan, leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party as prime minister guilty of illegally selling gifts received from foreign dignitaries and concealing profits. And a four-member bench gave a particularly harsh decision to remove a popular politician and main opposition leader from office, an order reminiscent of the former Disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 2018. Mr Khan will also be barred from leading PTI as an earlier Supreme Court judgment barred disqualified leaders from leading political parties. The verdict came days after Mr Khan won six of the seven National Assembly seats in the by-elections, a sign of his growing popularity despite a slew of various cases. They have challenged the commission’s decision in the Islamabad High Court, but needless to say, the development has added to their legal woes. This could threaten his political career and worsen political instability.
While the validity of the decision of the Commission will be Reviewed by High CourtIt’s hard to miss the similarity between Mr Sharif and Mr Khan’s disqualification after he was ousted from office after being outed with the powerful military establishment. Mr. Sharif has always had a bad relationship with the military. Mr. Khan, on the other hand, was the beneficiary of Mr. Sharif’s expulsion. He came to power with the help of the establishment and the then opposition, which forms the present government, accused him of being a pawn in the hands of the generals. But the matter turned when Mr Khan tried to rein in the army. Now, he is accusing the army of conspiring with his political rivals to keep him out of power. Whether right or wrong, Pakistan’s history shows that any popular leader who seeks to raise political capital independent of military positions will face strong institutional resistance. Mr Khan’s story is no different. Pakistan is in trouble. The Shahbaz Sharif government is a short-lived arrangement; The economy is in free fall; And this year’s floods have made matters worse, fueling public outcry. Civilian leaders must assert themselves, strengthen democracy and bring the country out of the quagmire it is in. Instead, their power struggle under the long shadow of the military is further destabilizing the country.