Pakistan (MNN) — The former Prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has been charged under the antiterrorism act. He appeared in court on Thursday. Khan has been accused of insulting public officials, including a female judge, and violating a ban on public gatherings.
Back in April, Khan’s political opponents managed to remove him from office.
Political strife
Nehemiah with FMI says, “The standoff in Pakistan between former Prime Minister Khan and the government is developing into the most dangerous game of chicken, where each side is taunting the other. Any move by one escalates into a more drastic step by the other.”
Khan has not been arrested yet, something his followers called a “red line.” The former PM enjoys massive support in the public eye.
He has targeted the West in his rhetoric, saying countries like the U.S. are responsible for Pakistan’s economic woes. Nehemiah says, “People are buying his statements. And he is pulling massive crowds across Pakistan. We have seen his victories in by-elections recently.”
“If there is an arrest of PM Khan (and the ruling party does want to arrest him) I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a civil war in Pakistan.”
Khan himself called his following a “soft revolution.” He described it as a movement of people freeing themselves from political parties.
Recent political victories
Khan’s allies have won recent political victories across Pakistan, Nehemiah says. “He established an ally in Punjab, the hub of politics in Pakistan. And then he was just able to win another National Assembly seat in Karachi, which is a financial hub in Pakistan.”
Khan has called for new elections, which likely would swing in his favor. Nehemiah says, “Khan and his party, they may make a clean sweep in Pakistan politics. And this is not acceptable among the military establishment or the ruling party.”
Pray the love of Pakistani Christians will bring hope.
The header photo shows Khan speaking in 2010. (Photo courtesy of Chatham House, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
