Pakistan ex-PM accuses army chief of toppling government as opposition protests kick off
Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister of Pakistan, has accused army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa of toppling his government in 2017 and installing Imran Khan as prime minister the following year.
Sharif was addressing a gathering of tens of thousands of workers from Pakistan’s opposition parties in the eastern city of Gujranwala via video link from London.
“General Qamar Javed Bajwa, you packed up our government, which was working well, and put the nation and the country at the alter of your wishes,” he said.
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Nawaz Sharif was sacked by the Supreme Court in 2017 on corruption charges and has been in London since November
Sharif says military conspired against him
The former prime minister further accused Bajwa and the head of the ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence agency, of interfering in political affairs and coercing the judiciary.
“General Bajwa is responsible for rigging the 2018 elections, curbs on the media, abduction of journalists and forcing judges to give decisions of his choice,” he added. The government banned local media from covering his address.
Sharif, who has been in London for medical treatment since November, was sacked by the Supreme Court in 2017 on corruption charges. He is also facing sedition charges for accusing the military of interference. Referring to those charges, he told the crowd it was common for “dictators” to label politicians as traitors.
Politicians in Pakistan usually refrain from targeting the powerful military, which has been known to topple governments in the past. The military has denied meddling in politics, but is yet to comment on Sharif’s allegations.
Maryam Nawaz, Sharif’s daughter, also addressed the anti-government rally
First in a series of rallies
Last month, nine major opposition parties formed the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to launch a nationwide protest movement to unseat Prime Minister Khan.
The anti-government rally in Gujranwala is the first in a series of demonstrations planned to increase pressure on Khan, who came to power in 2018 promising to rid Pakistan of corruption. The next rally is set to be held in southeastern Sindh province on Sunday.
The parties plan to end the campaign with a march on Islamabad, the capital, in 2021.
“Today’s rally has given its verdict that Imran Khan’s time is over now,” said Maryam Nawaz, Sharif’s daughter and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the country’s main opposition party.
“The time has come for the puppet government to go,” said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the head of the Pakistan’s People’s Party and the son of assassinated former Pakistani prime minister, Benazir Bhutto.
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The rally was held in a cricket stadium, where at least 6,000 police officers were deployed for security, a spokesperson for Gujranwala police told German news agency dpa.
The venue was packed beyond its 35,000-person capacity, creating health concerns at a time when Pakistan is seeing a second wave of coronavirus infections.
Imran Khan says he didn’t need the military’s help to get into power
Prime Minister Khan, who denies he had the help of the powerful military to win office, said Friday that he wasn’t afraid of the opposition’s campaign against him.
He added that the movement aimed to blackmail him to drop corruption cases against opposition leaders.
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Under Khan’s tenure, Pakistan is facing an economic crisis, double digit inflation and negative growth. The next general election is scheduled for 2023.
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Who is Imran Khan, Pakistan’s prime minister?
Affluent upbringing
Imran Khan was born in Lahore in 1952, the son of a civil engineer. Khan grew up with his four sisters in a relatively affluent part of the city. He received a privileged education, first in his hometown and then in Worcester, England. It was there that Khan’s love and talent for the game of cricket became evident. In 1972, he enrolled at Oxford University to study politics and economics.
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Who is Imran Khan, Pakistan’s prime minister?
Pakistan cricket’s blue-eyed boy
Khan played cricket throughout his time in England and after returning to his native Pakistan in 1976, he quickly became a regular in the national team. By 1982, he was awarded the captain’s armband. Khan enjoyed an illustrious career and was regarded by many as one of the best all-rounders in the world.
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Who is Imran Khan, Pakistan’s prime minister?
World champion
The ultimate high point of Khan’s sporting career saw him captain Pakistan to the 1992 Cricket World Cup in Melbourne, Australia. As if his popularity couldn’t get any bigger back home, Khan even took the winning wicket in the final against England.
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Who is Imran Khan, Pakistan’s prime minister?
From playboy to (thrice) married man
Khan enjoyed hedonistic bachelor life and was a regular fixture on London’s nightlife scene. However, in 1995, at age 42, he finally tied the knot to 21-year-old Jemima Goldsmith. During their nine-year marriage, the famous couple provided plenty of fodder for the British and Pakistani tabloids. Despite separating in 2004, Goldsmith has remained a vocal supporter of Khan’s politics.
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Who is Imran Khan, Pakistan’s prime minister?
Khan enters politics
Khan wasted little time after retiring from cricket in 1994. Just two years later he entered Pakistani politics and founded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. However, his popularity was slow to carry over from cricket into politics. In the 1997 general elections, his PTI party failed to win a single seat.
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Who is Imran Khan, Pakistan’s prime minister?
Political activist
Khan remained active in politics over the next decades. In 1999, he supported General Pervez Musharraf’s military coup, only to later turn against Musharraf ahead of the 2007 presidential election. Khan was subsequently placed under house arrest and even spent a few days in prison. However, his supporter base continued to grow, and by 2013 he became a key candidate in the general elections.
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Who is Imran Khan, Pakistan’s prime minister?
2013: Khan’s political breakthrough
The PTI made substantial gains in the 2013 election, claiming 30 parliamentary seats and finishing second behind the Pakistan Muslim League. The party became the main opposition in the key provinces of Punjab and Sindh. However, its greatest feat was winning its first province in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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Who is Imran Khan, Pakistan’s prime minister?
“Taliban Khan”
Khan has often been the butt of jokes for his pacifist stance towards terrorism in the region. He earned the moniker “Taliban Khan” for claiming that the only way to achieve peace with the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan was through negotiation. Khan was also a vocal critic of US drones strikes on Pakistan and has promised to disengage Pakistan from America’s conflicts in the Middle East.
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Who is Imran Khan, Pakistan’s prime minister?
Two more marriages
Since his divorce from Goldsmith in 2004, Khan has remarried twice. In January 2015, Khan announced his marriage to British-Pakistani journalist Reham Khanm although just 10 months later the couple said they were filing for divorce. In February 2018, Khan married his third wife, Bushra Manika (pictured front row, second from the left), whom he describes as his spiritual adviser.
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Who is Imran Khan, Pakistan’s prime minister?
Making waves in 2018
By 2018, Khan’s PTI were among the favorites going into the general election. Campaigning on a populist platform, Khan pledged to break away from Pakistan’s corrupt legacy. His plans include a poverty reduction program similar to that seen in China. This would see the establishment of an “Islamic welfare state,” the creation of 10 million jobs and construction of 5 million homes for the poor.
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Who is Imran Khan, Pakistan’s prime minister?
Prime Minister Imran Khan
Khan completed his journey from all-star cricketer to political leader on July 26, 2018. With most votes counted, the PTI is expected win up to 119 seats in Pakistan’s 272-seat parliament. “I started this struggle 22 years ago and today I have been given a chance to fulfill what I dreamed for the country,” Khan said in a televised speech. “We will run Pakistan like it’s never been run before.”
am/nm (Reuters, dpa)