Pakistan Crisis: 'Political system has shattered; Pakistanis are struggling'

Former Pakistan prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan's arrest has pushed the country towards anarchy with the law and order situation further deteriorating. Pakistan has been facing an acute economic crisis for over two years now and the current political turmoil has further worsened the situation for the people in particular. 

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Asianet News reached out to experts to understand the fast-evolving situation in Pakistan.

Anil Trigunayat, former Indian Ambassador and distinguished fellow at Vivekananda International Foundation, said: "After Imran Khan's arrest, the law and order situation in Pakistan has deteriorated fast. Its economy is on a ventilator and the people are struggling for food and fuel. Even after global pressure, Pakistan has yet not changed its policy of sponsoring and aiding the terrorists. We can say now the political system in Pakistan has shattered and everything is dependent on its Army and intelligence agency ISI."

"No political leaders can take a stand without the help of the Army and the ISI. The same thing happened with Imran Khan. The way Imran Khan’s supporters are protesting across the country and entered in Islamabad, I think it would be a tough time for the Shehbaz Sharief government to manage it. Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial governments have already requested the Army to take charge which shows the government is losing credibility and trust," the Ambassador said.

"The future course is totally dependent on the Pakistan Army. The Sharief and Bhutto families want to finish Imran Khan politically, which is next to impossible," he added.

What would be next in Pakistan?

"If the situation deteriorates further and the Army takes charge of the country, the global powers may impose financial sanctions. In short, we can say that the common Pakistani would be the ultimate sufferer here. They would get no relief whosoever in power," Ambassador Triguniyat said.

"Pakistan has reached a level of anarchy and it has always been the case whenever Islamabad struggled with internal affairs they have targeted India indirectly to divert their people’s attention," he added. 

Another expert, Smruti Pattanaik, who is Research Fellow on South Asia at Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), said: "Whatever happening in Pakistan now is not sudden but it was in the making. Given the kind of supporters Imran Khan has, imagine, a person who lost a no-confidence vote has made it as if he lost the power illegally. Though it was a completely legal procedure, having not gotten the majority in Parliament. He is also a person who does not even want to leave the office and tried to keep on delaying the no-confidence motion which also shows his eagerness to stick to the power anyhow and all."

"In the last one year what they (Imran Khan and his party PTI) have done is play with rhetoric, accusing Army of everything. He has completely turned around the narrative. From a person who was disgracefully exited from the office has made it as if everything happened with him is illegal, which is not correct, if you see technically," she added.

According to Pattanaik, there was no option left, except to arrest him. 

What India should do?

Pattanaik explained that New Delhi currently has no role to play in it. 

"Anything happens in our neighbourhood we watch it very closely because we share borders. So if the chaos continues, uncertainties looming ahead, what kind of political set up would be, who will come to power or Army will take over we have to monitor the situation closely," the MP-IDSA fellow said.

Asked what Pakistan should be doing, she said: "Pakistan's economy is also deteriorating. Talks are on with the International Monetary Fund. The IMF had agreed to provide loan support to Pakistan when Imran Khan was in power but he did not implement the IMF’s guidelines so they stop..."

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• Pakistan
• Pakistan Crisis
• Imran Khan