Pakistan: the attack against Imran Khan
On the 3rd of November, Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan was attacked while holding a rally in Wazirabad, Punjab province. The action was allegedly carried out by a gunman who hit the former Prime Minister in the lower legs. During the attack, several members of Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), were injured and one activist died. The incident indicates that political violence has risen to very high levels in the Islamic Republic. The bitter clash between forces linked to PM Shehbaz Sharif and the opposition led by Khan has been fuelling tensions for months, with the latter even accusing the government and some members of the security apparatus of planning the attack.
Notably, the attack took place during a demonstration by the “Freedom Movement” (Haqeeqi Azadi) launched by the PTI leader to call for early elections. Based on the strength of his recent electoral successes in both local and by-elections, Khan has continuously been calling for the resignation of the Sharif government, which he considers illegitimate.
The attack comes at a highly critical stage for Pakistan. In addition to the strong political tensions, there is also the dramatic economic situation, made even more complicated by the recent floods that devastated the country’s south, causing more than 30 billion dollars in damage. In order to emerge from the difficulties and alleviate the debt burden on the country, the Pakistani government has appealed for support from the international community, receiving positive responses from China and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, talks are also continuing between Islamabad and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to implement the economic aid plan the country needs. However, the Sharif government is struggling to complete the reforms and restrictive measures demanded by the IMF because it fears a collapse in consensus.
Against this backdrop, it seems likely that Imran Khan will continue to refuse any dialogue with the government to exploit the ongoing tensions to his own advantage. Moreover, with early elections no longer representing a remote scenario, the conflict could persist and even escalate. Consequently, in the short term, Pakistan is likely to witness an increase in the level of confrontation with possible incidents between supporters of the opposition leader and the security forces.
