The third umpire declared Imran Khan not out. In a twist, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has declared former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest on Tuesday illegal, effectively giving him a chance to hit another knock. It is a victory for the PTI supremo, yet for Pakistan—which has been on the boil since the arrest—the situation remains tense.
Supporters of Khan have been on a rampage for the past three days. Mobile services and access to social media sites have been blocked. Over 280 people have been injured in the violence and eight people have lost their lives to the violence that has spiralled out of control. On Wednesday night, PTI workers reached Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s house in Model Town and set fire to the vehicles parked there. They also threw petrol bombs inside.
In an unprecedented situation, PTI workers stormed into the General Headquarters and set the house of the Lahore Corps Commander on fire. Military vehicles and installations have been attacked. This widespread anger against the military—which has turned violent—has not been witnessed in Pakistan.
Punjab police have arrested 1,500 of Khan's party workers for attacking and setting on fire a top army officer's house in Lahore. An all-powerful institution, the military—which has been the power behind the throne—has never been challenged. And Khan’s arrest—and the anger directed at the army—is proof that Kaptaan is emerging as a serious threat to the institution. The question remains as to how the army will now react. It is no secret that Khan has taken them on—publicly, the first civilian leader to do so aggressively and lived to tell the tale.
Khan has distanced himself from the violence, especially as audio leaks allege that PTI leadership had a hand in the attack on the army, but it is proof that he does control the streets. In Karachi, there have been clashes between PTI workers and security forces. Tear gas has been used to dispel the crowds. In Islamabad too, PTI workers have clashed with the police, according to reports.
Khan—according to media reports—has been allowed to meet his family. He will appear before the Islamabad High Court on Friday. Appearing before the court, Khan has been quoted as saying that he was “ “kidnapped from Islamabad High Court and was hit with sticks. He also said that he had “no idea what happened in the country after my arrest.”
For Pakistan which is battling an economic crisis, the spilling of violence on the streets is far from ideal. According to State Bank of Pakistan data, Pakistan's central bank forex reserves fell by 74 million dollars to 4.38 billion during the week ending May 5. The reason was due to the payment of the external debt. But the instability is likely to add to the fragility of the situation. The Pakistani rupee fell 1.9 per cent to close at an all-time low of 290.22 a dollar on Wednesday, according to State Bank of Pakistan data. With the IMF loan that Pakistan is banking on as a lifeline still to materialise, instability is certainly not a desirable situation. In a statement issued by the UN spokesperson, secretary general António Guterres urged “all parties to refrain from violence.”
The next few days will be crucial for Pakistan, as well as PTI.