By muzzling Imran & paralysing PTI, Shehbaz staves off election challenge

By Hamza AmeerIslamabad, May 28 : The Pakistan governments decision to dismantle its arch rival Imran Khan via mass arrests, legal cases, trial under terrorism laws and with talks of a complete ban on his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the wake of the May 9 violence to stop PTI from winning the elections scheduled for October seems to have worked.

"If you see how things have gone from bad to worse to an absolute end for Imran Khan seems to indicate that not only is Imran Khan being stripped of his political relevance and is being isolated, he is also being left alone in terms of his political fire power with almost all of his political leadership announcing their departure from the party and disassociation with Imran Khan," said Adnan Shauqat, a senior political analyst.

"The political outlook of power politics in Pakistan is being changed.PTI is fast losing the electable party members, who had strong vote bank and previously had won the elections on PTI ticket.

A new formation of another group under Jahangir Tareen is also in process as almost all of Imran Khans party members are now switching sides to the tareen group."Imran Khans politics was focused on taking control of Punjab province.

However, now it seems highly unlikely because he is left with himself in the party.All others who could win the elections for him in Punjab, have left him," the analyst added.

Khans anti-military narrative and the leverage he took to extend it to pinpointing the new army chief and other senior serving intelligence officers, have been nothing more than a shot in the foot, which has allowed his political rivals and the military establishment to not only nab him and his party but also to remove him from the countrys politics."Imran Khan was never in favor of the new army chief General Asim Munir.

He was the one who removed him from the position DGISI for ‘crossing the line and informing Khan about his wife and familys involvement in corrupt activities in Punjab, during his time as Prime Minister.Imran Khans long march from Lahore to Rawalpindi was directed towards creating pressure on the military establishment to not appoint General Asim Munir as army chief.

But now, since General Asim Munir is the army chief, he has made sure that he shuts all doors and windows for Imran Khan," said Shauqat."May 9has now become a black day not only because it was when Imran Khans PTI workers attacked GHQ, Jinnah House and other sensitive places across the country; but also because it will be remembered as a day when the military establishment re-enforced its military might, its power, its strong hold on the country by taking the countrys most popular leader, and the most popular political party to the cleaners.

" It seems now after an open stripping of the PTI, the road is clear for the ruling government to not only hold election in October across the country, but to also claim its joint political power for the next tenure through formation of another coalition government, with similar representations and shares as it currently holds.Khan may still maintain his popular rating, but one mans popularity may not be enough for him to claim victory in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or even in the federal government as a popular man without a team of electable politicians, cannot take control of the political throne.

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