Asim Munir, who has seized power in Pakistan, knows quite well that if Imran Khan comes out, it would not be easy to control him!
Right now, the biggest question is whether former prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan is alive or has actually been killed. The speculations are so strong that people are not able to believe in the denials being issued in this regard. Another question being asked is: If he is alive, why is he not being allowed to meet his family or party members? Whatever the truth behind the rumours of his death, everyone seems convinced that Asim Munir will not let Imran Khan live under any circumstances because only Imran has the strength to bring Munir to his knees.
For the last two and a half years, Imran Khan has been imprisoned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail. He was convicted in corruption cases. At present, he is not even being allowed to meet his family members, a court order permitting such meetings notwithstanding. Naturally, the refusal to let Imran meet anyone keeps giving rise to speculations.
On November 26, an X (Twitter) account named Afghanistan Times claimed that Imran Khan had been mysteriously killed inside Adiala jail. The very next day, Imran Khan’s son Qasim Khan posted on X asking why Imran’s sisters were not being allowed to meet him. He wrote that he and his brother were not able to contact their father. They had received no credible evidence that he was alive. “This blackout is not a security protocol,” he said. Qasim expressed suspicion that something was definitely being hidden. He also appealed to the international organisations to intervene in the matter.
Adiala jail authorities claim that Imran Khan is safe and healthy. This raises a question: If he is safe, why were his three sisters -- Noreen Khan, Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan -- beaten up by the police when they went to meet him? Why were they not allowed to meet him? Not only the family, even Imran’s legal team has been barred from meeting him. That is why the suspicion about his death is growing stronger. Even Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Sohail Afridi was prevented by the police from meeting Imran.One wonders why the authorities are being so harsh vis-a-vis Imran and on whose orders. The obvious answer is that all of this is happening under the direction of Pakistan’s most powerful man, Asim Munir. Asim and Imran have an old enmity, and Asim knows quite well that the only person capable of challenging his authority is Imran Khan. Even though Imran has been in jail for two and a half years, his popularity has not diminished. The people of Pakistan still believe that if anyone can improve the situation the country is presently in, it is Imran Khan. The way Imran challenged American authority elevated his stature. But unfortunately, he was caught in such a trap that he could no longer challenge the American hegemony. In order to trap Imran, the US had begun using Army chief Asim Munir back when he was serving as the ISI chief. When Imran realised this, he removed Munir from the ISI chief’s post within just eight months, though the appointment was for three years.
In 2022, when Imran Khan was ousted from power, Munir got his chance. Through the courts, multiple cases were filed against Imran and he was sent to prison. In one case, he was awarded a two-year sentence, while in another case, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison. In short, an airtight system was created to ensure that Imran Khan could never come out of prison. In the meantime, Asim Munir has made himself so powerful that he has effectively become a new dictator. Despite being thrashed by India during Operation Sindoor, he was made Field Marshal. Now he has got Pakistan’s constitution amended to appoint himself as the country’s first ever Chief of Defence Forces for five years, bringing the Navy and Air Force directly under his command. Even the nuclear button is now directly under Munir’s control.
Munir has made yet another move. Through the constitution amendment, he has also got the Supreme Court’s powers drastically reduced to only civil and criminal matters. For constitutional matters, a new Federal Constitutional Court has been established and its members will be appointed with Munir’s consent too. Two judges resigned in protest, but this makes no difference to Munir. Now the judicial system is such that Munir will do whatever he wants. It is almost certain that Munir will not allow Imran Khan to walk out of jail alive. Eliminating politicians has always been the modus operandi of the Pakistani Army and ISI. Munir is walking the same path. For Imran, all we can do now is pray.Before I conclude
A report from the US Congress said the Pahalgam attack was not a terrorist attack but an insurgent attack. Such a report should make our blood boil. We must look America straight in the eye and tell them: “Stop this nonsense! Your ‘good terrorist bad terrorist’ approach has destroyed the world. We will tolerate it no more.”
The author is the chairman, Editorial Board of Lokmat Media and former member of Rajya Sabha.