Pakistan bans ex-PM Khan’s capital march after policeman killed
Al JazeeraOct 19, 2022
Pakistan: Ex-PM Khan Calls on Govt. to Announce New Elections
story
Image copyright: AFP/Getty Images [via Independent]
The Facts
Ousted Pakistani PM Imran Khan issued an ultimatum early on Thurs. demanding that the government announce new elections within six days, after dispersing a march in his support.
This comes after Pakistan's riot police and his followers clashed across the country on Wed., leading to injuries on both sides. The Supreme Court authorized the rally under certain conditions, reverting a previous government ban.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Khan's ousting was a Western conspiracy. The US has a long history of foreign meddling, especially in Muslim countries, and this move was a response to Khan seeking an independent foreign policy and not supporting the West's war effort against Russia.
Pro-establishment narrative
Imran Khan has taken a page out of the playbook of populist demagogues around the world who are growing increasingly popular by appealing to dissatisfaction with "status quo elites." The demographics may be different in Pakistan, where Imran's base skews young and urban, but the dynamics are the same, and it is not good for democracy.
