Pakistan slaps travel ban on ex-PM Imran Khan amid row with army
Al JazeeraNov 30, 2022
The Facts
Pakistan’s Election Commission (ECP) on Monday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for former PM Imran Khan, whom the Supreme Court granted bail on Monday in a different case. Khan has faced more than 150 cases since parliament removed him from office in April 2022.
The warrant claims that Khan and other members of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party repeatedly ignored the ECP’s requests for their appearance in court for a contempt case and instead challenged the notices and proceedings.
The Spin
Narrative A
Khan has been mired in controversy for years, and he must finally deal with the consequences of his actions. He has repeatedly acted like he is above the law, defying orders from multiple courts and regulatory bodies. While he may have been able to evade the legal system until now, he can no longer hide from the corruption, violence, and other scandals that have plagued Pakistan.
Narrative B
Khan has become a political martyr who is taking all the abuse from the establishment in order to fight for the Pakistani people. Corrupt government agencies and courts are doing all they can to make an example out of him and are dismantling democracy in the process. But the more he's persecuted, the more his supporters will rally behind him.