Former prime minister Khan begins ‘long march’ for early election

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan launched yesterday a so-called “long march” on the capital Islamabad to demand early elections, piling pressure on a government already in crisis.The former international cricket star was booted from office in April by a no-confidence vote after defections by some of his coalition partners, but he retains mass public support in the South Asian country.Thousands of people gathered in the eastern city of Lahore, from where a convoy began the 380km (240-mile) journey to the capital, expected to take around a week with rallies planned along the route.“We need to rid the country of looters and thieves who are taking the country’s money for their own interests,” said supporter Mohamed Mazhar, 36. “We need to save the country and change this system, so I am supporting Imran Khan.”Laila, a mother of two from Toba Tek Singh, a city in the eastern province of Punjab, echoed those sentiments.“I have come to Lahore to join the long march with my husband and two sons aged nine and 11. I am not concerned about security as Khan is struggling for a better future for my children,” she said, adding that she and her family would go to Islamabad and stay till the end.Khan was voted into power in 2018 on an anti-corruption platform by an electorate tired of dynastic politics.However, his handling of the economy – and falling out with a military accused of helping his rise – sealed his fate.Since then, he has railed against the establishment and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government, which he says was imposed on Pakistan by a “conspiracy” involving the US.“This nation is ready to make every sacrifice but it will not accept thieves. The objective of the march is that decisions should be taken by the people themselves,” the former prime minister told the crowd from the top of a shipping container.Parts of his speech that addressed the heads of the military and intelligence services were censored by Pakistani television channels.Khan, who has dodged multiple legal challenges, has already staged a string of well-attended rallies demonstrating his popularity, and earlier this month won six out of eight by-elections.By the time he gets to Islamabad, Khan said he expects to have hundreds of thousands of people with him, and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has asked authorities in the capital to allow a protest sit-in.“I want that all of you participate. This is not for politics or personal gain, or to topple the government ... this is to bring genuine freedom to the country,” Khan said in a video message on the eve of the march.PTI members told journalists yesterday that the party is willing to negotiate with Prime Minister Sharif’s coalition government if it announced a date for a snap election.The government says polls will be held as scheduled in October next year.Khan says he is not willing to wait.Sadia Mehmood, a 21-year-old university student, told AFP that she is marching to restore democracy.“The army is already scared, and the criminals in Islamabad are worried and they should be worried,” she said. “Their time is up.”The political wrangling has overshadowed relief efforts following the devastating floods that left a third of the country under water – and a repair bill of at least $30bn.Pakistan’s economy also remains in a dire state, with high inflation, a nose-diving rupee and dwindling foreign exchange reserves.On Thursday, the head of the country’s main intelligence service and chief of military public relations held an unprecedented press conference where they defended the institutions against Khan’s accusations that they are meddling in politics.Pakistan has been ruled by the military for much of its 75-year history, and criticism of the security establishment has long been seen as a red line.The establishment has been under further scrutiny this week following the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif by police in Kenya, where he had fled to avoid sedition charges.Kenyan officials say that Sharif’s death was a case of mistaken identity, but it has spawned speculation of a targeted killing and the Pakistan government has ordered an official inquiry.The funeral of Sharif – a strident critic of Pakistan’s military establishment – was attended by tens of thousands of Khan supporters chanting “Arshad, your blood will bring revolution”.