After winning the Cricket World Cup in 1992, Imran Khan had a significant purpose in his life: building a cancer hospital in his mother’s name. Utilizing his popularity, he collected millions of rupees in funds and successfully managed the hospital as a reputable institution. Interestingly, the plot allocated for the cancer hospital by the government was initially intended for Imran Khan by Nawaz Sharif.
In response to Nawaz Sharif’s invitation to a similar event, where he subtly hinted at Imran Khan entering politics, Imran Khan responded with a shy smile but remained silent. Little did anyone know that, thanks to Imran Khan, Nawaz Sharif would spend four years in his self-made exile, and both would find themselves in a situation neither could tolerate?
Imran Khan was particularly interested in funding the cancer hospital from sources outside Pakistan because converting dollars and pounds into rupees yielded a substantial amount. As a result, Imran Khan became increasingly popular among Pakistanis residing abroad.
In the 2002 elections, Imran Khan, who had won only one seat from Mianwali, was strategically positioned as a prominent contender against the popular Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the 2013 electoral results.
Long before that, General Hameed Gul had been promoting the benefits and outcomes of Imran Khan’s image from Europe to Pakistan in his gatherings.
Sources close to Imran Khan claimed that Bushra Begum believed that it was essential for General Faiz Hameed to remain as the head of ISI for the stability of his government.
The 2014 sit-in was a litmus test for Imran Khan, showcasing his resilience and unmatched ability to attract people towards his cause. During this protest, for the first time, the elite class of Pakistan, which had never even visited a polling booth before, came out to support Imran Khan.
He even announced on the stage of the sit-in that Nawaz Sharif’s government would end the day the empire raised its finger.
Despite the Supreme Court’s decision to disqualify Nawaz Sharif and the ruthless tactics used to arrest his family and associates under NAB (National Accountability Bureau), manipulating the election results and shutting down the Result Transmission System (RTS), Imran Khan’s ascent to the premiership still required the support of billionaires like Jahangir Tareen.
In the early days of Imran Khan’s government, when negative economic news started to emerge, the media was advised to report positively. Reports of corruption, incompetence, and mismanagement in the Punjab government, along with stories of government negligence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, became widespread. When a member of Imran Khan’s kitchen cabinet, Asad Umar, admitted failure in the finance ministry, Imran Khan himself acknowledged it. Several chairpersons of the FBR were changed.
It seemed like it wasn’t Imran Khan’s government but someone else was running the show.
In October 2018, Lieutenant General Asim Munir was appointed as the head of ISI, but in June 2019, he was abruptly dismissed from his position. The story came to light that General Asim Munir had obtained files related to financial benefits between a Property Tycoon and the Prime Minister’s family. He presented these files to the Prime Minister, but instead of investigating the matter on its merit, the Prime Minister disregarded the norms and threw the issue aside, going against the established practices. This decision left behind many unanswered questions, and arguably, this marked the beginning of Imran Khan’s government’s decline.
In place of General Asim Munir, Imran Khan appointed his favored General, Faiz Hameed. However, the real drama began when General Bajwa suggested appointing General Faiz Hameed as Corps Commander, stating that at least one year of experience as a corps commander was necessary if they intended to promote him to Army Chief. But sources close to Imran Khan claimed that Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Begum, believed that it was essential for General Faiz Hameed to remain as the head of ISI for the stability of Imran Khan’s government. From this point, the saga of conflict between Imran Khan and the military establishment started, leading to Imran Khan being ousted from the Prime Minister’s House and taken to Adiala Jail.
Imran Khan reluctantly accepted the decision to keep General Nadeem Anjum in the position of DG ISI, but he was unwilling to diminish the importance of General Faiz Hameed. The initial plan was for Imran Khan to grant General Bajwa a three-year extension, during which General Faiz Hameed would become eligible for the position of the Army Chief. In the 2023 elections, General Faiz Hameed would manage Imran Khan’s campaign, and in return for Imran Khan’s gratitude, he would also receive a three-year extension. This way, Imran Khan would maintain his power in Pakistan without any hindrance until 2028.
While the decision to remove General Asim from the leadership of ISI might have been digestible, playing a double game with Military Establishment left a bitter taste in his mouth. When Imran Khan was being ousted, he warned, “I will prove to be very dangerous,” and he did prove to be dangerous because he did something with the military establishment that no one had done before him.
Imran Khan named Major General Faisal Nasir from ISI’s uniformed ranks, holding him responsible for the attacks against him, marking the first instance in Pakistan’s political landscape.
A few weeks ago in London, Nawaz Sharif clarified his political agenda, stating that he would not forgive those who had masterminded the end of his tenure. However, it’s also significant that before leaving Dubai for Pakistan, he announced leaving all past matters to Allah. Will Imran Khan, sitting in Adiala Jail, make a similar announcement?
The writer is a veteran journalist based in Islamabad. He writes on social, political, economic, defence and strategic developments across the South Asian region. He can be reached at [email protected]