‘The Pak Army Has Given Imran Khan Enough Rope, Now It Will Tighten That’

NEW DELHI: Imran Khan is finished, the only question is whether he will be politically eliminated or physically, says Sushant Sareen, Pakistan scholar at the Observer Research Foundation.

Speaking on The Gist, Sareen believes that Imran accusing senior ISI officers of trying to assassinate him may have triggered his arrest and detention. At this point, it’s hard to tell what will happen to him but the army cannot afford to let him go, that would virtually guarantee his victory in the coming elections.

It is likely that Nawaz Sharif will return from England and it is equally likely that his brother Shahbaz will continue as prime minister for some more time. Thereafter expect Maryam Nawaz to succeed him.

But don’t expect any reform in the way Pakistan is run, says Sareen. Despite all the breast beating about elite capture of the institutions of state, and the lamentations about Bangladesh surpassing Pakistan, and even worse, the widening economic gap with India, there is no appetite for reform among the cabal that runs this country.

The tamasha will continue in one form or the other, argues Sareen. “Bring out the popcorn and enjoy the show.”

Tune in for more in this conversation with Sushant Sareen on The Gist.