As his situation has become more miserable, the prime minister has flogged his supporters with allegations that he is being expelled as part of a conspiracy by America and others. He says Washington is angry at Pakistan’s insistence on pursuing an independent foreign policy. Washington says the allegations are baseless. With political temperatures rising, Mr Kahn even suggested he be assassinated, saying Sunday’s vote would be a turning point in the country’s history. The prime minister said on Friday that his life was in danger because those who wanted to overthrow him were “afraid knowing that even if he was expelled, the public would continue to support him”. “I say openly that there is a danger to my life,” he said. His political opponents, for their part, have also suggested that their lives may be in danger, by Mr Khan’s supporters.
Accusing a foreign conspiracy
In the satellite district of Rawalpindi on Friday afternoon there were many signs that Mr Khan’s trick to accuse a foreign conspiracy could take root in his supporters. The area voted for the former cricketer in 2018 and support is still evident. Mohammad Urfan, who sells bags, said: “You can not doubt his sincerity and his political passion. “What I believe is that whenever we have a true leader, internal and external factors join forces to undermine him.” But there were also signs of hardship that brought Mr Khan close to defeat. The 69-year-old took power after a long descent into the political desert, promising a new Pakistan where he would oust the corrupt elite and build an Islamic welfare state for the poor. He has been able to strengthen a social safety net and offer free health insurance to many, but his tenure has also been marked by painful price increases. Inflation soars to 13%, with food and utilities rising sharply. Some traders said they saw businesses fall by three-quarters or more under Mr Khan. The rupee is falling. Many business leaders have blamed financial mismanagement and there has been a rallying cry against him. Mr Khan’s uncompromising determination to lure his opponents through the anti-corruption courts has also dominated his agenda. It left him unable to build bridges with the opposition, although he tried to defend a slim majority. Farzana Shaikh, a think tank at Chatham House, said: “If you fight with numbers all the time to do anything and then compete with other parties in parliament, it becomes very, very hard work and I think it pays the price.”
Relationship with military leaders
However, many believe that if Mr. Khan’s fall does come, one important reason will be the same one that has undermined many previous ousted governments: it has fallen to the detriment of the country’s military leadership. The country’s generals deny involvement in politics, but have long been accused of using tremendous backstage influence to support favorites or undermine what they dislike. The army ruled immediately for major stages of the country’s history since independence. “The military has been the political brain of this country since 1947,” said Luqman Ehsan, a baby shopkeeper. “They protect the country, but they also benefit from it. They just want to hear yes from politicians and it seems that Imran Khan said no. That’s why he goes through bad times. Mr Kahn came to power accused by the opposition of being the army’s favored candidate and for years his relations with them seemed unusually harmonious. Many believe the break came when Mr Khan tried to keep the powerful military spy chief in place in October, when army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa wanted to oust him. The suspicion that Mr. Khan could cultivate senior allies and intervene in the army’s succession line was too much for General Bajwa, many analysts believe. The issue was deadlocked for weeks until Mr Khan stepped down. Mr. Khan’s unbridled denunciation of the West and his reputation for financial mismanagement may also have begun to worry generals who support him.
