Comment ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Imran Khan, Pakistan’s former prime minister, has been charged with the country’s anti-terrorism act, the latest chapter in a tense power struggle with Pakistan’s current government since its overthrow. Sunday’s move came a day after Khan addressed a rally and criticized top police officials and a judge for arresting his chief of staff. Police said in a charging report that Khan had threatened the officers. “The manner in which Imran Khan delivered his speech and the threats he made led to fear and terror among the police, judiciary and common people and harmed the peace of the country,” they wrote in the report. Since being ousted from power in April, Khan has held raucous rallies blaming the government. The former cricket star has maintained his strong political base and gained momentum in the local elections. In contrast, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who replaced Khan, has made little progress in addressing the dire economic crisis that has sent consumer prices skyrocketing. Khan “should face the law for threats and abuses against the judge and police officers. Such acts of brazen thuggery are responsible for fueling extremism in society,” Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah tweeted early Monday. Hours after news of the indictment broke, hundreds of Khan’s supporters gathered outside his residence in Islamabad, the capital, in a bid to prevent his arrest. “Imran Khan’s arrest is a ‘red line’ for us. If this line is crossed, it would lead to something very bad, not good for the people and the country,” said Murad Saeed, a senior official of the Tehreek-e-Insaf party, which Khan leads. “We want to stay within the bounds of the constitution, but the people are upset, very angry,” he said, warning that popular unrest could “destroy” the current government. As political tensions rise, Pakistan begins media crackdown Saeed and other party leaders have called on thousands of others to come to Islamabad and “protect their leader”. Khan’s chief of staff, Shahbaz Gill, was arrested earlier this month after making comments on a talk show that the government deemed “anti-military”. Khan claims Gill was tortured during his imprisonment, a claim the government denies. Khan and his party already faced a partial media ban. Authorities banned the live broadcast of his speeches and the news channel on which Gill made his remarks was banned. Two news anchors affiliated with the same channel fled the country after allegedly being harassed by the government. Khan was removed from office in April in a no-confidence vote in parliament that took place after repeated delays. He came to power in 2018 promising to build a “new Pakistan” – an Islamic welfare state based on opportunity, justice and independence for the impoverished, Muslim-majority nation of 220 million people. But he struggled to manage the economy amid rampant inflation and mounting foreign debt. He also clashed with the country’s military leadership and lost political allies, who slowly gathered enough support to challenge him and accused him of nearly bankrupting Pakistan. Khan is the first leader to be legally removed from office since Pakistan was founded in 1947. The terms of previous prime ministers were cut short by either a military coup or some other form of extrajudicial intervention. Khan claimed that his overthrow was supported by the United States. He provided no evidence for that claim, and the State Department denied involvement.
