Regime Change : Social Movement in Pakistan
Throughout the history of the world, powerful nations have conducted regime change operation. They have tried to have their hold over a region. In fact, nations and empires such as Soviet-Union, Turkey, Roman and Persian empires have once tried to rule over the whole world. Though, with the rise of nations, there is also the fall of the nations.
On the Indian subcontinent, Muslims once ruled over the entire Indian subcontinent for more than 800 years, though, the figure of 800 is contradicted (Pandey, 2020), nonetheless, the empire lost to British Imperialism due to the internal traitors, Mir Jaffar, and Mir Sadiq, where last Muslim ruler of Indian subcontinent, Tipu Sultan and Siraj Ud Daulah was killed by the British troops (“Recalling the forgotten legacy of Mir Sadiq”, 2010) & (Aslam, 2018). This was the start of Regime Change in the sub-continent.
Though, the history is too long to discuss here, but briefly, the history of the Indian subcontinent was imperative to be stated in order to discuss the current on-going regime change social movement in Pakistan. The current regime change social movement is about freedom of expression, self-respect, free foreign policy, which is otherwise dictated by US, as proclaimed by the social movement leader, Imran Khan.
There are many opposing point of views regarding the regime change movement; some people state that it’s a political narrative to win in the next general elections in Pakistan, while some believe that it’s the shameful reality that America disregards the sovereignty of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
However, the cause behind this biggest regime change social movement in Pakistan can be a political narrative, but the root causes has always been corruption, American interference in the internal matters, and the social evils rising from these acts such as crime, terrorism, and growing poverty and inflation are all the results of regime change operations.
Brief History of Pakistan and Roots to the Regime Change Movement
Pakistan gained independence from the British on 14th August 1947, however, the road to attaining the independence was a harsh one. Millions of Muslims migrated from India to Pakistan, leaving behind their assets, surviving the mass murder from Indian nationalists.
The Pakistan was first divided into two parts, the East Pakistan and West Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The independence struggle was led by Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, a revolutionary leader, and Allama Iqbal, a revolutionary poet. Muhammad Ali Jinnah was first of the mind, that Muslims and Hindus could live together and should become a single country.
However, seeing the difference in culture, and religion amongst the two major faiths, he decided that Muslims should seek an independent state, where they can practice their religion and affairs freely, without hurting the sentiments of the other faith.
Allama Iqbal saw the dream of an independent state, and through his poetry, he instigated the dying emotions of Muslims, and through their struggle with Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and Sir Syed Ahmad khan, a resolution was founded on 23rd March 1940, which took shape in the form of independence on 14th August 1947. (Jalal & Snellinger, 2022)
Pakistan was founded as an Islamic state, where its constitution was based primarily on the British constitution. Being an Islamic state, there was already a divide between Islamic fundamentalists and liberals in Pakistan, where both sides has always been conflicting with one another since Pakistan was founded. That is the reason, why religion has a far-reaching impact on the Pakistan’s politics. The significance of religion will be discussed later, as it holds importance regarding the current regime change social movement in Pakistan.
When Pakistan gained independence, it was divided, and had little resources to run the country. However, with the passion of people, Pakistan soon strengthened its economy, and army standing, but without any nuclear weapons. Pakistan shares a conflicted territory, Kashmir, with India, and in a United Nation convention, it was decided that there will be a referendum in Kashmir, and Kashmiris will decide on whom, they wish to become a part of.
Because of this conflicted territory, Pakistan and India has always been at war with one another, and have strained relationship from the beginning. Henry Kissinger states that Pakistan played a crucial role between the formation and maintenance of relationship between America and China.
Pakistan acted as a messenger between China and America, in the era of Cold War, and it was thanks to Pakistan, that worst was avoided. As China is a direct competitor to US, in the context of superpower, America holds a specific interest in Pakistan and over the region, where it wants to control China through Asia region. (Khalid, 2022)
Pakistan has always been a good ally to both, China and US, but its dependence on the latter is more due to IMF programs, regime change operations, and corrupted leadership. The first regime change operation occurred, as proclaimed by major political parties of Pakistan such as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, People’s Party, and Muslim League Noon, when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto delivered a fiery anti-American speech in the parliament in year 1977, where he stated the words of American ambassadors “The party’s over, the party’s over, He’s gone” (Kugelman, 2022).
It was the first time, where Pakistani people held the anti-American sentiments to their hearts. Many people, to this day, believe that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was trying to make a Muslim block in the world, and America didn’t like the idea of Muslim nations getting together and becoming strong, or it’ll cause it to lose control over the Asian region (Kugelman, 2022).
Pakistan-America relationship got further strained, when 9/11 terrorist incident, organized by terrorist group Al-Qaeda, occurred, where four aircrafts crashed on the twin towers of the World Trade Center in NY, Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. and Shanksville in Pennsylvania. At the time of attack, General Musharraf was the premier of Pakistan, and hence, the war on terrorism was commenced. (History.com Editors, 2022)
It was on record that America threatened Pakistan that it’ll bomb Pakistan back to stone age, if it didn’t stand in favor of US. When this occurred, US destroyed Pakistan’s tribal areas, causing the lives of 8 million people. Under Asif Ali Zardari’s regime in Pakistan from 2008-2013, US was allowed to do drone strikes on Pakistan.
Condoleezza Rice, in her book states, how Benazir Bhutto, then chairman of People’s Party Parliamentarians, and Nawaz Sharif, then chairman of Pakistan Muslim League Noon, was given National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), arranged by US to close all their cases of corruption, and provide them with a blank state, and on such event, a charter of democracy was made between these two parties (Rice, 2011). It’s an another example of US involved itself in the regime change operation in Pakistan before.
However, Benazir Bhutto was killed in her political rally in a suicide bomb attack by terrorist. After her demise, her husband and Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari rose to power. Former President of US, Barrack Obama, states in his book, A Promised Land, that when US troops conducted a successful operation on Abbottabad, Pakistan, for executing Osama Bin Ladin, the leader of terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, he was worried on how to tell President Asif Ali Zardari about this mission disregarding the sovereignty of Pakistan.
To President Obama’s surprise, Asif Ali Zardari congratulated him on the successful execution, and told him to not to worry about the collateral damage (Obama, 2020). Since then, more than 400 US drone strikes have occurred on the land of Pakistan, killing more than 8 million people and destroying the tribal areas of Pakistan (Ahmed, 2021). Due to these harsh events, the terrorism in Pakistan rose, and many terrorist incidents occurred in the nation, including the worst of all on 16th December 2014, where 132 children were massacred in Army Public School. (Janjua, 2021)
Due to foreign war, and American intervention in the internal affairs of Pakistan, not only millions of lives were lost, Pakistan went into the grey list of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), having sanctions on global economy, with the loss of more than $152 billion (Ahmed, 2021). From the corrupt leaders to fighting foreign wars, Pakistan’s economy hasn’t stabilized since then, and every government seeks aid from International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is given in the form of loans. These loans not only take away the crucial country’s revenues, collected in the form of taxes, in loan payments, but also imposes stricter conditions from IMF on every term. This has caused the circular deficit of Pakistan to increase wildly, ultimately leading to more inflation, poverty and civil unrest in Pakistan. (Shahid, 2022)
Imported Government Disapproved by Ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan
Now, all of the facts and history of Pakistan, and foreign interference has been stated above, it’ll become much easier the current on-going ‘Imported Government Disapproved’ or regime change social movement by former prime minister Imran Khan. Imran Khan is the chairman of the newly emerged and now, the biggest political party of Pakistan i.e., Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Imran Khan is widely known to the world, as the captain of Pakistan’s cricket team, whose leadership allowed Pakistan to win the 1992 world cup (Malik, 2018). Pakistanis, especially youth, affiliates with Imran Khan as the hero of the nation, and admires his charismatic personality. Imran khan founded his political party in 1996 and continued his political struggle from then.
He wasn’t always very popular and successful in Pakistan, until the elections of 2013, where Imran Khan attained the second majority, becoming the opposition leader in Pakistan. He campaigned from 2013 to 2018, with the political narrative that PPP’s and PML-N’s leaders are corrupt, they have assets beyond their income sources, they have robbed Pakistan’s economy for their own ends.
Also, in 2013, his party petitioned that the elections were rigged, though no progress was ever made, until Panama Papers were leaked in the year 2016, stating that third-time elected Former Prime Minister Nawaz Shareef has assets made from corruption during his three times presidency (Malik, 2018).
This gave Imran Khan the space to breathe in the reign of dynastic politics, and strengthened his political narrative, that his party will hold these corrupt leaders accountable, and on the basis on these evidences, Pakistan’s public hugely supported Imran Khan’s party, which gave him a majority of seats in National Assembly, and Parliament, but not enough to form the government with 2/3rd majority (Malik, 2018).
He was forced to make a coalition government in August 2018, with members associated with different small parties (Malik, 2018). Imran Khan became the 22nd prime minister of Pakistan, however, he only remained a prime minister for 3.5 years, instead of the whole tenure of 5 years, ousted by a No Confidence Motion (NCM) against him in the national assembly on 2nd April 2022.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s era was a turbulent one. When he entered office, the world was enveloped by COVID-19 pandemic, which complicated the already grave issues of inflation, economy and poverty. However, PM Imran Khan took necessary step to steer Pakistan out of the pandemic safely, where he was commended by the world. He imprisoned the corrupt leaders such as Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza Shehbaz, Asif Ali Zardari, and Maryam Nawaz, through National Accountability Bureau (NAB), and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and enabled these departments to seek and hold corruption.
However, the cases were not pursued, and not a single one of them was convicted. He also stood fast towards Islamophobia and got approval of the resolution in the international UN forum and established 23rd March, an international day against Islamophobia. He also spoke against the blasphemy acts done by the western world against the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), instigating and hurting Muslims all around the globe.
He also made Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) conference to happen in Pakistan, where many issues relating to Afghanistan, Kashmir, and Palestine. Many revolutionary projects were initiated in his regime, such as building of two major dams, roads, significant increase IT and agricultural exports etc. (Sana Jamal, 2021)
Ex-PM Imran Khan’s demise started, when he told the US interviewer, Jonathan Swan, that he’ll ‘absolutely not’ allow US to have CIA in Pakistan to conduct cross-boarder operations in Afghanistan. He said that the war can be prevented through dialogue with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
Another instance was the visit of Imran Khan to Russia, and on the day of his arrival, Russia invaded Ukraine. America asked Imran Khan to take a harsh stance on Russia, but Imran Khan refused saying that he won’t involve his nation to a foreign war ever again, and would continue to support Pakistan free foreign policy.
After that time, all the opposing political parties and media in Pakistan, under a single umbrella, known as Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), turned their activities against Imran Khan. A cypher was received on 7th March 2022 by Pakistan embassy in US, where the content states that Imran khan must be removed from power through NCM, or Pakistan will face severe consequences, and if he’s removed, all will be forgiven.
This threat-similar cypher was given by Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, and Pakistan’s US ambassador, Asad Majeed Khan suggested to send a demarche to US. Furthermore, it was confirmed by the National Security Council (NSC) called by Ex-PM Imran Khan, that the language of the cypher was undiplomatic and it is a blatant intervention in the internal affairs of Pakistan.
Imran Khan’s party members left him, though allegations by the party is that they’ve been bought through American funded money by opposition political parties, and NCM was proposed on 8th April, 2022. Imran Khan tried his best to dissolved the parliament to go to general elections, but Supreme Court of Pakistan took suo-moto notice and transgressed its power to complete the process of NCM against Imran khan, ultimately ousting him on 2nd April 2022 (Korybko, 2022).
According to Imran Khan’s party, this was a regime change operation and this is backed by Rebecca L. Grant, a US national security analyst and Fox News contributor, in an interview, stating that America doesn’t want Pakistan to remain neutral on Russia, and deal with Russia for oil and gas. Also, America doesn’t want Pakistan to have firm relationships with China, and wants to contain China in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project (Web Desk, 2022).
On 1st April, just before the day of his ousting, Imran Khan called the nation to hold the protest nationwide against this foreign intervention. To his surprise, breakthrough protests occurred all over the world in the support of Imran Khan. This gave confidence to Imran Khan to lay the foundation of his Imported Government Disapproved moment, which stands on self-respect, free foreign policy, and sovereignty of Pakistan.
Imran Khan became more popular than ever before, and a force to be reckoned with. The international survey states that Imran Khan will win the next general elections in Pakistan. Imran Khan has now the support of Pakistan’s public, and he is planning a long-march in hopes to end the imported regime in Pakistan, and get the date for general elections.
He is calling this, a million march, which will take place in all over Punjab, concluding in a sit-in in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. The public is furious and they don’t approve such American instated government in Pakistan, and due to this, the matters are going towards civil unrest in the following days. Imran Khan believes that these corrupt leaders will throw Pakistan in the direst situation, and he wants to free all the institutions in Pakistan, so they can take stand against the mafias that robbed Pakistan, and hold a strong grip over the law enforcement institutions of Pakistan. (Zaman, 2022)
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