Pakistani authorities have launched a crackdown on former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s PTI party, detaining thousands of supporters of the popular opposition leader and allegedly pressuring senior allies to quit the group.
Pakistan’s army and Prime Minister Sheikh Baz Sharif’s government reacted strongly this month to violent protests sparked by Khan’s arrest by anti-corruption agencies. At least 10 people were killed in the protests and military buildings were damaged.
Khan, who was released on bail, claimed on Thursday that 10,000 PTI supporters were jailed. The government estimates the figure to be lower.
“The country is trying to disband the party,” Khan said, warning that Pakistan had begun to “fall into fascism” under Sharif.
Some senior leaders of PTI were also arrested, and some of them suddenly announced their resignation from the party and left the political arena in recent days. Among them were Fawad Chaudhry and Shireen Mazari, both former PTI ministers. Mazari announced his retirement on Tuesday after four arrests this month.
Sharif and the army, which has a powerful behind-the-scenes role in governing the country, have condemned the violence by Khan’s supporters and vowed to crack down on alleged perpetrators, whom the prime minister accuses of terrorism. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday that authorities were considering banning PTI.
Khan has led a relentless, often vitriolic campaign for immediate elections, and he and his party have condemned the violence.
On Wednesday, the former prime minister offered to negotiate with the government to find a solution to the crisis – his biggest concession since he was ousted in a vote of no confidence last year. “If they have a solution and (show) that the country is better off without Imran Khan, I am ready to step aside,” he said.
The arrests have alarmed international observers, with UN human rights chief Volker Turk warning on Wednesday that “the rule of law (is) is at serious risk”.
Analysts say they see the crackdown, orchestrated by the military, as one of the most significant challenges to democracy in Pakistan since it returned to civilian rule in 2008 after years of dictatorship.
“The current crackdown is a testament to the decline of full-blown authoritarianism,” said Uzair Younus, director of Pakistan initiatives at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank. “The current structure still has the semblance of democratic democratic rule through parliament. Whether it will survive the shock remains to be seen.”
He added that the campaign was “propelled by the military, with the coalition government in Islamabad acting as a willing junior partner”.
Pakistan’s military and government did not respond to requests for comment.
Khan faces a litany of legal challenges, including corruption and terrorism charges, all of which he denies. He could be barred from running if convicted, although many analysts say he will be the favorite candidate in a national election scheduled for October.
“PTI will be effectively restrained until elections are held,” said Imtiaz Gul, an Islamabad-based political commentator. “It’s a systemic stranglehold on the most popular parties.”
Civil society groups also called on the authorities to locate pro-PTI journalist Imran Riaz Khan, who has been missing since his arrest on May 11.
Campaign group Reporters Without Borders claimed Khan, who had no ties to the former prime minister, had been “kidnapped” by the military. “The Pakistani authorities will bear direct responsibility for any harm he may suffer,” the group said in a statement.
Another journalist, Sami Ibrahim, was also reported missing by his family on Thursday.