Rarely has Pakistan been so divided politically and weakened economically. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, ousted from his chair on April 10 after the vote of a motion of no confidence by the deputies, does not recognize his defeat and gathers gigantic crowds of supporters to demonstrate that he remains the elected representative of the people. . He demands the dissolution of the National Assembly and early elections. The former cricket star continues to maintain that he was the subject of an international conspiracy and accuses the United States of having removed him from power and of allying with the “looters” from Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif and the Bhutto-Zardari families. His anti-American and anti-corruption rhetoric galvanized his supporters.
On Wednesday, May 25, ignoring the ban on assembly issued by the authorities, he organized a “freedom march” across the country which reached the capital, Islamabad, the next day. Clashes took place in several cities across the country. Despite a weaker mobilization than expected, Mr. Khan threatens, if general elections are not announced within six days, to return with two million people and bring down the “imported government”installed by a “foreign conspiracy”. The army had been called in to protect official buildings in the capital.
His successor, Shehbaz Sharif, has no intention of backing down. Before the Lower House of Parliament, the Pakistani Prime Minister explained, Thursday, May 26, that he would not allow the date of the elections to be dictated by Imran Khan, whom he accuses of wanting to start a civil war. The deadline for holding legislative elections is October 2023.
Rise in fuel prices
Shehbaz Sharif has to deal with a very degraded economic situation in the country, which evokes in several respects the bankruptcy of Sri Lanka. The country of 227 million inhabitants, weakened by Covid-19, is experiencing record debt and inflation, a contraction of its currency against the dollar and a reduction in foreign exchange reserves – 10.1 billion dollars (9, 4 billion euros), just enough to cover two months of imports. Like Sri Lanka, Pakistan is at risk of defaulting on its debt repayments for the second time in its history.
The talks held from May 18 to 25 in Qatar between Islamabad and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to release a new tranche of a loan of 6 billion dollars concluded in 2019, ended without success, despite “significant progress” underlined by the monetary institution. The IMF is asking Shehbaz Sharif for painful reforms, in particular the removal of subsidies on fuel and electricity put in place by the government of Mr. Khan in February and which are straining finances. The country suffers from a structural under-collection of taxes. The government fears angering residents, who are already suffering from food price inflation.
You have 35.98% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.