On May 11, 2013, 90 million Pakistanis will cast their vote in one of the most troubled regions of the world. Amidst terrorist attacks, violent clashes, assassination threats and target killings, Pakistan is polarized in the wave of terrorism and corruption.

Pakistan’s election campaign managed to carry on till its final day, May 9, 2013. However, in the last few days leading to elections, the campaign has taken a new dangerous turn. On the final day of the election campaign, gunmen abducted Ali Haider Gilani, son of Pakistan’s former prime minister, a contestant in the Punjab provincial assembly, and injured several others. According to Guardian, “The attack on the son of Yousaf Raza Gilani could seriously upset Pakistan’s historic election due to take place on Saturday.”

The former Prime Minister told BBC that his son Ali Haider – a candidate for the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) – was seized in the central city of Multan. On May 3, 2013, CNN reported that “Gunmen in Pakistan killed a leading prosecutor working on high-profile terrorism cases and an anti-Taliban politician and his son, the latest violence ahead of next week’s national elections.” On May 8, Reuters reported that the Pakistani Taliban’s leader, Hakimullah Mehsud, had issued written instructions ordering militants to carry out suicide bombings across the country during polling on Saturday.

Who will replace the current infamous government of Pakistan? Is it Imran Khan, leader of the Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf (PTI) (movement for justice) ex-cricketer, humanitarian worker? Or will it be Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) owner of steel mills, ex-Prime Minister, who served Pakistan twice in the past and who was famously ousted in a military coup and spent years in exile in Saudi Arabia? Whatever the outcome, May 11, 2013 will determine the faith of one of the most dangerous, unstable and vulnerable regimes on earth.

Since its inception in 1947, Pakistan has had only a few leaders that were able to bring change in such a tumultuous environment. However, since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the country has slid further and further into the throes of terrorism. Since 2003, over 44,000 people have died in terrorist attacks. Upsurge in violence leading to the elections has killed 118 people and injured 494 people. In recent years the country’s political and military situation has deteriorated considerably. The debt-burdened country has also been in the news for sectarian killings of Shias to border clashes with Afghanistan to drone attacks in its border areas by its key ally America.

The country faces many serious problems, including corruption, a struggling economy, internal unrest, soaring inflation, security issues, terrorism, judicial issues, international debt, a failing health infrastructure, and a deteriorating human rights record. The country’s fundamental challenge lies in its governance and development. Campaigning politicians have all expressed interest in ensuring that the country addresses these challenges and becomes a peaceful, stable democracy. The upcoming elections will dramatically affect the country’s prospects —which in turn will dramatically affect the future of its position in the world.

Perhaps it is in this time of desperation that young people have mobilized around the iconic figure of ex sportsman Imran Khan. Famously dubbed as ‘son of Pakistan’, he is a strong candidate in the upcoming elections in a country where the voting system is controlled by feudal lords and where the political elite in the past has failed to govern effectively.

His supporters across the world have been working indefatigably to spread his election campaign. The PTI office in London has been at the forefront with its campaign work and has been arranging flights for ex-pat Pakistanis from London to Lahore to participate in upcoming elections. His supporters hope to harness the millions of voters across the country to keep his campaign for new Pakistan alive.

Khan has been busy, making appearances across the country even in the most-troublesome conflicted zones such as Waziristan, Baluchistan, FATA areas. He has been meeting voters and holding press conferences, making promises that once in power he will end corruption in 19 days and terrorism in 90 days. According to Khan, a political tsunami is coming which will sweep him to power.

“I assure you that PTI is going to make a new Pakistan, where corrupt rulers will be taken to justice. I will hold (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) Nawaz Sharif and (Pakistan People’s Party leader) Asif Zardari accountable after coming to power as these kings of corruption won’t hold each other accountable,” he told an election rally.

According to France 24, “Khan is not just campaigning against the ruling elite; he also wants Pakistan to review its policy on the War on Terror. It’s a war in which the country’s military has been playing a double role by unofficially talking with the Taliban while working closely with the West since 2001, when Musharraf made Pakistan a front-line state in the War on Terror.”

Though Imran Khan is one of the strong, his key rival Nawaz Sharif is a front line runner in upcoming elections. A poll published by Pakistan’s Herald magazine suggested Khan and Sharif may be neck and neck. Over 25 percent of respondents in the poll said they intend to vote for the PML-N in the May 11 general election, while 24.98 percent said their vote would go to Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf.

According to Ahmed Rashid, of Pakistan on the Brink, “It is not a failed state, but as its febrile state worsens, it is sliding down the path of becoming one.” According to Rashid “It still has a powerful army, and a corrupt and run-down but functioning bureaucracy, judiciary, and police force; its economy would be viable if its problems are properly addressed, and its population is hard working.” However, despite all the problems, Pakistanis are hopeful for credible, revolutionary elections on Saturday. What remains to be seen is who will save the country from its worst plight in history, Imran Khan or Nawaz Shairf?

Image credit: AP

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The relations between Pakistan and America have been strained for some time now. In November 2011, NATO cross-border airstrikes killed at least 24 Pakistani soldiers at a checkpoint near the Afghan border. The Pakistani government retaliated by closing down the NATO supply line route and demanded an unconditional apology from the U.S. Pakistan also demanded an end to drone attacks within its territory and increased transit fees for NATO trucks carrying supplies to Afghanistan.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of Pakistan’s People Party (PPP) said in a press statement in New York on March 2012, that US drone attacks violated Pakistan’s sovereignty. Bilawal’s words reflected the public mood across Pakistan, as mass rallies were staged to remonstrate against the deaths of soldiers and impending drone attacks.

The U.S. government launched its drone war in northwest Pakistan in 2004. Unsurprisingly, this  action led to a wave of fury across the Pakistani spectrum, with thousands coming out in the streets to protest against the violation of Pakistan’s territorial space. According to President Obama, the drone strikes target “al-Qaeda suspects who are up in very tough terrain along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.”

According to Amnesty International, “US drone attacks have doubled overall in Pakistan during the Obama administration. Thousands of people have been killed by the strikes – civilians as well as militants.” While the unmanned drone war is a new strategy in the U.S. war on terror in Pakistan, it does raise questions about the legality of such attacks. Though, the U.S. has assured time and time again that the targets are terrorists and not civilians, not much is known about the rules of engagement and how the new self defense war strategy complies with International humanitarian law.

The diplomatic wikileaks cables disclosure that Pakistan covertly assented to drone attacks, shared intelligence information, and allowed usage of its airfields was a shocking exposure of some prominent names within the Pakistani cabinet. This included interior Minister Rehman Malik, former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and Pakistani Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez.

According to Wikileaks cables, former Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousaf Razza Gillani permitted the drone attacks in the tribal areas of Pakistan. The Guardian reported that according to leaked cables, “Malik suggested we hold off alleged Predator attacks until after the Bajaur operation.” The Prime Minister disregarded the remarks, stating, “I don’t care if they do it as long as they get the right people. We’ll protest in the National Assembly and then ignore it.”

It was not until July 2012, that the U.S. issued its long overdue apology over the role it played in fatalities of Pakistan’s military personals, almost 7 months after the incident. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton delivered a nuanced apology over the telephone to Pakistani foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. Clinton said: “I offered our sincere condolences to the families of the Pakistani soldiers who lost their lives. Foreign minister Khar and I acknowledged the mistakes that resulted in the loss of Pakistani military lives.”

The Pakistani Parliament was quick to accept the apology and, against parliamentary resolution, reinstated supply lines to Afghanistan. However, the opposition faction in Pakistan’s National Assembly is not too happy with the elusive apology. According to opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, the U.S. has not apologized formally. The Difai-Pakistan Council (DPC) has announced an anti NATO march against the reopening of the supply line on July 8 in Pakistan.

Newstribe.com reported that Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), Imran Khan, said the “US had not sought an unconditional apology over the cross border aggression.” Khan announced that his party will be protesting against the government decision on July 5 in Gujranwala.

While the Pakistani government was all set to convince its public over the resumed relations between the two countries, another US drone attack in Pakistan’s Wazeristan area on Friday has further heightened tensions. Speaking to Pakistani Newspaper, Dawn, Imran Khan condemned the latest attack and said that the “latest drone attack speaks volumes about so-called close working partnership between Pakistan and the US in [the] ongoing war.”

The recent death toll from strikes is estimated at 19-20, subsequently, leading to mounting public fury over the violation of the country’s sovereignty. Khan has been active in his campaign on the social network site, twitter, about identifying those unnamed dead people, including women and children, in the drone strikes.

Judging by the public anger and demonstrations in the streets, even though theoretically the joint venture of the drone war may be successful in eliminating potential nemeses in the barren areas of Pakistan, it is certainly failing to win the hearts and minds of the people of Pakistan.

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Despite the portentous threat of extradition hanging over his head, Julian Assange has managed to use his credentials to interview some of the most controversial figures across the world. In the ninth episode of Julian Assange show, he takes his viewers inside the tumultuous world of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. In this segment, Assange cross examines infamous Pakistani politician Imran Khan and gains perception into country’s foreign relations, its ongoing internal warfare , pending corruption and the status-quo of power structure in the society.

Imran Khan is one of the most recognized figures ever to come out of Pakistan. He will always be remembered for bringing the 1992 world cup trophy to his homeland, for his marriage to British socialite Jemima Goldsmith and for his philanthropic contributions to Pakistani society. He joined politics in 1996 and formed a party called ‘Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’ (PTI) to fight injustice and corruption. His political voyage has been full of endearing hardships, multiple incarcerations and heartbreaks.

“Pakistan is changing fast, over the last two years US drone attacks and corrupt political dynasties have driven millions to this cause” said Assange. This is another glimpse of Arab Spring that has crossed over to Pakistan.

According to Khan, “Well, the battle in Pakistan, just like in the Middle East, is of a status quo, an entrenched status quo ‒ what you call the power structure ‒ benefited from the system, and the majority of the population wanted a change. ”

Khan has faced severe criticism from home and abroad for his docile political career. In 2007, US cables referred to him as “Pakistan’s one man party” He boycotted the 2008 elections over the protest of the National Reconciliation Ordinance deal that the Bush administration brokered between General Perveez Musharraf and Benazir Butto. The following deal gave amnesty to Bhutto and her party members over corruption cases.

Khan explains that in Pakistan there is a political mafia. According to Khan, “First of all, I boycotted the elections in 2008, um, because, you know, these elections were manipulated by the Bush administration. His party alongside other political parties boycotted 2008 elections over their fear of pre-poll rigging.” Khan argued that Musharraf allowed criminals to contest elections.

In the aftermath of 2008 elections, his party’s popularity decreased. But for past two years things have changed. As opinion polls in Pakistan reflect, Khan’s popularity has increased in the last six months to 60-80%. With over 306846 followers on Twitter, Khan and his party have risen to prominence. His popularity has come with a hefty price tag, as many political parties turned against him. His party is no longer actively seeking coverage in media, due to money being poured into channels by opposition parties.

But despite the setbacks, he has been holding mass rallies with over 100,000 people and as he puts it: “Now, since the big rallies, the whole political scene has changed. We have seen now politicians rushing to me. So people who are electables, realizing that the vote bank now belongs to me, they are coming to join me.” Khan compares his ardent following in Pakistan to one in former Middle East, where demand for change and a protest against anti-status quo movement saw fall of many governments. According to Khan, Pakistan has not experienced such mass turn out in rallies since the death of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

Assange quizzed Khan over the challenging and oft confusing relations between the US and Pakistan. In the aftermath of 9/11 and under the governance of General Musharraf, Pakistan became America’s key ally on its war on terror. Over time, the War on Terror has changed and evolved by transcending the Afghan boundaries and crossing into mainland of Pakistan. Khan said “no country has ever been bombed by its own ally, as we have been bombed in this country.” There is a mounting anger in Pakistan over American drone attacks on its soil. People of Pakistan are still coming to terms with the fact that certain factions of intelligence services aided Bin Laden in using Pakistan as his hide out. The war on terror has bore horrific consequences for Pakistan, 40,000 Pakistanis have been killed and in the last 4 years it has cost Pakistan $50 billion.

Khan holds Musharraf accountable for all the mess in contemporary Pakistan from growing corruption to country’s mounting debts to the war on terror. “Julian, it’s so shameful. You know, never has a country’s ruling elite, for personal benefits, never have they betrayed their people as much as this elite under Musharraf and the current elite”, Khan said.

Imran Khan provides another well known glimpse into a world of darkness, where corruption is rife, civil liberties are eroded and money and power has become an instrument of governance and military to exploit and exercise dominance over the poor population of a country. However, things are changing fast across the Pakistan’s political spectrum, with the recent eviction of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani from his office, judiciary maintaining its status, and the current President losing support fast amongst general public. With mounting debt of $12 trillion, an army killing its own people, and over 14 hours of power cuts in a day, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is in a dire need of miraculous savior. Now, whether Khan’s popularity in opinion polls will take him towards becoming a next leader of the troubled Pakistan remains to be seen.

Image Courtesy of  stiksa

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