Imran Khan, a former prime minister, was detained over the weekend on suspicion of corruption, but there was hardly a peep of protest.
No significant protests were reported anywhere in the nation.
In contrast, on May 9, 2016, the 70-year-old was detained and removed from an Islamabad court building. It spurred demonstrations around the nation, some of which became violent as Mr. Khan’s followers fought with law enforcement. A few demonstrators broke into military facilities and even ransacked the residence of the top military official in Lahore.
However, this time, when Mr. Khan was condemned and then sent to a prison in Attock city, officials were prepared. According to rumours, there were several decoy convoys to trick the media, and his location was kept a mystery. In all major cities, police and the military were on high alert, and scores of people were preemptively detained.
The lack of outrage over Mr. Khan’s incarceration, according to Pakistan‘s ruling party and the army, is evidence that the populace no longer supports the former prime minister. However, his Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI) party and followers claim that a quick crackdown has silenced them. The BBC is aware that after the May demonstrations, media outlets were instructed not to report on PTI activities or even mention Mr. Khan by name.
Since May, thousands of Mr. Khan’s followers have been detained. Human rights organisations have claimed that the army’s plan to have them tried in military courts violates international law. The PTI has also been brutally destroyed, with many party members and leaders being detained or being charged. About 200 cases still remain for Mr. Khan. Since then, a number of PTI members have defected or given up on politics entirely.
Senior political analyst Ali Akbar argued that this is why Mr. Khan’s appeals for a protest this time were ignored: not only did workers and supporters fear detention, but they also found it difficult to rally support due to the PTI’s lack of leadership.
A PTI fan who prefers to go by Fatima said police actions against party officials had scared her into quiet, even online.
I used to continue to support the party on Twitter, but one day I got a call from an unknown number advising me not to make such messages. I became afraid, and my parents also suggested that I erase my Twitter account because they claimed that if I were caught, nobody would be able to assist me.
Another member of the party claimed that given the police’s apparent readiness to detain anyone who approached to protest, he did not want to place himself in an uncomfortable situation.
The identity of the housewife, Naheed, who lives in the traditionally conservative Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area in northwest Pakistan, has been changed on request. “After so many of their leaders and workers were arrested, my family members are not even allowing me to meet other lady workers of the party,” she adds.
She claims that following their overthrow in April of last year, she started backing Imran Khan and the PTI. However, she continues, because to the severity of the police response to party employees, she is now unable to even leave her residence.
Another group of supporters said that, they did not want to demonstrate this time. Unidentified man stated that while he supported peaceful rallies, he was discouraged when the May protests descended into violence: “I don’t know who was behind it but I cannot support such violence and destruction.”
However, a lot of people also claimed that even if they did not officially support Mr. Khan and the PTI, they still did. This “silent support”‘s” strength is still apparent. Recently, and by a sizable majority, the PTI won a by-election in a region where it had lost the previous year.
Irfan Khan, a political analyst, claims that anti-establishment viewpoints swiftly gain popularity in Pakistan.
“Earlier, when the PTI was in power and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) took an anti-establishment stance, the PML won by-elections at many seats even in PTI strongholds,” the guy claimed.
When he came to power in 2018, Mr. Khan himself was regarded as an ally of the establishment, and it is widely assumed that he was removed after the alliance deteriorated.
Fatima is one of many PTI fans who promises to continue supporting Mr. Khan and his party in the upcoming general election, which is anticipated to take place later this year.
The PTI will receive Naheed’s vote, she adds, adding, “These activities will not cause us to leave the PTI. We shall keep supporting Imran Khan and the party because they have our undying devotion.