Pak’s top intelligence czar responsible for Pak protests?

Islamabad: Pakistan’s top intelligence claims Former ISI Chief General Ahmed Shuja Pasha is the mastermind behind Imran Khan’s Azaadi March and Tahir-ul-Qadri’s Inqulaab March to oust Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Reliable sources have revealed that the legal cases against former President General (Retired) Pervez Musharraf has instigated the attack on Sharif, who has led the indictment on the former military dictator.

Nawaz Sharif was ousted in 1999 through a military coup by Musharraf and has voiced his want for Musharraf’s conviction for treason at any cost.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) are being used to forcibly get the government to step down and then have the military takeover to ensure movement of power into the hands of Imran Khan.

Sources have also revealed that military wants Musharraf to be given a clean-chit on all allegations, and legal cases dropped against him in the Pakistani courts.

They have also said the two major and largest political parties are to be broken down as part of the big plan which is why Pakistan People Party (PPP) – after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto – is in two parts; Pakistan People Party (PPP) and Pakistan People Party Parliamentarians (PPPP).

 

Imran Khan adamant

After several rounds of talks between negotiating committees of PTI and Federal government, PTI leader Imran Khan announced an end to the talks, sticking to his primary demand of resignation from Nawaz Sharif. He has accused Sharif of rigging votes in the 2013 elections that brought him into power.

Khan is keeping the demand on top of his six point agenda, refusing to de-prioritize this demand at any cost. He urges that electoral reforms, investigation of election rigging leading to re-elections cannot be done until Nawaz Sharif is sitting in power as Prime Minister.

PTI has waning fluctuating public support in Islamabad – who are seen celebrating every day to the speeches of Imran Khan – calling on the Nawaz Sharif to step down.

“Azaadi March” which is on its 15th day has seen protestors outside the parliament, President House, Prime Minister House, Supreme Court, Diplomatic Enclave and other government offices. The people have faced extreme weather conditions, difficult living conditions to camp at the protests.

The crowd has shaken up the government, forcing them join heads and gather political support from their coalition and opposition parties, who have expressed their complete support for the prevalence  of democracy in the country.

PTI has also launched its civil disobedience campaign, through which it aims to upraise economic blow back to the ruling government by not paying taxes. Imran Khan has even gone to the extent of calling on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to stop giving any further loans to Pakistan government, and threatened IMF of zero repayments if loan is given to Nawaz led government.

Khan has also called on overseas Pakistanis to stop sending money into the country through banks, instead urging them to opt for “Hundi” system – an illegal way to send money without any banking routes, also termed as “Money laundry system” – to send money to Pakistan.

PTI has also resigned from at least 34 seats of National Assembly while its provincial leadership has also resigned from the Punjab’s provincial assembly.

Imran Khan has vowed to continue his protest sit-in until Nawaz Sharif doesn’t resign from his seat as the country’s Premier.

 

Qadri joins Imran

Tahir Ul Qadri has been sitting alongside Imran Khan in Islamabad’s Red zone – spending days and nights on the street with thousands of his religious followers – giving deadlines to the government to step down and face trial as culprits.

Qadri demands resignation of Sharif and Chief Minister of Punjab with immediate effect, dissolution of the Federal government and the Punjab Provincial government and imposition of “Inqulaab”, a revolution that he believes can bring justice to the poor and the deprived locals of Pakistan.

He has threatened the government of dire consequences if their demands are not met, going to the extent of digging graves in-front of the parliament, and distributing coffins (Kafan) amongst his followers. He has also made them take an oath to not leave the venue, turning the parliament into a martyr graveyard if their demands are not met.

Qadri enjoys a much stronger street power as compared to Imran Khan, as his hundreds and thousands of followers have been sitting in protest for the past 14 days, spending their days and nights on the streets, while Imran Khan’s supporter head count fluctuates from 1000 (approx.) to 10,000 (approx.) from morning to evening every day.

 

Nawaz still wins in Pakistan

Despite the ongoing criticism, where Imran Khan claims his anti-government movement to be the voice of the whole nation against Pakistani Premier; a new survey by US based Pew Research Centre has revealed 64% support for Nawaz Sharif by the people of Pakistan.

Nawaz Sharif’s position has remained the same as 2013, while Imran Khan has slipped at least 17% and has fallen to at least 53% from 70 as compared to 2013.

Analysts say that the current crisis will not only destroy the political system of the country but will also bring all political parties to the ground.