Meeting a friend turned into quite an experience for me yesterday. He had a broad grin on his face, unable to hide his excitement after hearing news of the Pakistan Supreme Court ordering the government to shift Imran Khan from his jail cell in Rawalpindi to a private hospital in Islamabad. Though in mirth, he couldn’t stop expressing his gratitude to Field Marshal Asim Munir for making the freedom of his leader possible.
Soon after, I saw similar excitement on social media—some reactions joyful, others anxious.Not surprisingly, the grapevine in Islamabad is abuzz with gossip. Some are even chattering about an upcoming political change that may start with providing a bit of physical relief to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, whose health had become a matter of concern for his family and supporters in the last few months.
A major reason for speculation is that the other realities of Pakistan’s politics remain the same. There is no pressure on the real power in the country—the field marshal—nor has the Supreme Court become independent. There is also no sign of any serious friction between the political government and the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the army. Despite that, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has come under criticism from his Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, who in reality is the army chief’s minister despite being part of the federal cabinet. This means someone has moved pieces on the political chessboard for a gentler reconsideration of Khan’s health. Shifting the former Prime Minister, Khan, to a hospital isn’t about bringing him relief. It is a signal to the other two major political parties, the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PMLN) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) – that if they disagree with Asim Munir’s imagination for the Pakistani state and its politics, the general is likely to let loose the PTI chief, who would then decimate them politically.
