LAHORE: Cornered and deserted: Imran Khan is going through a very difficult period of his political career nay his whole life with his near future seeming uncertain and full of troubles.
But what awaits Khan in the short and long term: house arrest, disqualification, banning his PTI or sending him out of the country like his arch rival Nawaz Sharif?
After the May 9 incidents following his brief arrest in Islamabad, his followers went on a rampage in Punjab and KP thinking that like in the past, they would go scot-free and pressure the government to release Khan.
They had been warning that Imran Khan is their redline and the government should be ready against the consequences of his arrest. And they did cross the redline only to end up in a fire, putting their leader in a trap.
Now all those involved in the attacks on military installations are caught and facing trial under Army Act or the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Leaders in the forefront of the party have made a beeline to quit the PTI, putting all the blame for the mayhem on Imran and condemning the violence of May 9.
Without discussing the outcome of the cases pending against Imran in different courts, one option being reported in the media is putting Imran in house arrest and limiting his access to the mass media for the time being.
But Punjab’s caretaker chief minister Mohsin Naqvi says there are no such plans under consideration.
The interim chief minister’s comments came during a press conference in Lahore after reports suggested that the authorities might be mulling declaring Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore a sub-jail and putting him under house arrest.
Thousands of workers who have been arrested in connection with the May 9 violence also include women, with the PTI claiming that their female supporters have been mistreated.
The current political situation and power game in the country not only shows a bleak future for Imran’s PTI, but also for democracy as a whole.
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