Islamabad: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan was surprised when the results of Pakistan’s election came out. Imran’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party made good progress despite jailing him and key leaders and denying him an election symbol.
A former national cricketer, Imran’s traditional election symbol was the cricket bat. He had to contest as an independent when the symbol was denied, accusing him of failing in the internal party elections.
Senior leaders are in jail. The result indicates that the people have accepted the argument that the army, government systems and the courts are working together to assassinate Imran.
The party accused them of trying to tarnish Imran’s image by implicating him in a corruption case.
Last week, Imran and his wife Bushara Bibi were sentenced to seven years in prison, saying Nikah was un-Islamic. The action has now been taken in the name of the marriage that took place in 2018. Both are in jail in the Toshakhana case (making financial gains from gifts received while in official capacity).
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who returned after a four-year exile in London with the blessings of the army, was predicted to win unilaterally. Bilawal Bhutto, son of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and leader of the Pakistan People’s Party, had alleged that Nawaz Sharif’s victory was a predetermined election farce. Defying all calculations, Imran Khan’s party members were contesting and advancing independently.