Was it a ‘mistake’ or conspiracy?

Without naming the ‘establishment’, former Prime Minister Imran Khan asked them to correct the mistake they had committed saying the only way was to hold free and fair elections in the country. Addressing a massive and responsive crowd at Minar-e-Pakistan, Lahore, he somehow withheld the date for ‘long march’ to Islamabad, which many observers were expecting. Perhaps, he is expecting some developments regarding early elections before his last action i.e. dharna at D-Chowk.

During his hour-long speech he talked about several things. The most important one is that it’s an international conspiracy backed by the US that led to vote of no-confidence. He wanted them to ‘correct the mistake which they had committed.’ He was certainly not asking the US. A day earlier, his spokesman and vocal former Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, in a TV talk show, stated that the PTI government would not have fallen had its relationship with the establishment been cordial in the last few months.

The former premier in his all-important speech has hardly spared any institution including judiciary, his own nominated Chief Election Commissioner and the powers that be. But, he called it a US-backed international conspiracy to overthrow his government. Does he try to imply that they were all hand-in-glove against him?

In all probability, Imran will now wait till Eid and the response from those who matter to ensure the fall of present government which he called ‘imported’ and un-acceptable to him. He wants fresh elections under a ‘new’ Election Commission.

Interestingly, he began his speech with the issue of international conspiracy and believed he was punished because of the position he took on his visit to Russia and on the possibility of giving an ‘air base’ to US, which the army denied that US ever asked for, and its spokesman, ISPR DG Gen Babar Iftikhar, added had they asked we would have also said ‘absolutely not.’

In the last three public meetings, he has built a strong narrative that ‘vote of no-confidence’ moved by the combined opposition was a US-backed conspiracy hatched in Washington with the connivance of then opposition, and believed the then Pakistani Ambassador in US was ‘threatened.’ But on Thursday, he clearly hinted at other players as well asking them to ‘correct their mistake.’

Apprehending the formation of a high-powered commission by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the PTI Chairman rejected it in advance and demanded an inquiry commission should be set up by the Supreme Court. He also wanted ‘open hearing.’

The government of Shehbaz Sharif on its part considered setting up a judicial commission, and a parliament national security commission meeting was also held on Friday to review the ongoing controversy over the ‘Lettergate.’.

Imran wanted an independent ‘foreign policy’ saying except during the era of former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Pakistan never had independent foreign policy. “Bhutto was removed and hanged because of his policy and Mir Jaffar and Mir Sadiq of that time played their role in it,” he stated.

So, in the last three public meetings he has developed his own ‘narrative’ based on anti-US sentiments. In the last few days he accused directly or indirectly other forces as well for being behind his removal.

Perhaps, he wanted the establishment and judiciary to be on his side when the vote of no-confidence motion was moved, particularly after what he believed an international conspiracy was unearthed. He looked disappointed why the Supreme Court did not look into this aspect and also why they remained silent when many of his MNAs defected and were found in the Sindh House.

Thus, in a way he defended whatever his government had done on April 3 and April 9, as in the public meeting he praised both former Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser and Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri whose ruling of April 3 was declared illegal and unconstitutional by the five-member bench of the SC.

For all practical purposes, he has targeted all from the coalition government of 12 parties, including PMLN, PPP, JUI, ANP, BAP, BNP, JWP besides Chief Election Commission, judiciary, and now the establishment.

Where he will go from here if his demand for immediate ‘free and fair’ elections is not accepted? It may not be easy as he was voted out through a vote of no-confidence, and that too without the support of 22 PTI MNAs who had defected.

He wants early elections, but the government has no intention to go for the polls before next year unless something dramatic happens. So, the repeat of 2014 dharna at D-Chowk is certain by mid-May.

The writer is a columnist and analyst of Geo, The News and Jang

Twitter:@MazharAbbasGEO