History, Rage and Reversal; The Imran Khan Phenomenon | SOAS University of London
Channel: SOAS University of London
Date: 2020-11-05

In this talk, I argue that Imran Khan emerged as a symptom of the deadlock in Pakistan’s political economy. This includes the decay of mainstream parties, an erosion of civil liberties under the pressure of militarization and an increasingly elite-based economy. These failures led to widespread disillusionment from the political class as well as anger against US interference in the country, a rage captured by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (Movement for Justice).

Yet, the opposition built by Khan in the name of “change” relied on tactics used by traditional parties in their ascent to power. It included an alignment with the country’s powerful military establishment, using rhetoric of accountability to victimize opponents as well as welding a coalition of wealthy landlords and industrialist. Today, as Khan makes spectacular “U-turns” on the economy, education, healthcare missing persons, his government increasingly symbolizes the loss of hope in Pakistan’s political structure.

We will also discuss how the Pakistani youth’s peculiar relationship to history permitted the PTI to pose as a force of change while reinforcing the traditional power structure in the country. Finally, as Khan’s government becomes increasingly repressive by accusing dissidents of being foreign agents, we will examine whether there is a possibility for the emergence of a politics that can genuinely address the social, economic and moral decay in Pakistan.

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