What’s next for Pakistan’s political chaos?

On Wednesday, May 17 at 19:30 GMT:
The dramatic arrest of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has resulted in protests and rioting with thousands arrested and at least 10 people killed in the turmoil.

Now released on bail, Khan continues to escalate his anti-military rhetoric and call for nationwide “freedom” protests.

Last week’s unrest is the latest chapter in tense relations between Khan and the country’s powerful army generals. A former cricket star-turned-populist politician, Khan was ousted from power in an April 2022 parliamentary no-confidence vote.

Since his removal from office, Khan has been implicated in around 100 legal cases and is facing charges of corruption and terrorism. In the same period, Khan has been turned into a vocal opponent of his former allies within the military, even claiming that the army was behind an assassination attempt last year in which he was shot in the leg.

As Pakistan plans to hold elections by October this year, the unrest prompts bigger questions about national stability in a country with a history of military takeovers and political violence.

In this episode of The Stream, we’ll look at what the latest political crisis means for Pakistan.

On this episode of The Stream, we speak with:
Sarah Zaman, @SarahzTV
Pakistan bureau chief, Voice of America

Uzair Younus, @UzairYounus
Director of the Pakistan Initiative, Atlantic Council

Shafqat Mahmood, @Shafqat_Mahmood
Senior member, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)