Imran Khan’s “appreciation” for the secessionist of Pakistan and former President of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is possibly on the way to getting himself booked under Article 6 of the constitution of Pakistan. It also looks like the banning of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) by declaring it as an anti-state organization.
His social media post has also invoked the Cyber Crime Wing (CCW) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate him. He expressed deep feelings for the secessionist of Pakistan and former President of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rehman. Khan through the social media platform -X – suggested that every Pakistani should study the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report and then find who was a traitor. His personal social media handle also displayed a video explaining that the Pakistan military was responsible for splitting Pakistan into two parts. It said General Yahya Khan and not Mujibur Rahman was a traitor.
This video also referred to the alleged atrocities committed by the Pakistani military during the civil war. It contained images of the current civil and military command alleging them for leading the circumstances to 1971 when Pakistan got into two parts. He alleged them for stealing the mandate of the PTI.
In March, Mr. Khan said that it was the ‘stolen mandate’ of East Pakistan that was behind the 1971 tragedy. In November 2022, he compared his struggle for ‘real freedom’ with that of Sheikh Mujib stating that the country had split into two after a political party with a legitimate political mandate was denied.
This post generated intense blowback and controversy, particularly from the government and even the military. The Prime Minister reacting to this post said, “The malicious face of Khan is exposed.” Senator Sherry Rehman of the PPP said the post was “alarming” and the PTI was “continuously fueling the narrative of hatred and incitement.” Sharjeel Memon said Khan was working on the agenda of Pakistan’s enemies.
The formation commanders’ conference that the Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir headed said, “This forum underscored that politically motivated and vested digital terrorism, unleashed by conspirators duly abetted by their foreign cohorts, against State institutions, is clearly meant to try to induce despondency in the Pakistani nation, to sow discord among national institutions, especially the Armed Forces, and the people of Pakistan by peddling blatant lies, fake news, and propaganda. However, the nation is fully cognizant of their ugly and ulterior motives, and surely the designs of these nefarious forces will be comprehensively defeated, Insha’Allah.” It said, “The forum noted that the planners, perpetrators, abettors, and facilitators of May 9 need to be brought to justice for the collective good of the country and that without the swift and transparent dispensation of justice to the culprits and establishing the rule of law, stability in the country will always remain hostage to such elements.” The PTI’s leadership is explaining its position saying that the post was not aimed toward the military and should be seen in a political context. “The context and comparison that we drew with 1971 was in a political context and not otherwise — nothing about the army,” PTI’s chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said. “It was just our meaning about the political context,” he said, adding that a party’s mandate and majority were changed in 1971, similar to the PTI’s allegations about the current election result and government.”
Interestingly, none of the PTI’s leaders disowned this video or message, rather they just continued protecting their founding chairman. It is surprising that Khan considered Mujib an innocent person and declared Yahya Khan a traitor. Mr. Khan was the Prime Minister of this country; he should have declared Mujib a hero. Why hasn’t he gone to Bangladesh and asked for their pardon when he was Prime Minister? He could not have done so because he came into the government on the shoulders of the military. Whatever the role of the Pakistan military was in 1971, the reality is that Mujib separated Pakistan.
Mujib himself committed that he was a secessionist, but why Mr. Khan is protecting him is best known to him. None in Pakistan except the PTI’s leadership is protecting Mujib. The PTI’s leaders are now disassociating because being legal practitioners they are aware of the consequences of such a statement.
Mr. Khan is receiving relief in one and the other cases from the courts. It was reported that he also received relief in some cases registered under the May 9 riots. The military is constantly expressing that it will not allow anyone who is involved in the May 9 to go without justice. The reality is that May 8 happened. If it was not the PTI behind this all then why not the PTI initiate cases against the responsible? How long can it go this way? Given the existing circumstances, it looks like it will not go far. Khan’s attitude is creating more problems for himself and his party. He thinks that all the time he would be able to have relief from courts or the state or its institutions are so weak. It looks like an illusion.
Now the CCW has launched a probe into said social media post. It was reported that FIA says that the PTI founding chairman is in Adiala Jail, but his account is uploading such videos. It was said that the CCW will Khan, Gohar Ali Khan, Raoof Hasan, and Omar Ayub. It would also investigate who created the anti-Pakistan propaganda video. It was also reported that the CCW team reached Adiala Jail to question Khan, but he refused to meet. He also declined to be a part of the investigation stating that he would only respond to the FIA’s queries in the presence of his lawyers. The FIA team wrote that refused to cooperate in the investigation. It says that the X handle “@imranKhanPTI” is involved in anti-state activities. Under these allegations, there are chances that a case will be framed against him under Article 6 of the Constitution.
(Senior journalist Rana Kashif has authored this opinion article)
