Pakistan speeds towards full-blown crisis with Imran Khan’s foot on the accelerator
- The former PM wants early polls to prove his popularity, as he dodges police arrests for court cases that he says are politically motivated
- But his bid for snap elections is evolving into a constitutional crisis that’s raised concerns about the future of Pakistan’s democracy
At the centre of this is Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, who set election dates for the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces after Khan and his allies used their majorities to dissolve the assemblies and build momentum for an early national vote.
Government lawmakers then moved to pass a bill to clip the top judge’s powers on taking “suo-moto” notice – which means carrying out action on what the justice deems is in the interest of the public.
The bill is now in limbo after it was suspended last week by an eight-member top court panel, a week before it was expected to become law. That’s set the stage for a showdown between Bandial and the government, with a formal hearing due to begin on May 2 on whether the bill is constitutional.
In another twist, Justice Bandial ordered the nation’s central bank to provide funds to the Election Commission to carry out the polls, after the government refused to make the finances available.
