The end for Khan?

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Abstract

Pakistan is witnessing a most severe political crisis, as the government is strongly challenged by both state and society. It is not the first time that Imran Khan, as Pakistan’s Prime Minister (PM), is facing severe criticisms; it is not the first time that a wide array of oppositional forces gather to demand his resignation. Short-lived and unstable governments, the army’s and secret service’s dominant role in the country’s decision-making, and a growing leverage by Islamist forces within the institutional-administrative structure are most noteworthy characteristics of Pakistan’s political arena. In fact, the ousting of successive ruling administrations ‘is as old as Pakistan itself’. According to observers, almost all political and religious parties were involved in the toppling of governments in the past. PM Khan, too, faces frequent pressure from the opposition, Islamist clerics, and other domestic socio-political actors. […]