Two top politicians are in the centre of the parliamentary elections in Pakistan, one in the prison, but that does not be, depending on the choice of output duration. And yet a third, slightly off.
The headquarters of the Pakistani Parliament in Islamabad
Nawaz Sharif was already a three-Time Prime Minister of Pakistan. His career in the 1980s and early 90s would not have been possible without the support of the military. In 1999, he was overthrown in a bloodless coup by the then army chief Pervez Musharraf. Against the promise, not to enter for ten years more Pakistani soil, he was allowed into exile in Saudi Arabia.
After eight years, returned to Sharif, but back, and to ally with former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. He was signed by Bhutto a “democracy Charter”, a political programme of action, the powerful role of the military pushed back. Bhutto was, however, shortly afterwards, in December 2007, at a campaign event murdered.
Nawaz and Maryam Sharif were shortly after arrival in Pakistan
Sharif’s alienation from the military
After his victory in the parliamentary election of 2013, which was celebrated as the first orderly change from one civilian government to another in Pakistan, Sharif even more positions that brought him in contrast to the interests of the military apparatus. He strove for friendly relations with India and Prime Minister Narendra modi, and generally sought to bring the foreign policy of his country under his control.
According to observers, the military retaliated by operation of Sharif’s removal from power. Last year, he was removed from office by the Supreme court in the office, at the beginning of July of a special court to fight corruption to ten years of imprisonment. Both measures were taken because of the implications of Sharif and his family in the corruption scandal of the so-called Panama-Papers. Last week, Sharif returned with his also to the prison of the convicted daughter Maryam from London to Pakistan, to which both of them promptly put behind bars to Rawalpindi. This PR Coup is likely to have increased the chances of the PML-N, the party of Sharif, in the coming elections. You should ask the government, Sharif’s time as a prison inmate, in the view of observers soon to end.
Imran Khan
Unstoppable rise of Imran Khan?
Similarly, good opportunities are given to the party of Imran Khan. After his brilliant Cricket career, he devoted himself to the 90s charitable tasks. He drove successfully for donations and opened the first cancer clinic in the country. With the founding of the party “movement for justice” (PTI) entered Khan the national political stage. The promise: With the ever-present corruption. At the same time he was the established parties, Bhutto’s Pakistan people’s party (PPP) and Sharif’s Muslim League (PML-N) in the pillory as the main responsible for Pakistan duration of misery with symptoms such as power failures, unemployment, and Inflation.
The PTI did not succeed in the first years after its Foundation, on the national level, sustainable impact. The reason is that Pakistan’s politics was dominated in the beginning of the 2000s, from the anti-terrorist struggle under the leadership of the United States in neighbouring Afghanistan. After the end of the military rule of Pervez Musharraf in 2007 and the return of democracy, the PTI has been active and won in the national elections of 2013, the second-most votes among Pakistan’s majority voting system. Also, you noted at that time, the government in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders in the Northern part of Afghanistan.
Every second of the Pakistanis live in the province of Punjab
The election will be decided in Punjab
“Khan’s Position in relation to corruption and nepotism in Pakistani politics is in the affirmative of the population that has had enough of the ruling Elite,” says the PTI activist Khawar Sohail from Islamabad. Against Khan no corruption would be levied accusations, and that he had assets abroad, adds the PTI supporters.
The court proceedings against Sharif for corruption has been set by the PTI. Khan’s tireless dedication to oust Sharif from Power, has borne fruit. He is already touted as “the next Prime Minister of Pakistan”. His party would have to bear the victory in the most populous Punjab province with 110 million inhabitants, of which, most of the seats in Parliament. Here, more than half of Pakistan’s population lives. Punjab, the “five-country” on the border to India, is the power base of Sharif. It should come out there for Khan is “cheap” irregularities, would be massive protests in the province.
(Archive) Bilawal Zardari Bhutto (R) with his father, Ex-President Asif Ali Zardari
Big Name, legacy
The secular liberal forces are pinning their hopes not on the dazzling populist Imran Khan is still on the Altpolitiker Nawaz Sharif, but rather to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of Benazir Bhutto. The 30-year-old Bilawal, took over the chairmanship of the PPP after his mother in 2007, fell victim to an assassination. The PPP, once the most powerful political force in Pakistan, and are only given little chance in the election. Bilawal is trying to score points with the topics and new ideas.
He’s wearing however, his family of origin as a burden. Since his father Asif Ali Zardari, the former President of the country because of its corrupt machinations as “Mr. Ten percent,” notorious. On the other hand, his mother, Benazir, whose Charisma, the source of their great popularity, him going on. “Bilawal is intelligent, but his political will was so far in the of his father and his advisors, predetermined paths,” says Hasan Mujtaba, a Pakistani Journalist based in New York, in an Interview with DW. “He could renew his party, if he is released from the influence of his father and the PPP in the direction of pretends to be.”
PML-N election poster with the brothers Nawaz and Shahbez Sharif (m.)
Finance, Extremism, Geopolitics
Who will the next government must deal not only with the duration of the plight of the economy, with some of the other thorny regional and international issues. Thus, Pakistan was set a few weeks ago again on the “grey list” of the OECD working group for financial measures against money-laundering (Financial Action Task Force, short-FATF). It now has 15 months to prove that it has sufficiently taken steps to close sources to the financing of Terrorism. It should come on the “black list”, would be more difficult to the chronic Devisennot suffering country access to international financial resources.
Pakistan’s attitude to extremism remains a sensitive issue, even inside political. Thus, it allows for different banned Islamist groups to participate in elections and election campaign events. Also the large people’s parties have entered into local alliances with such groups in order to gain advantages in elections.
(Archive) the movement of Pakistani Taliban (TTP) leader Mullah Fazlullah (m.)
Meanwhile US President Donald Trump demands more commitment from Islamabad to achieve peace in Afghanistan. The USA have brought direct talks with the Taliban in the game, which would run counter to the traditional policy of Pakistan, the Taliban indirectly, control over Afghanistan. Imran Khan has already expressed its views very critical of the US policy in Afghanistan. A conflict with Washington would be inevitable in case of his election victory. In case of a victory of Sharif’s Muslim League relations would be charged less ideological. Sharif and his brother Shehbaz, of the rules the province of Punjab from 2008 to 2018, and also as a possible next Prime Minister, see geopolitical Affairs – similar to Trump – more from a business perspective.