Netizens have noticed something odd when Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan released a photo with Bill Gates. This picture Highlights Imran Khan’s Army crisis.
A brawl between the army and Imran Khan
When Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan released a photo of lunch hours with Bill Gates, the round table had 13 seats, but the picture had only a dozen men.
The vacant space contained a tampered figure who appeared to be conversing with others around him, raising questions about whether the image had been rigged. Shortly afterward, local news outlets reported that the country’s new spy chief, Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum, had been erased from the shot.
It all began four months ago when army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa assigned Anjum to head the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which controls Pakistan’s internal security. Imran Khan then postponed the appointment and publicly voiced support for General Faiz Hameed, widely seen as his ally, to stay in the role. Though the law says the premier appoints the ISI chief on the recommendation of the military, but after a gridlock lasting several weeks, the army chief got what he wanted.
Army runs Pakistan
It’s not new that Pakistan’s political leaders have always clashed with the army, an army that has ruled the country for about half of its history. Nevertheless, Khan has always opposed corruption to oversee a “New Pakistan”.
This episode provides a glimpse into Khan’s off-the-screen brawl over military promotions that has troubled the 69-year-old former cricketer. A cooperative opposition is competing to unseat him in a confidence vote in the next few days.
The 342-member National Assembly will begin a discussion on the opposition’s no-confidence motion on Thursday, with a vote anticipated over the weekend. This week Imran Khan lost his thin majority in the room after two union allies withdrew support for his government.
Ahead of the vote, Khan has vowed to stay on. He rallied thousands of supporters in Islamabad last Sunday and claimed “foreign forces” were out to remove him.
