Pakistan - November 2022

On 3 November, Imran Khan, former Prime Minister and opposition leader, was shot in the leg at a protest rally. A person was killed and at least 10 others were injured in the attack. Police arrested the gunman at the scene and are investigating the case as a lone shooter, but Khan has accused the current government of conspiring to assassinate him. Khan has been leading a nationwide protest against the government, calling for early elections. He announced that his party, Tehreek-e-Insaf, will quit all regional and national assemblies. His protest movement has further polarized the Pakistani electorate and added to the country's political instability at a time of ecological and economic crisis. 

Sources: Foreign Affairs, International Crisis Group, British Broadcasting Corporation (1), British Broadcasting Corporation (2), The Guardian, National Public Radio

Pakistan's outgoing army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, has admitted that the military has illegally interfered in politics for decades and said that the military had decided in February 2022 to cease such interference. In his final speech, Bajwa's comments come amid criticism of the military's role in politics, particularly from former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has accused the army of playing a role in his removal from office earlier this year. The government has appointed a former spy chief, General Asim Munir, as the new head of Pakistan's army. Munir is considered a close ally of the government.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Foreign Policy, British Broadcasting Corporation