Arrest hinders Imran’s path to second Pak innings

Since being ousted from office by a vote of no confidence last year, former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has vowed he will captain the country a second time.

But yesterday, the one-time international cricket star was arrested as he appeared at Islamabad High Court to face one of a slew of cases levelled against him.

With the charismatic Khan now locked away and his legion of supporters being called out on the streets to violent protests, his political prospects -- and those of Pakistan -- are unclear.

POPULAR SUPPORT

Khan enjoyed genuine popular support when he became premier in 2018, but critics say he failed to deliver on promises to revitalise the economy and improve the plight of the poor.

His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) overturned decades of dominance by the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-N -- two usually feuding groups that joined forces to oust him in April 2022.

But Khan made little headway in improving Pakistan's financial situation, with galloping inflation and a feeble rupee undermining economic reform.

TIPTOED INTO POLITICS

For years Khan busied himself with charity projects, raising millions to build a cancer hospital to honour his mother. He tiptoed into politics and for years held the PTI's only parliamentary seat.

But the party grew hugely during the military-led government of General Pervez Musharraf, becoming a genuine force in the 2013 elections before winning a majority five years later.

Running the country proved more difficult than sitting in opposition, however. "I fight till the very last ball," he said in one TV interview.