Pakistan crisis deepens; After Imran Khan, his top former cabinet ministers arrested

The Pakistan crisis has shifted gears as Imran Khan’s top party members and his fellow cabinet ministers Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Sheikh Rasheed, and Fawad Chaudhary have also been arrested by the security personnel, which has further added fuel to the fire, as per ANI. Following Imran Khan’s lead, they had all been vocally protesting against Pakistani Army and intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for meddling in national politics and delaying elections. Does this mean that Pakistan is headed for yet another military coup?  

The current Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaaz Sharif, had recently addressed the nation to brief their masses on the ongoing fragile political situation. Given that a total of four military coups have already taken place in the country, the chances of another coup cannot be ruled out. Pakistan Army and ISI have always been directly or indirectly involved in the country’s political decisions, which is why there is always a possibility of another coup. But Shehbaaz Sharif is back in the picture, which indicates that their army may not be looking to take over. At the same time, the current situation in Pakistan continues to escalate, which hints at a possible civil war. 

Image source: ANI