00:00 Pakistan's politics has yet again shown that the only constant in the country is change.
00:05 No stranger to political turmoil, Pakistan is in yet another cycle of instability, exacerbating
00:11 the economic volatility and resurging terrorism.
00:13 With Imran Khan's arrest yet again, Pakistan seems to be back to its default state of a
00:18 power struggle among different political forces, including the military and bureaucracy.
00:24 Yet analysts say that things are different this time.
00:27 Unlike his predecessors, Imran Khan seems to be doing well in the battle of optics,
00:31 even when he's down and out.
00:33 He has refused to bow out to the army-addicted and challenged the military bosses ever since
00:37 he lost majority in the National Assembly in April of 2022.
00:41 He mobilised the common people at huge rallies, made speeches to massive audiences, addressed
00:46 people in video messages, challenging the army like it has never been before in Pakistan.
00:56 His arrest in May was followed by very visible rioting that targeted some army establishments.
01:00 The images played out endlessly on national and international television channels.
01:05 Consequently, the army chief general Asim Munir cracked down on protesters, muzzled
01:09 the media and allegedly engineered defections by leading members of Imran Khan's party.
01:14 But the army's interference was never clearer to the world than in the aftermath of Imran
01:18 Khan's first arrest.
01:19 Until a little over a year ago, all was well with Imran Khan because of his trusting relationship
01:26 with the military, doing what he now accuses the current government of doing - vendetta
01:30 against political opponents.
01:32 But once he fell out with the army, he was forced out of office.
01:36 And this is where the script changed.
01:38 Instead of meekly trying to make peace with the military leadership like his predecessors,
01:42 he challenged what is now known as the "establishment" in Pakistan.
01:47 Since then, his supporters have taken on powerful generals and his popularity has grown.
01:55 But why does Pakistan keep missing its twist with political stability and democracy?
02:00 The influence of the military on political affairs has been a recurring theme in Pakistan's
02:05 history.
02:06 The military has played a prominent role in shaping the country's political landscape,
02:09 often pulling the strings covertly.
02:11 This military intervention has resulted in power imbalances, weakened democratic institutions
02:16 and hindered the country's path towards stability.
02:19 The constant power struggle between civilian governments and the military has created a
02:24 cycle of instability where the political leadership, once in power, is reluctant to take on military,
02:30 fearing retribution and removal.
02:31 Consequently, to the common man, all parties have seemed the same once in power.
02:36 During the 1980s and 1990s, there were tentative attempts to restore democracy.
02:42 But these were often hampered by political unrest, corruption and the unshakable influence
02:46 of the military.
02:47 It was not until the late 1990s that a more serious effort was made to establish a stable
02:52 and functioning democratic system in Pakistan.
02:55 Since then, Pakistan has managed short periods of democratic rule, but they too didn't last.
03:02 The impact of political instability extends far beyond politics.
03:06 It affects the country's internal security, with the result that the ordinary citizen
03:10 never feels safe, particularly since the Taliban took over neighbouring Afghanistan.
03:15 The heavy presence of troops on the streets of major cities underscores the gravity of
03:20 the security situation, frightening instead of reassuring people.
03:25 Years of political instability have prevented the country from focusing on other concerns
03:30 like inflation, unemployment, low literacy rates, inadequate health care and poverty,
03:35 as the country hurtles towards its self-fulfilling prophecy of a failed state.
03:44 [BLANK_AUDIO]
