After getting blanket immunity from the courts, he pointed the finger of blame directly at the army chief. It was becoming clear that the PTI leader had sufficient backers not only in terms of street power but in key institutions too who would fight his corner. “1977 or 1999?” one friend asked me, elaborating that, in his view, the former situation seemed more likely after Imran Khan’s pointed accusations because it was becoming clear that such a spiral would only leave one of the two men standing at the end of the fight. The answer will become clear in the coming days/weeks rather than months, as the chief will now be focusing on forming his key team. He did move around a few officers on assuming office, but largely left in place the team he had inherited.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 14, 2023 20:14 UTC