Over the past week, a tense standoff between Imran Khan and Pakistan’s courts took centre stage in the country’s news cycle, generating serious concerns about the dangers to the stability of the political and legal system. The immediate crisis has eased, with both the judiciary and the former prime minister stepping back from the brink, perhaps recognising that a head-on collision would serve neither well. But the larger confrontation between Mr Khan and his followers on the one hand and the rest of the political system on the other is only likely to intensify as this year’s general election approaches.
Although Pakistanis and outside observers alike are accustomed to periodic high-stakes political drama, what is taking place differs significantly from the ethnic, dynastic and civil-military tensions that have traditionally dominated the country’s national politics. The cracks in this case run horizontal to those fractures and are best understood in terms of the polarising passions and chaos of Trump-style populism. But as with former US president Donald Trump, Mr Khan’s behaviour should not be confused with the underlying dissatisfactions of many in a rapidly evolving society.
There is no question that the 85 and counting cases registered against Mr Khan in the past few weeks and months are intended to hobble him before a general election is announced at some point this year. The Punjab provincial police’s mass filing of cases, and its raid on Mr Khan’s Lahore home, are all noteworthy given that they took place under a non-party caretaker government, rather than the party that is in power in Islamabad – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the bitterest political rival of Mr Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. This suggests that the national-security apparatus might also be interested in tilting the table against Mr Khan ahead of the election.
Although some of these cases are unlikely to stand trial, others, such as the charge that Mr Khan profited from the sale of state gifts (such as luxury watches) officially presented to him in his capacity as prime minister, appear to be well documented. In contrast, the push to convict Nawaz Sharif, another former prime minister, of corruption and bar him from political office in 2017 proceeded on far thinner factual and legal ground, and required much greater finessing on the part of the senior judiciary.
Khan’s message of personal agency and social transformation is appealing to many in a modernising countryside
Mr Khan’s belated willingness to compromise may have avoided turning the higher judiciary into yet another enemy for now, but his increasingly confrontational style of politics leaves that a distinct possibility. After all, he had been close to the military for decades, and the institution played a vital part in facilitating his transition from sports to politics, and his eventual rise to the top spot. The breakdown in that relationship says as much about why Mr Khan appeals so deeply to those who want to see the system shaken to the core, and why he struggles to appeal to everyone else.
Although Mr Khan had decried Pakistan’s major political parties as corrupt ever since he began considering the idea of joining politics in the mid-1990s, he had also evinced a kind of respect for the establishment. Like Mr Trump and other populists, Mr Khan positioned himself as an outsider while simultaneously seeking the seal of approval from powerful institutions, which in Mr Trump’s case meant the Murdoch media empire, Wall Street and evangelical mega churches. Perhaps, this is why informed observers did not expect this kind of “anti-politician” politics to become anti-systemic in any meaningful way.
But as with Mr Trump, those transactional endorsements helped pave the way for the emergence of a grassroots movement of true-believer voter-activists whose loyalty and intensity have transformed Mr Trump’s and Mr Khan’s relationship with everyone else.
Some media commentary has posed the question of whether Pakistan is heading towards a “January 6 moment”, but arguably the country already experienced this in August 2014 when Mr Khan’s supporters attempted to storm the National Assembly, unhappy over the results of the 2013 general election. Mr Khan has since then made a frequent habit of rejecting the validity of polls that he failed to win, claiming to represent a popular “tsunami”. For followers who are attracted by his willingness to attack the status quo and the powers that be, such defiance, whether successful or not, only deepens a sense of admiration and shared struggle.
In Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s case, this support base has grown far beyond the big cities in the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and has penetrated the small towns and villages surrounding them. Mr Khan’s message of personal agency and social transformation is appealing to many in a modernising countryside where the local economy is no longer dominated by prominent families or clan networks. His followers see his fights as mirroring their own, and his setbacks as symptoms of the pervasive rottenness that has also victimised them.
This antagonism against any and all who obstruct their leader in any way has been just as polarising as Trumpism in the US, in many cases generating conflict within families and institutions. This brightly burning belief in the legitimacy of their grievances has also enhanced the confidence in Mr Trump and Mr Khan alike to confront even those institutions they once courted or deferred to.
There has been a tendency to see the challenge of populism around the world as something that has peaked, but Mr Khan, who preceded Mr Trump, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and others by a few years, offers evidence to the contrary. Given their contempt for the system itself, it is unlikely that electoral defeat will ever be enough to send them home; their continued challenge to the most basic democratic norms remains robust and it is unclear just how much more change they will bring to the way that politics operate. Pakistan in that regard should not simply be seen as another troubled and distant country but, instead, as one of the most important leading-edge laboratories of democracy in the world today.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Hamilton profile
Age 32
Country United Kingdom
Grands Prix entered 198
Pole positions 67
Wins 57
Podiums 110
Points 2,423
World Championships 3
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Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
South Africa World Cup squad
South Africa: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (w), JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Rassie van der Dussen.
Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
FORSPOKEN
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Diablo%20IV
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The%20Legend%20of%20Zelda%3A%20Tears%20of%20The%20Kingdom
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
- Brentford v Arsenal
- Burnley v Brighton
- Chelsea v Crystal Palace
- Everton v Southampton
- Leicester City v Wolves
- Manchester United v Leeds United
- Newcastle United v West Ham United
- Norwich City v Liverpool
- Tottenham v Manchester City
- Watford v Aston Villa
Draw:
Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi
Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania
Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia
Group E: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Angola
Group F: Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau
How they line up for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix
1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2 Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
3 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
4 Max Verstappen, Red Bull
5 Kevin Magnussen, Haas
6 Romain Grosjean, Haas
7 Nico Hulkenberg, Renault
*8 Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull
9 Carlos Sainz, Renault
10 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
11 Fernando Alonso, McLaren
12 Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren
13 Sergio Perez, Force India
14 Lance Stroll, Williams
15 Esteban Ocon, Force India
16 Brendon Hartley, Toro Rosso
17 Marcus Ericsson, Sauber
18 Charles Leclerc, Sauber
19 Sergey Sirotkin, Williams
20 Pierre Gasly, Toro Rosso
* Daniel Ricciardo qualified fifth but had a three-place grid penalty for speeding in red flag conditions during practice
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
