Pakistan’s Army Tightens Grip: Democracy Crushed as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Sentenced, Imran Khan Silenced

 

By: Tariq Bhat, Editor-in-Chief | ANN News

Date: July 31, 2025

In yet another alarming blow to democracy in Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s sitting Chief Minister, Ali Amin Gandapur, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in connection with the May 9 protests — a date that is increasingly being seen as symbolic of the Pakistani military’s crackdown on democratic dissent.

 

 

 

 

This follows the ongoing incarceration of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who remains behind bars under a slew of controversial and politically motivated cases. These developments paint a clear picture: Pakistan is no longer a democracy — it is a military-run dictatorship in civilian disguise.

May 9: The Day Democracy Was Ambushed

On May 9, 2023, protests erupted across Pakistan following the dramatic arrest of Imran Khan by paramilitary forces inside an Islamabad court. The images shocked the world: a former Prime Minister dragged from courtrooms as if he were a terrorist. The protests that followed were spontaneous and widespread, reflecting the anger of millions who saw their votes and voices crushed by the boots of the establishment.

 

 

 

 

The state’s response? Mass arrests, blackouts on social media, disappearances, torture allegations, and the systematic dismantling of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Hundreds of leaders, including CM Ali Amin Gandapur, have been jailed or forced into exile.

 

In a chilling echo of authoritarian regimes, civilians involved in the May 9 protests have been tried in military courts, a move widely condemned by international human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

What does this mean? It means Pakistan’s military, not its judiciary or parliament, decides who is guilty or innocent. It means freedom of expression, protest, and association is a crime if it questions the establishment.

Democracy Dismantled: From Ballot to Bullet

Pakistan’s history is littered with military takeovers: 1958, 1977, 1999. But what’s happening now is more sinister. Instead of martial law, Pakistan is witnessing a hybrid regime, where civilians act as puppets while the military pulls the strings.

Current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, despite heading a “civilian government,” is widely seen as a mere figurehead. Real power lies with the Army Chief, General Asim Munir, who is believed to be the architect of the crackdown on PTI.

 

Despite these egregious violations, global powers remain largely silent — either due to geopolitical interests or fear of destabilizing a nuclear-armed nation. The United States, once a vocal supporter of global democracy, continues to work with Pakistan’s military on counterterrorism, turning a blind eye to the death of democratic institutions.

 

The sentencing of Ali Amin Gandapur is not an isolated event; it’s a calculated message: Oppose the Army, and your fate is sealed. Like Imran Khan, Gandapur represented a popular, elected leader with mass grassroots support. His real crime wasn’t protest — it was daring to challenge the military’s monopoly on power.

 

Pakistan today stands at a dangerous crossroads — torn between the people’s demand for representation and the military’s obsession with control. The suppression of Imran Khan’s party, the imprisonment of CM Gandapur, and the ongoing harassment of journalists and activists signal a de facto martial law.

The youth of Pakistan — who once rallied behind Khan’s vision of “Naya Pakistan” — are disillusioned but not defeated. From street protests to digital resistance, the spirit of democracy still flickers.

 

Pakistan’s internal power games have global consequences. A democratic, stable Pakistan is essential for peace in South Asia. The world must stop legitimizing a military regime disguised as democracy. Aid, cooperation, and diplomacy must be tied to clear democratic benchmarks.

 

 

 

Otherwise, Pakistan risks becoming another cautionary tale — a nation where democracy died not with a coup, but with the silent consent of the world.