'Reform dreams for Pakistan are in shambles with hero Imran Khan thrown in jail'

Imran Khan took the reins of the nation in 2018 and it seemed that after decades of cronyism, nepotism and intense corruption, the country was finally in sure pair of hands

Imran Khan (

Image: AP)

Pakistan is about to turn 76, but with one of its few honest politicians just jailed for corruption, there's not much to celebrate.

Former cricketing legend turned Prime Minister Imran Khan took the reins of the beleaguered nation in 2018 and it looked like after decades of cronyism, nepotism and intense corruption, the country was finally in safe hands . Hugely popular, Khan is adored by his compatriots and overseas Pakistanis who see him as a beacon of honesty in a sea of ​​selfish depravity.

In this poor, hot and humid country, he was more than a breath of fresh air. He was a lifesaver. But now those sure hands have been cuffed and he languishes in a dirty little prison cell, his party disbanded and his dreams of reform in tatters. Khan understandably fears for his life - he survived two assassination attempts and is now surely a sitting duck.

Khan was more than a breath of fresh air, writes Anila Baig (

Picture:

Jawad Jalali/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Yet it remains extremely popular. Elders admire him, women go to mosques to pray for his release, and he is revered by young people. My cousin's five-year-old son has three heroes: Spiderman, Cristiano Ronaldo and Imran Khan. Khan compared himself to the great imprisoned politicians. But to me, he looks more like the mythical Icarus than Mandela.

Instead of flying to safety, Icarus got too ambitious and flew too close to the sun where his wings melted and he fell into the sea and drowned. Khan is no good for anyone in prison and his naive mistakes have cost him and the country dearly. Seemingly honest himself, he had people around him who behaved like the corrupt dynastic families who plundered Pakistan for decades.

On the eve of the war in Ukraine, he seemed to be getting closer to Vladamir Putin. He might have shown that Pakistan was no longer America's puppet, but it backfired dramatically. Like Icarus, he was flying too high and he crashed and burned. So as Pakistan's birthday approaches, it's not so much a case of many happy returns, we just want him back to...