Pakistan appears to be entering yet another dangerous phase of authoritarian overreach, with senior political and intelligence circles indicating that the state is preparing to try former Prime Minister Imran Khan in military courts. This comes days after the dramatic conviction of former ISI chief Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed an extraordinary development that has exposed unprecedented fissures within Pakistan’s power structure. Instead of restoring civilian supremacy or strengthening democratic institutions, Pakistan’s establishment seems intent on doubling down on coercive tactics. The possible trial of Imran Khan in a military court would mark one of the harshest escalations yet in Pakistan’s long history of political manipulation.

A State Weaponising Its Courts

Military courts originally created to try hardened terrorists are now being repurposed as tools to silence political opponents. If Pakistan proceeds with trying an elected former prime minister in such courts, it will signal that the country’s judicial system has all but collapsed under establishment pressure. Analysts warn that this would be a blatant violation of constitutional safeguards, due process, and international human rights norms. It also reinforces the perception that Pakistan’s military has become the ultimate arbiter of political outcomes.

Widening Cracks in the Power Structure

Gen Faiz Hameed’s conviction once considered unimaginable has already shaken Pakistan’s military hierarchy. Instead of introspection or institutional reform, the ruling circles appear to be using the episode to justify further crackdowns. Putting Imran Khan on trial in a military court would not reflect justice but retaliation, driven by fear of his continuing public support and the establishment’s desire to crush any dissenting voice.

A Democracy in Free Fall

Pakistan’s political system is now increasingly indistinguishable from a controlled, military-dominated state. Civilian courts are sidelined. Parliament is weak. Opposition leaders are jailed or disqualified. The establishment’s message is unmistakable: political loyalty is mandatory, and defiance will be punished through any means necessary legal or extralegal.

Public Trust at an All-Time Low

With inflation soaring, the economy collapsing, and governance deteriorating, Pakistanis have little faith left in their institutions. The decision to possibly try Imran Khan in military courts is expected to intensify anger among ordinary citizens who already view the system as fundamentally rigged. Instead of stabilising the country, the state’s punitive measures risk further polarisation, unrest, and instability.

A Country Sacrificing Democracy to Maintain Control

If Pakistan proceeds with this unprecedented move, it will set a chilling precedent: No politician, no matter how popular or electorally successful, is safe from military prosecution. Rather than correcting past abuses of power, the establishment appears determined to tighten its grip by undermining civilian authority even further. Pakistan’s crisis today is not merely political or economic it is existential. A nation that consistently uses its military to settle political scores cannot claim to be a functioning democracy. 

This image is taken from News18.