Security forces in Pakistan arrested over 1,000 supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan during a march on the capital of Islamabad. Protesters had vowed to stage a sit-in until Khan — who has been imprisoned since August 2023 on what are widely viewed as politically motivated charges — was released, but ended their efforts after six people were killed. Our guest Aasim Sajjad Akhtar, who teaches political economy at Islamabad’s Quaid-i-Azam University, discusses the political maneuvering behind Khan’s dramatic ouster and explains how Khan’s image as an “outsider” in Pakistani politics contributes to his lasting public appeal.

This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

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