bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Tom Hussain

Barely 15 months after assuming power, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan faces his first serious political crisis. Hitherto protected by his extraordinarily close relationship with the powerful military, Khan finds Islamabad – and his government – besieged by tens of thousands of Islamists led by Pakistan’s most influential cleric-politician Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman.
With the leaders of the country’s two largest mainstream opposition political parties, ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari, behind bars on corruption charges, Rehman has assumed leadership of a campaign against the controversial 2018 elections that brought Khan to power.
The mass sit-in in Pakistan’s capital comes at a time of widespread public disgruntlement with Khan’s government. His preoccupation with bringing corruption charges against his predecessors has coincided with the sudden onset of a crunching economic recession. An accompanying crackdown on freedom of expression has further fuelled popular resentment.

WHY ARE ISLAMISTS PROTESTING?
Rehman has dubbed the protest campaign the “azadi [freedom] march”. This is reflected in his four-point charter of demands: the resignation of Khan, fresh elections, non-interference by the military, and the upholding of the constitution in letter and spirit.
Rehman is giving voice to the widely held public sentiment that the 2018 general elections were brazenly rigged by the military to bring about the downfall of their civilian rivals for power.
Ignore US conspiracy theories. Khan needs China-Pakistan Economic Corridor now more than ever
According to this view, Khan is the handsome face of an ugly farce that has stolen the democratic rights of Pakistanis. Rehman contends that this supposed wrong must be righted before an implosive “conflict between state institutions” breaks out.
Rehman’s demands have been endorsed by Sharif’s centre-right Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party and the Pakistan People’s Party of Zardari, ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s widower.

However, their party cadres have not joined the thousands of seminary students encamped in Islamabad.
Rehman has said he understands their “compulsions”, an oblique reference to the enormous pressure they are reportedly under from the military to retire from politics and go into exile abroad.
Islamists tell Pakistan’s Khan: ‘we can arrest you if you don’t quit’
As a veteran of opposition movements since the 1980s, and subsequent coalition partner in many federal and provincial governments, Rehman has the political nous and the Islamist manpower to lead the campaign.
As such, Khan is not facing an Islamist protest movement per se, but a resurgence by Pakistan’s political old guard.

WHERE IS THE ALL-POWERFUL MILITARY?
Rehman has made a point of dragging the military into the spotlight, but so far avoided crossing the traditional red line of Pakistani politics of referring to it by name – instead using vague terms like “the establishment” and “state institutions”.
Usually, this enables the military to stay out of public discourse and maintain the position of being above partisan politics. This time, however, Rehman’s direct challenge to its impunity has evinced several very public responses.
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Taking the bait, the military’s chief spokesman, Major General Asif Ghafoor, challenged Rehman to name the institutions allegedly interfering in politics. Responding, Rehman said Ghafoor had proven his point.
The military has unabashedly vowed to stand by Khan. The army’s corps commanders conference – effectively, the military’s cabinet – has issued a stern warning against any violent attempt by the Islamists to overthrow the government.

HOW MIGHT THIS PLAY OUT?
Government emissaries on Wednesday began negotiations with leaders of Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) party. They have been joined by Khan’s coalition partners, the veteran “Chaudhry brothers” Shujaat Hussain and Pervez Elahi, who often act as mediators of last resort for the state.
By this measure, crunch time is fast approaching in Islamabad.
However, as a veteran cleric-politician, Rehman has had a deep-seated relationship with the military, which in turn has given rise to speculation that he may enjoy the covert backing of several top generals.
While that seems far-fetched, a growing number of senior ex-servicemen, reputed to exercise influence over the military leadership, are increasingly perturbed at the degree to which the military has become publicly mired in Pakistan’s messy politics.
In fact, there have already been calls for a negotiated settlement between Pakistan’s rivals for power. Supreme Court Chief Justice Asif Khosa, one of the judges who barred Sharif from holding public office for life in 2017, has proposed an “inter-institutional” dialogue. Rehman and other opposition politicians, on the other hand, want a renewal of the social contract enshrined in the constitution.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan seeks Chinese support over Kashmir as he starts Beijing visit
This suggests a political compromise may be reached. The bail recently granted by courts to an increasingly frail Sharif and his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, is seen by many analysts as a harbinger of a political deal of sorts.
Sharif’s health is also a factor. Top doctors have not been able to treat his illness and have recommended he be sent overseas for treatment. But if he dies, his family and supporters will invariably blame Khan and his military backers. Massive public unrest is likely to follow, as it did following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in 2007.
The key difference, however, is that Sharif’s support base is populous eastern Punjab province, from which most of the military’s officers and soldiers are recruited. This makes it a politically much more damaging battleground for the wider Pakistani state than the smaller minority provinces, which have long complained about being subjected to “Punjabi” exploitation.

WILL THIS AFFECT THE CHINA-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR?
The Islamists’ sit-in has coincided with the annual meeting of the joint coordination committee of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Islamabad. Following Khan’s visit to Beijing a month ago, the committee is now expected to approve a host of new projects ranging from education and health care schemes to agricultural and industrial ventures.
Beijing will view the brewing unrest in Pakistan warily. When Khan launched his campaign to bring down Sharif in 2014, he staged a five-month sit-in that disrupted Islamabad’s government district and forced the postponement of President Xi Jinping’s visit, during which he unveiled CPEC as the showcase programme of his Belt and Road Initiative.
If the protesters decide to head for the so-called Red Zone, Chinese delegates may find themselves in an awkward situation, although their safety will not be threatened by China-friendly Rehman’s hordes.
Like Pakistan’s other close friends, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, China will not want the political situation there to deteriorate, especially with billions of CPEC dollars on the line. Along with the US, which needs a stable Pakistan to see through a peace deal with Afghanistan’s Taliban, Beijing may quietly be urging the military and political leadership in Islamabad to compromise.


Why Pakistan’s Islamists aren’t the real problem for Imran Khan

Supporters of the Islamist Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party wave flags from atop a vehicle during the anti-government Azadi (Freedom) March. Photo: AFP

TOPSHOT - A supporter of Islamic political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) shows a badge with a picture of JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman before the start of anti-government "Azadi (Freedom) March" in Islamabad on November 1, 2019. - The "Azadi (Freedom) March" is led by Prime Minister Imran Khan's long-time rival Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who heads the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), one of the country’s largest Islamist parties. (Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP)

Islamic political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman addresses during an anti-government "Azadi (Freedom) March" in Islamabad on November 3, 2019. - Tens of thousands of Islamists rallied alongside members of major opposition parties in Islamabad on November 1 as several marches from across Pakistan converged on the capital to demand that Prime Minister Imran Khan's government step down. (Photo by FAROOQ NAEEM / AFP)

Supporters of Islamic political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) react as they listen to the speech of their leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman during an anti-government "Azadi (Freedom) March" in Islamabad on November 1, 2019. - Thousands of Islamists rallied in Islamabad on November 1 as several huge marches from across Pakistan converged on the capital to demand that Prime Minister Imran Khan's government step down. (Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP)

(191022) -- HUB(PAKISTAN), Oct. 22, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan (C, front) and Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing (R, front) attend the commercial operation ceremony of a power plant in Hub, Pakistan on Oct. 21, 2019. As a part of the early harvest projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the coal-fired power plant in Hub comprises two 660-megawatt units, and was constructed by China Power Hub Generation Company, a joint venture between Pakistan's Hub Power Company Ltd. and China Power International Holding Ltd. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

Tens of thousands of supporters of the Islamist political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam led by Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman rally in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Nov. 1, 2019, demanding the ouster of the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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An influential cleric is leading the campaign to bring down Pakistan’s leader but the Islamists are really window dressing for an intricate opposition movement
Should Beijing be worried about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor?



An influential cleric is leading the campaign to bring down Pakistan’s leader but the Islamists are really the window dressing for an intricate opposition movement.


Pakistan

Belt and Road Initiative

Provide background, definition and detail of a specific topic, helping the reader understand how something works or what has happened in the past.  (Eg. What is Nafta? US and Mexico are on the verge of revising trade deal.)


Explainer

Explainer | Why Pakistan’s Islamists aren’t the real problem for Imran Khan

An influential cleric is leading the campaign to bring down Pakistan’s leader but the Islamists are really window dressing for an intricate opposition movement Should Beijing be worried about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor?

An influential cleric is leading the campaign to bring down Pakistan’s leader but the Islamists are really window dressing for an intricate opposition movement

Should Beijing be worried about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor?