Protests Erupt Over Alleged Corruption in Pakistan

Tens of thousands of Pakistanis took to the streets on Sunday in Karachi, the country’s largest city, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan, whom they accuse of being a puppet of the Pakistani military and botching the current health and economic crises. The mass rally was coordinated by the new Pakistan Democratic Movement, formed last month by nine opposition parties looking to dethrone Khan. Protesters railed against the government for unjustly jailing critics and opposition leaders, censoring media outlets and causing inflation to spiral out of control. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, ousted in 2018 over corruption charges, addressed the crowds from his sanctuary in London and accused his successor of foul play. Sharif and his supporters blame the Pakistani military brass for meddling in the country’s politics and keeping Khan in power.