Asif Mahmood 

When the no confidence motion surfaced, Imran Khan issued a warning. Remove me, he said, and I will become more “dangerous.” The question now is simple. Have those ambitions been fulfilled, or is the urge to become even more dangerous still alive? Others were disqualified for life over an iqama in the Panama case. Many celebrated. But when a no confidence vote came knocking on Imran Khan’s door, the same revolutionaries grew visibly uneasy. That moment marked the beginning of PTI’s so called dangerous phase. And it unfolded with such abandon that restraint became unfashionable. The belief was that mastery over algorithms and post truth messaging could bend reality itself. Say it is night at noon, and the sun would obediently dim. The result was a carefully constructed narrative. America removed us. Few political groups in Pakistan can turn a lie into a monument as grand as the Taj Mahal. Yet this one collapsed quickly. Observers watched as hopes were quietly pinned on the same America, on Trump no less, with loud declarations that once Uncle Trump returned, everything would change. Confidence in unregulated social media power was absolute. Abuse and intimidation were deployed as tools to silence critics. The backlash came from unexpected quarters. Even allies began to plead that this madness stop, reminding everyone that people have families, daughters, and sisters. Cults can slow a journey, but they cannot cancel the destination. A basic question forced its way through the noise. If America truly engineered his removal, why did overseas supporters, many holding American citizenship, never organize even a single serious protest in Washington or New York against the United States? Why was Pakistan chosen as the only arena for agitation? The expectation was mass mobilization. Streets would flood, the state would freeze. When the issue of army chief appointment arose, people did come out, but the appointment went ahead. When arrest warrants followed, the challenge was thrown openly that no one could dare arrest him. Then the arrest happened. The focus shifted from defiance to lamentation, now centered on access and meetings. On May 9, all limits were crossed۔ The consequences were devastating. Half the party leaders ended up behind bars. The rest either distanced themselves or fell into silence. The songs stopped. The slogans lost their rhythm. Another assumption was that social media manipulation would shake the state to its core. That too failed. Once dramatic thumbnails now draw smiles. Overseas Pakistanis were urged to stop sending money home. The result was the opposite. Remittances hit record highs. International lobbying was pursued to corner the government. Instead, Pakistan today stands more confident and effective globally than before. The rhetoric once painted everyone else as corrupt and illegitimate. Yet today, despite being in opposition, PTI holds neither the opposition leader’s post in the National Assembly nor in the Senate. The very figure once mocked on stage now occupies that space. PTI members themselves are seen brawling in parliamentary corridors. What could have been resolved through political insight has been knotted by narcissism, ego, arrogance, poor judgment, and constant reassurance from loyalists. The tangle now looks beyond repair If anyone within the party still carries the weight of honest self accountability, he should ask a final question. Have the promises of becoming dangerous been fulfilled, or is there still a desire to go even further?