From the PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s detainment to the worst political party-led aggression in the nation to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) unexpectedly forceful claim to the courts’ extraordinary relief of Imran Khan, to the PDM government’s announcement to hold a dharna outside the Supreme Court (SC) today, to Imran’s release, to the DG of ISPR’s denial that there was any chance of a martial law. And the upcoming week seems like providing no relief.
The level of segmentation is at maximum. In reality, the spectacle that has been on exhibit almost from Project Imran’s inception may be about to reach its conclusion. In a nation that is on the edge of economic collapse and in which political polarization is at its highest, tempers are high on all sides, and by all indications, things do not look good.
Imran Khan gave a video speech on Saturday as was predicted. There is no reason to think that the PTI leader is interested in taking any kind of step back based on the tone and content of his speech. Why should he, too? He is often regarded as the most influential person in the nation, and with good reason.
A person whose supporters, by most accounts, may use violence even against state institutions and get away with it, and who can break previously guarded red lines. Like other PTI officials, Imran has stated that it was not his supporters who vandalized and set fire to both public and private property.
However, like the others, he has refrained from directly denouncing the activities. None of the PTI leaders have publicly distanced themselves or their party from the events that led to the burning of the Corps Commander House in Lahore or the destruction of other public and private property. Is this due to the PTI’s desire to avoid upsetting its core constituency, some of whom are almost certainly implicated in the violence?
Does it since the PTI and its top leaders had been blowing dog whistles and feeding their followers a story of hate and violence for a whole year, and now that it has happened, they don’t want to take responsibility for what they did? The government appears discouraged and irritated. One thing remains unclear in all of this: Does the coalition government even have a plan? Or did it simply arrest Imran on a whim and decide to wing it—and let’s be clear that the government was aware of what was about to happen?
Now that a dharna has been scheduled for today, the incumbent government is attempting to negotiate breathing room with the judiciary, which seems strangely ‘pleased’ to give Imran a lot of latitude. Observers claim Imran is already toying with fire, but strangely, his competitors appear to be more completely engulfed in flames. However, realistic political observers would be extremely hesitant to declare it a victory for any side at this time.
Even if Imran is able to let go of the memories of his previous liaisons with individuals he now criticizes, neither the government nor at least one institution appear to be in the mood to negotiate. This nation needs a lot of quiet, and one can only hope that the administration if not the PTI, is thinking of a way to prevent the mayhem that is coming.
