On the road to nowhere

Of one thing we may be certain — no political leader is going to be putting one foot in front of the other on a dusty road to commence a ‘Long March’. Long Marches exist for the most part in name only (there have been honourable exceptions) and the latest politico to don the marching boots is Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who has demanded integrated national security in the country at a Salam Shuhda Rally held in Karachi last Sunday in commemoration of a 2007 terrorist attack. He made a number of demands that included the appointment of a full-time foreign minister and the implementation of assorted resolutions passed by his father. None of these demands has the slightest chance of coming to fruition as Mr Bhutto is well aware, but nevertheless he sought solace in the tramp of feet with the announcement of a long march on December 27, 2016. Far enough in the future for people to have forgotten he ever said it if it never happens.

Meanwhile, Islamabad and the government of Nawaz Sharif are pondering how they will address the issue of another political event, not a march but a lockdown of the federal capital, by another political party — the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf led by Imran Khan. This is imminent and has the potential for considerable disruption and destruction depending on how hundreds of thousands of people are to be managed from a security perspective.

It is this latter that is of concern. Whilst there must be an inalienable right to protest — it is not a freebie. Rarely mentioned is the real cost in hard cash of protecting political freedoms and rights. Policing costs money. Money, more hard cash, is lost by the businesses that are negatively affected. Who picks up the bill? Ultimately but indirectly it is the common man that underwrites the protection of those exercising the right to march on the road to nowhere. Spare a thought for the rest of the (non-marching) population as the metaphorical boots are pulled on before treading the road to nowhere.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 18^th, 2016.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.