Waning protest?

The PML-N and the PPP have moved away from the ‘Azadi March’, leaving the JUI-F – as well as smaller opposition parties like the ANP and the PkMAP – in the lurch. The anti-government protest in the heart of the federal capital seems to have run out of steam. It’s no more a show by a joint opposition. Appearing isolated, Maulana Fazlur Rehman has – after his meetings with Chaudhry Brothers, the go-betweens – hinted at his readiness to consider any suggestions from the government in search of a middle ground. What the Maulana, the spearhead, is now understood to be looking for is a face-saving takeaway.

The JUI-F Ameer, however, feigns inflexibility – and quite understandably so – on his main demand that Prime Minister Imran Khan tender his resignation and announce fresh elections in the country. He continues to produce fiery speeches against the incumbents, lashing out at their policies on almost everything – foreign policy, governance, economy, etc – in what can be construed as an attempt to maintain his bargaining position as well as to keep his followers charged. He has managed to get the desired feel flow through the protest venue where the numbers are intact despite the rain and the ensuing cold heralding the onset of the winter season.

That the Maulana’s show – in its present state – can hardly pull off an out and out victory is all in the air. Even an attempt to surge into the Red Zone, or anywhere closer, can barely help towards forcing the Prime Minister to resign. A dignified return for the protesters comes up as the only plan B available. So what it is that could pave the way for a return march for the Maulana and his followers while sparing their blushes? Well, it’s a million-dollar question whose answer is hard to get at this stage. In the meanwhile, the government’s to-do list must at least include avoiding victory rhetoric lest the protesters should not be forced towards the point of no return.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th, 2019.

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