Need to strike a way out

Imran Khan has kept cards close to his chest. His tone of confidence after winning the bye-polls on Sunday, as he stopped short of giving a call for his proposed long march, reflected a synopsis of resilience and hinted at a deal in the making. He took no qualms about making it a point that his party is in talks with the powers-that-be to find a way out of the crisis. But he was categorical by saying that the behind-the-curtain parleys lack clarity to this day. The PTI’s chief’s surprise pause of words as he ‘gave’ more time to the government to call in general elections was a welcome whiff of fresh air, and literally lessened the simmering tensions. The onus is now on the ruling coalition to see reason, and strike a middle ground arrangement with the opposition to stem the tide of deterioration in national life.

The former PM, nonetheless, warned that he would not delay his call for a protest march on Islamabad beyond October. This is where the bomb starts ticking. The pressure is inevitably on the federal government as it finds itself squeezed down to the capital territory as Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan’s power clout rests with PTI. In such a configuration, protesters marching on to Islamabad in hundreds and thousands cannot be simply ruled out. To what magnitude it transforms into a law and order situation is anybody’s guess, and this is where the brink is.

Sunday’s massive verdict in favour of Khan has proved that he has been successful in selling his narrative. Likewise, countrywide rallies have mobilised the masses to go to the polls, irrespective of the fact that the party had made it clear that it would not go back to parliament. This is an unprecedented level of support and surely buckles up Khan to look ahead in time. The entire exercise was meant for optics to prove how marginalised and disconnected is the ruling PDM. The PTI has reasons to flex muscles, and the art of politics as far as the beleaguered government is concerned is in settling down for a face-saving deal.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2022.

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