Showdown at Zaman Park
It was an evening and night of high-drama. Till our writing of these lines, the law-enforcement agencies were in a tug of war to arrest PTI chief Imran Khan, as they stormed his residence near Zaman Park, Lahore on Tuesday. Clashes with police, reported injuring of DIG Islamabad, extreme tear-gas shelling and defiance by Khan’s supporters, led to calling in of paramilitary forces that kicked off subsequent protests in all the major cities of the country, upping political instability to new heights. The coalition government’s endeavor to net the former prime minister, in relevance with a number of cases booked against him and non-bailable warrants in his name by the various courts of law, had created a perfect scenario of confrontation. While there is no stepping down the ladder by either side, the evolving equation does not bode well for upcoming elections in the province on April 30 and, thus, necessitates extreme acumen and political wisdom.
Tuesday’s bid to arrest Khan was not the first one. Islamabad and Punjab police had been after the PTI supremo for long, as he shielded behind bails and interventions from the court. Though none are clear as to which case is simmering so high to torpedo the uneasy peace mosaic of the country, the situation warrants a brush of leadership to scale down tensions. But unfortunately that is not the case as the PTI is busy playing to the gallery on the premise of its popularity, and the PDM alliance is out to buy time in the wake of delaying elections in two provinces under one pretext or the other. Had Khan thought it appropriate to face the court of law on whatever charges came his way, irrespective of reservations against them, he would have attained high moral ground. His sceptical political call to evade appearance before courts has apparently pushed him to a dead-end. At the same time, it goes without saying that the caretaker set-up in Punjab is going over the brink in its pursuit of Khan — something that would sooner than later be challenged under the law.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 15th, 2023.
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