Violence in politics: can Pakistan afford it?

Yes, democracy is noisy. Yes, protests are part of a democratic society. Yes, raising your voice is your right as Pakistani. But there is a limit to everything!

The violence and aggressive resistance in the name of protests in Lahore’s Zaman Park and then in Islamabad is setting a new normal in Pakistan’s polity, already marred by extreme positions and poisonous atmosphere. This reminds us of the days when Altaf Hussain’s MQM used to shut down Karachi as well as any dissenting voices. If that was fascism then why is this one considered otherwise now?

What should the state do in these times of turbulence, uncertainty and upheaval, and when Pakistan is reeling under tremendous economic pressure and middle and lower income classes are crushed under hyperinflation? Shouldn’t our energies be focused on finding solutions to humongous problems staring us right in our face? But who cares!

The people in Pakistan and across the world have witnessed over the past few weeks a total mockery of Pakistan’s judicial system, rule of law, and constitution. Why appearing in a court of law has become such a big deal for PTI leadership? Should the state set a new precedent where any one called by the courts gathers a gang of supporters and deny the law enforcement access to the accused?

Even international media has highlighted the chaos created by PTI in response to legal orders by a court of law. Bloomberg wrote, “Pakistani police clashed with Imran Khan supporters outside the former premier’s home as security officials tried to arrest him for the second time, deepening a political crisis that’s overshadowing the nation’s economic turmoil.”

What Zaman Park witnessed was disrespect for law, use of human shield, resort to violence and stone pelting, targeted use of petrol bombs and defiance of the state. Who prepared Zaman Park something like as a militant hideout?

Organised and orchestrated use of social media to accentuate the chaos found a new dimension in PTI’s assault on the state. Even a talk delivered by the Inspector General of Police in Punjab province to motivate his officers and ranks to fight against terrorists, who attacked police personals in Mianwali district, was twisted to appear as a talk by the IGP against PTI workers. Senior PTI leaders kept on tweeting it through social media, knowing full well that they were resorting to willful deception, treachery, beguilement, and circumventing truth to build a false narrative against the state and state institutions.

Isn’t it an act of treason against the state and its institutions? How can PTI justify this act? Actually the PTI leaders have put the life of policemen in danger as a lot of workers and followers of the party strongly believe in their leadership.

There were also calls by PTI activists and their cohorts sitting abroad to march against GHQ and houses of Corps Commanders, with an urge that the time had come to turn Pakistan into Syria and Libya. Where are they taking Pakistan to?

Social media narrative against the armed forces and intelligence agencies has been built up to a pitch, where those paddling this narrative want an open confrontation between Pakistan Army and the people of Pakistan. The question that arises is: who is benefiting from this narrative and does political expediency warrant building such anti-state narrative? Does the PTI leadership want to weaken Pakistan Army, demoralise the rank and file and shake the morale of the defenders of Pakistan?

Pakistan Army and defence forces have weathered the storm of terrorism over the past three decades by offering their blood for the motherland. There is no roundabout or intersection in any town or city of Pakistan which has not been named after the valiant soldiers and officers of Pakistan Defence Forces, police and other law enforcement agencies. Why is their blood being maligned by social media activists belonging to PTI within and outside Pakistan? PTI’s political modus operandi has caused enormous damage to sacrifices rendered by these officers and soldiers. Who is going to bridge this artificial gap created between the people and the Defence Forces of Pakistan?

These are some of the questions that PTI leadership has to contemplate and answer.

Pakistan’s relationship with its neighbours and internal politics are continually impacted by the fact that it shares a difficult neighborhood with giants. Post-Covid challenge had become chaotic for many nations; however there have been some encouraging developments in Pakistan’s neighborhood, where the web of disorder that has been woven around Pakistan appeared to be unraveling.

Pakistan had been facing a two-front conflict for the previous 30 years, with India on the one side and an unstable Afghanistan on the other. Pakistan’s future was predicted to be bleak by 2015 on a chart by international security experts and their proxies in Pakistan. Internally, a total chaos brigade, hell bent on sowing the seeds of despair, was busy launching doomsday attacks against the military and the populace and it appeared that Pakistan was heading towards total collapse as a state.

It was the will of the people of Pakistan and the gallant fight by its Defence Forces and law enforcing agencies that brought Pakistan back from the brink of disaster. Today, the same state institutions are under renewed assault meant to undo the gains of this decades-long fight. Should the state sit back and see Pakistan get dismantled brick by brick?

There is an urgent need for soul searching and bringing the element of sobriety and moderation back into the polity of Pakistan. PTI, being a popular party, needs to lead this effort. Leaders and parties exist because of Pakistan and there can be no better cause than stability and prosperity of the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2023.

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