Arrest — and aftermath

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest from inside the premises of the Islamabad High Court has literally upped the stakes. This act was unwarranted and has come at a wrong time. As the PTI chief was in a social media brawl with the ISPR, and had appeared for hearing in his pending cases, his taking into custody with the help of paramilitary forces has raised many questions of legality.

At the same time, the impression is that there is now a clash among the institutions, and this does not bode well for the stability and security of the country. While the federal government has tried to steer clear by saying that NAB has moved against Khan in a case pertaining to an alleged real estate scam, the fact that Rangers were put into high gear in a commando action inside the court has drawn the ire from the IHC Chief Justice, who has summoned the entire administrative hierarchy at work, to probe who went overboard and on who’s dictum.

Khan’s arrest, nonetheless, had been in the wings for quite long as he was booked in more than 125 cases countrywide. His talking from the pulpit allegedly against institutions, and targeting of services personnel, had landed him in dire straits. But the fact that the PTI chief’s overhauling has come close on the heels of a deadlock in talks, as the apex court is set to pronounce a subsequent judgment on its earlier ruling of holding elections in Punjab, has torpedoed all avenues of civil recourse.

The interior minister’s narrative, in a hurried presser, that all is within the ambit of law could find very few takers. The PTI supporters taking to the streets has pushed the country on the edge. While the NAB prosecution will further its discourse today, what is ailing at the moment is fear of a rundown as sentiments are flaring high. Coupled with this is an SOS from Moody’s that Pakistan is on the verge of default in the next few days, as a deal with the IMF is nowhere in sight. This is not the time to opt for a political checkmate, but to look at the wider picture of coexistence and step back from the brink.