Political maturity and politics of agitation

Hard to be a bystander. May 9, 2023 would indeed be a black day in the institutional and political history of Pakistan, when leaders of the PTI that ruled Pakistan for over three years actively encouraged its rank and file to attack, ransack, loot and plunder police, government and military installations all across Pakistan. This included the revered Jinnah House in Lahore Cantt, the official residence of Corps Commander, while the Army exercised utmost restraint.

This day would also be remembered for how low politics has stooped in Pakistan, evaporating any veneer of maturity and consolidation, that one hoped was earned all these years by the stalwarts of PTI. It would also be remembered for PTI’s public flareup against its own national and volunteer Army that continues to fight terrorism under the most trying conditions. And it would be remembered for how misguided and venomous the Party rank and file had become, after being poisoned regularly and incessantly through PTI leadership’s tirades against their own Army, and by skillful social media teams, penetrated undoubtedly by hostile agencies.

All this was for what? For the Army presumably responsible for engineering PTI’s ouster from power in April 2022, under the watch of the then Army chief, with no involvement of the larger field Army. To put the record straight, even that vote of no confidence was possible by PTI’s own 20 odd members crossing the floor.

The firestorm was triggered by Imran Khan’s arrest in one of the many cases, just like other political leaders were arrested in the past. But those leaders’ supporters never torched Jinnah House or attacked its own military like the PTI did. When political scenarios are debated, many PTI supporters draw a comparison between IK/PTI and the ‘corrupt cabal’ of PDM, to plead IK’s case. Sadly, today under PTI’s agitational politics of jalao-gherao, the PDM stands tall. Realising the backlash from the silent majority of Pakistan on this overreach, the PTI is now trying to spin facts by dubbing the mob-violence as the handiwork of PDM and/or the Military. No soldier worth his salt would allow ransacking of his bedroom, under any political expediency whatsoever, at the hands of hooligans, entering his residence illegally with no regard for chaadar and chaardiwari. Military veterans of all political affiliations can vouch for this. This single, brazen and indefensible overreach will haunt PTI forever.

The direction of agitation also smears of a pre-planned conspiracy. NAB officials assisted by Rangers arrest IK in a civil suit, ‘perhaps’ instigated by politics of the Government, with no connection whatsoever to the Army. And the ire and anger are skillfully directed at the Army. And taken to heights unimaginable in our history. Interestingly and intriguingly, there was no angst directed against politicians or others, hands-in-glove against PTI.

Where do we go from here? To the abyss and start digging, as we are doing. Or recover, reflect, reconsider, revert and move towards rapprochement. Nobody, literally no stakeholder realises, in words and deeds, the new lows that our economy has fallen to, or that our political discourse is gutturised, or that the nation has been inflicted with a psychosis, or that the hapless and despairing people of this ‘land of perpetual political uncertainty’ are seeing no end in sight. Inter and intra-institution friction is making this great country a dysfunctional state and a laughingstock abroad.

Paradoxically for PTI, a neutral and apolitical Army ‘must’ intercede on its behalf…nothing less. The judiciary should be pliant, the media supportive or else...the street is the deciding field with no-holds-barred. For PDM, clinging to power for dear life, engineering closure of corruption cases against its leaders, and making some more money, seems the way to go. Elections and Constitution can meanwhile wait. For the Army, IK, propped, supported and facilitated in power by the bayonet, is unnervingly unpredictable with fascist underpinnings, and unabated and very personal anti-Army diatribes. That he has deeply and dangerously divided people including veterans and created dangerous fault lines between and among the institutions.

Losing vote of confidence, resigning en bloc from National Assembly, dissolving the Provincial Assemblies, and jalao-gherao are some of PTI’s cardinal sins, even if giving extension to Gen Bajwa and tussle over Gen Faiz Hameed are put aside. The recent brazen attacks on Military now will, however, never endear it to an ambivalent rank and file, Military leadership, and veterans, for any favourable urgent intercession towards an early election. The environment now stands brutally vitiated. Perhaps the architects of jalao-gherao did not know or ignored the consequences of what they were doing, without war-gaming their subsequent political options rationally, unemotionally and objectively. Targeting Army again would be playing with fire, with disastrous consequences. It is time to ‘acquire’ and show some political maturity.

And now a note for the wayward veterans, who were, and are, wittingly and unwittingly part of the sinister campaign, mainly on social media, against their Military. Sirs, you owe your exalted ranks and associated perks, privileges, facilities, your identity, and any ‘leftover’ respect to the Military. You did not ‘earn all’. Remember the black trunk with GC number. And do remember when ‘revolutionaries’ are unleashed by their handlers again, you may face consequences similar to Lahore’s Jinnah House, irrespective of political affiliations. Hate is colour-blind.

And PDM…where would you govern if there is no Pakistan. PTI…where would you hope to stage a comeback and stave off Pakistan’s so many nemeses if you weaken and discredit your own Army. This hooliganism will haunt you forever. For judiciary…where would you lord over, if justice is not delivered and seen to be delivered expeditiously, fully and effectively. And for Army…how would we defend the ideological and geographic boundaries of Pakistan if there are no people behind us, and what would we defend if there is no Pakistan…Allah forbid!

So...the rapacious elite of all shades, it is time to shun your fat egos and sit down for a dialogue, irrespective of your political differences and promises. Time to accommodate, concede and provide a healing touch to this divided nation. It is because of the masses that Pakistan survives, you on the contrary leave no stone unturned to undo it. Read the writing on the wall. You may be surprised!

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2023.

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