PTI's comeback

A pushed-to-the-wall PTI staged an impressive comeback on the political canvas by holding a public meeting on the outskirts of Islamabad. It had many feathers to boast as the beleaguered opposition party was able to seek a formal approval for the first time in many months; was able to assemble people from the length and breadth of the country; and few of its underground stalwarts showed up at the venue. The one-point thrust of PTI was to seek an early release of incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan, and to struggle eloquently to bag the mandate delivered to it on February 8. The party, in a surprise change of tone, took the bull by the horns as it announced the launch of a movement in Punjab, resisting any maneuvering on the part of the ruling dispensation to influence the judiciary by exigently amending the Constitution.

The public rally was thickly participated, and the party's supporters braved administrative obstacles to make their presence felt. The most startling feature was the caravan of vehicles from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa that swirled for miles on both the arteries of Motorway and GT Road. Most of them were unable to make it to the venue in real time, and were stranded for hours. So was the case with contingents from Punjab and Sindh. The fact that the twin-cities administration chose to lay containers on the way, and the normal traffic of the federal capital stood paralysed was an enigma for dwellers as this came despite a legal nod for the public gathering. Last but not least, reported scuffles between the police and participants as the timeframe for gathering lapsed at 7pm brought the law and order situation almost to a showdown, and exhibited how imprudently stakeholders get down to business.

The PTI has made a resounding point to struggle within the parameters of law and the Constitution for its rights. The coalition government, which sits in utter distress with political instability and economic meltdown, must resort to reconciliation and engage the opposition for a thaw. Releasing Imran Khan and sitting down to chart a national agenda of reforms can come as a good start.