Paralysed twin-cities

Islamabad remains paralysed after two days of standoff between PTI protesters and the police. Rawalpindi and other thoroughfares leading to the federal capital are at a standstill, as caravans from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are marching towards Constitution Avenue in the federal capital. Excessive use of force by the government; uninterrupted tear-gassing; arrest of PTI workers, including ex-PM Imran Khan's sisters; and blocking access to the twin-cities through shipping containers have turned the capital city into a battleground.

To the surprise of authorities, hundreds and thousands of workers and supporters of PTI have rallied for their incarcerated PTI leader, and are holding the ground till our going to the Press on Saturday night. Further complicating the security situation is the eruption of protests in Lahore and the adjoining districts of Punjab, as the PTI seems to be unrelenting and is out for a decisive struggle against the government.

The most adverse impact of the unrest is being seen on the upcoming international gathering of Shanghai Cooperation Summit, scheduled on October 15-16 in Islamabad. Dilapidated security situation, coupled with political instability, is casting shadows on the successful holding of the moot and, thus, underscores the need for a permanent logical solution. Army has been called out in aid of civil administration, as authorities keep their fingers crossed.

The PTI-government bitterness is now at its zenith, and it seems no amount of piecemeal measures as offered by the beleaguered coalition is working. Imran Khan's call for digging heels in support of an independent judiciary and opposing the government's constitutional package that will see extension of the sitting chief justice has solicited mass support, putting the ruling dispensation in a fix.

The solicitude with which PTI supporters are braving the crackdown underlines that the political dispute at hand cannot be hushed away. It's time for both sides to hit the table and address the grievances in a lawful manner. The strategy in vogue to push the opposition to the wall has backfired.