'The final call'

Rising political instability in Pakistan calls for dialogue and a political solution, with Imran Khan's protest rally.

That political instability in the country is rising with each passing day is pretty evident. The inability on the part of the ruling class to harness a political solution is at the root of all ills. The call from former prime minister Imran Khan for a 'final protest rally' on November 24 is now in the spotlight. The incarcerated leader has floated a minimum possible agenda, denouncing what he describes as the "stolen mandate", the "unjust arrests" and the 26th constitutional amendment that has clipped the powers of judiciary and put the executive in a perpetual conflict with other organs of the state. Khan wants an auto-correction through reinstatement of genuinely elected men in the parliament, as ordained by the July 12 majority verdict of the apex court.

Though one can differ with the policy perspective and reactionary politics of PTI, it goes without saying that Khan's prolonged detention in the absence of any due litigation is leading the political mosaic towards the brink, and warrants some deep introspection. Pakistan's sliding economic indicators, especially the struggle it is putting up in rolling over loans with international creditors, is owing to abject chaos and instability at home. The Finance Minister is on record admitting that the country is facing an uphill task, and there aren't any further bailouts in the offing. The growth indicators have nosedived, and a psyche of being dysfunctional runs in state-centrism as constitutional dictums are often thrown to the wind.

The situation necessitates huddling of political minds and bringing to an end the tendency of dealing with every situation on the premise of administrative highhandedness. Enough of political witch-hunt has posted animosity in society and is having a repulsive effect on togetherness. With the PTI likely to amass on a larger scale this time, it will lead to more revulsion. The only way out is to engaged with the PTI hierarchy and address the party's lawful demands in a serene manner. Release of the PTI chief would surely bring down the political temperature, and let politics be back to normal as in any proactive democratic society.