Looming showdown

Islamabad sealed ahead of PTI protest; political tensions mount. Time for both sides to negotiate and de-escalate.

The federal capital is sealed and lifeless. The people of the twin cities of Rawalpindi-Islamabad are cordoned off, and are in nervousness as Internet is technically blocked, traffic is off the roads, and shops and markets are shut making provision of daily necessitates an uphill task. This is so because the government wants to thwart the PTI march on the capital city in response to the 'final call' of incarcerated former PM Imran Khan. While caravans and the general public vying to move towards the protest venue are stranded, it is widely assumed that the beleaguered opposition will be able to gather a sizable crowd making it a point of 'do or die' in their political posturing.

In what makes horrifying statistics, more than 1,200 containers are placed on roads, six Motorway arteries and the GT Road are closed, and around 6,300 Islamabad police officers alongside 21,500 personnel from other forces are at the beck and call of the Interior Ministry. More to this is the amassing of thousands of teargas shells, water cannons and rubber bullets to ensure that the right of political agitation is denied, and the PTI ends up in a faux pas as Section-144 is clamped. The reported mass arrests of party workers and supportersa in Punjab has made it a nail-biting situation, and none of the stakeholders are sure as to what is up on the fateful Sunday. This conversion of livable cities into a war zone is no solution, and hints that something is amiss in finding a perpetual political solution.

The government and the PTI are in need of scaling down from their stated positions, which now have unfortunately attained ego-centrism. This clash of titans is costing the economy, and simmering political instability is pushing the country towards the brink. PTI's minimum agenda - release of political prisoners, return of February 8 mandate and revocation of the 26th amendment - is negotiable. Heavens won't fall if a quid pro quo is struck, and instant release of prisoners including Imran Khan can be a good start. It could set the ball rolling for result-oriented talks. Time for both sides to desist from the looming showdown.