The PTI got to stage its protest, after all, thanks to the Supreme Court, which doesn’t leave the government looking as tough as its claim just the day before. But the PTI, by encouraging its supporters to move to D- chowk instead of the space mandated by the top court didn’t exactly help its own cause either, because it quite predictably led to yet another ugly confrontation with the capital police. There’s also the fact that while the honourable court had directed the party to stage its protest and go home, Imran Khan is adamant that he would not leave till the election is announced. So there’s a lot more to come as this story unfolds.
Hopefully, the government would have learned by now that the use of force is not at all advisable. The treatment meted out to Dr Yashmeen Rashid, who is something of a national hero that commands the most sincere respect up and down the country, was shameful. And the way PTI’s hordes were able to “rescue” Hammad Azhar from the police didn’t win the government many points either. In fact, the court’s order has only echoed what most people were saying since the beginning; that it’s much wiser to let PTI come, have its say, sit for as long as it wishes, and then go home. But now, by using force and shutting down the whole country, the government has also played a big part in raising the overall temperature.
The PTI’s tactics in case the court issues another order to remind Imran Khan of Wednesday’s order, to vacate the area after the protest, remain to be seen. But gong by Imran Khan’s rhetoric, the worst-case scenario could see the former ruling party target the judiciary all over again. That would be very unfortunate. The PTI should come to terms with the fact that it will not be allowed an indefinite stay in the capital and start strategising accordingly.
