A hasty retreat

POLITICAL immaturity has cost the PTI dearly once again. It appears things may not have come to this had Bushra Bibi, leading her first protest, listened to those around her instead of insisting on leading the crowds to D-Chowk.

As it turned out, the party leadership was forced to beat yet another furtive retreat, which has greatly demoralised its cadres. Their disgruntlement is the price that the party must pay for failing to manage expectations and provisioning adequately for all contingencies when it decided to march on the capital.

It had previously been pointed out that it was a mistake for the PTI to turn its protest in Islamabad into a ‘do or die’ moment and that this would create difficulties for its own leadership if things did not pan out as expected. Though the party was able to gain much ground over the course of three days, its strength proved brittle once the state unleashed its power in full.

However, the government would be wise not to gloat. Nor should it contemplate extending its campaign of violence against the PTI and its leaders, thinking that it now has the upper hand. Enough is enough. It would be a mistake to underestimate the general discontentment in the public against the state and its repressive policies. Much harm has already been caused to national unity by the authorities’ mishandling of this protest march and the violence that surrounded it.

As our history bears witness, beating a major political party into submission can yield fleeting victories, but it causes lasting harm. The ruling parties should be wary that a new normal has been set for how protests may be dealt with in the future. Today, they may be beneficiaries of this new policy; tomorrow, they will likely find themselves in its crosshairs.

There is an urgent need for all stakeholders to move towards a political settlement of the crises facing Pakistan. The two sides in this conflict need to realise that their positions are not tenable: repression, censorship, violence and continuous agitation will only continue to bleed the country and weaken it further. Unless they agree to abide by a rules-based order, the space for public participation in the political process will continue to shrink until, eventually, all political parties lose their relevance for the people.

The unhealthy obsession with ‘crushing’ political opponents, which has grown unchecked over the past decade, has led the country down a very dark path. It is unfortunate that democratic transitions were repeatedly sabotaged during this period, as it could have allowed this trend to be arrested and reversed. Now, it seems it is up to a handful of individuals to set things right. The nation remains at their mercy.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2024