November 29, 2024
Islamabad – Political immaturity once again cost PTI dearly. If Bushra Bibi had listened to those around her when leading her first protest instead of insisting on leading the crowd to the D-Chowk, things might not have come to this.
It turned out that the party leadership was forced to retreat secretly again, which greatly damaged the morale of the cadres. Their dissatisfaction is the price the party must pay for failing to manage expectations and adequately prepare for all contingencies when it decided to march on the capital.
It was previously pointed out that the PTI was wrong to turn the Islamabad protests into a “life or death” moment, which would cause difficulties for its leadership if things did not go as expected. Although the party made great progress in three days, its strength became fragile once the state fully unleashed its power.
However, the government would be wise not to gloat. Nor should it consider expanding violence against the PTI and its leaders because it believes it now has the upper hand. Enough is enough. It would be a mistake to underestimate the popular dissatisfaction with the state and its repressive policies. The authorities’ mishandling of the protest march and the violence surrounding it has caused enormous harm to national unity.
As our history demonstrates, forcing a major party into submission may bring a short-lived victory but cause lasting damage. The ruling party should be wary of the new normal in how to handle protests in the future. Today, they may be the beneficiaries of this new policy; tomorrow, they may find themselves targeted.
There is an urgent need for all stakeholders to promote a political solution to the crisis facing Pakistan. Both sides of this conflict need to realize that their positions are untenable: repression, censorship, violence and continued incitement will only continue to bleed the country and further weaken it. 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 touch with the people.
An unhealthy obsession with “crushing” political opponents has grown unchecked over the past decade, leading the country down a very dark path. Unfortunately, democratic transitions that could have stopped and reversed this trend were repeatedly undermined during this period. Now, it seems like a handful of people are needed to put things right. The country remains at their mercy.
