Protest will test both parties
PTI’s protest in Islamabad today puts both Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif to the test. PTI has assured that its intentions are peaceful and there is no truth to allegations that it plans to create disturbances for law enforcement agencies. The government, too, has promised to exercise muscle only if certain red lines are crossed. It is hoped, therefore, that the gathering in the capital will be a continuation of PTI’s peaceful rallies, and no regrettable incidents will be allowed to take place.
Yet some government ministers’ comments have been cause for concern lately. Pervaiz Rashid’s front-foot stance was expected – even if he, just like PTI leaders, also crossed certain boundaries and initiated personal attacks to score political points – but the railways minister’s remarks seemed strange. First, it is clear that the N-league will continue to allow certain members to speak for the party, regardless of their official position in government. And Kh Saad, along with Kh Asif, has already been cause for considerable embarrassment for Nawaz Sharif. How they went out of their way to ridicule Gen Musharraf – and by extension, the military – not long ago but had to suddenly go mute as the government’s position weakened seems lost on party leaders. By continuing to be provocative, especially in a charged atmosphere where PTI has made clear its plans of retaliating to unfair brutality, the government risks making a bad situation worse.
Unfortunately, it seems that the ups-and-downs of the last few months have made few lasting impressions, if any, on the Sharif brothers. Despite the Model Town and Red Zone incidents, they continue to rely on muscle to get their way. They do not realise that even if such tactics enable them to survive in the immediate term, they still lose out in the long run. People no longer have an appetite for this kind of attitude, and they will lose more support base on the way to the next election. Already, its position in Punjab is not what it was even a year ago. Therefore, it is in the interest of both parties, and indeed the country, that the leadership of PTI and PML-N exhibit prudence and avoid unnecessary friction over today’s protest gathering.
