A high drama with unending suspense

Mob rule vs democracy

The Lahore High Court restrained the PTI and PAT from launching their marches and staging an unconstitutional sit-in. Shahbaz Sharif and Ch Nisar had lengthy parleys with the COAS. JI chief Sirajul Haq meanwhile tried to bring Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan together. All these developments failed to make Imran Khan change his course. The PTI chief is unwilling to settle on anything less than the prime minister’s scalp.

As the ‘Azadi March’ took off from Lahore, Imran once again vowed that it would usher in real democracy and put an end to what he considers a dynastic rule. Tahirul Qadri announced his 10-point ‘revolutionary’ agenda that included economic and political reforms aimed at ending poverty, providing cheap and speedy justice to people and devolution of power. Pervaiz Elahi who is presently in Qadri’s camp maintained that the march would be followed by a sit-in which would continue till the removal of the present government. While setting off separately, those leading the ‘Azadi March’ and the ‘Revolution March’ share the aim of regime change through street power.

Imran Khan accuses Nawaz Sharif of having come to power through rigging but maintains that the charge cannot be proved unless Sharif first resigns. In case the PTI chief sticks to the unjustified demand and decides to go for an indefinite sit-in, this would engulf the country in a crisis. But if mobs succeed in forcing an elected government to resign, it would set a bad precedent in a fledgling democracy. What is more if the prime minister of a country possessing nuclear weapons was to hand over powers to anyone heading a large crowd, this would send a highly disturbing message to the international community. If the confrontation was to continue for days, it would further harm national economy. As Sirajul Haq has put it, if political leaders did not show tolerance, the game would go out of their hand. Will Imran Khan have second thoughts or continue on the course full steam, unconcerned about consequences?