The Multan show

Dangerous precedents

Considering the super charged political atmosphere, there is growing concern, rightly, that political rivalries might give way to politics of violence. Multan has been instructive this past week. The Sh Rasheed episode to start with, where he blamed N league’s Gullu Butts for sabotaging his show, even hounding him and throwing rotten eggs. Maybe it was a natural reaction of N league jiyalas. Maybe it was the outcome of mounting frustration courtesy the PTI, of which Sheikh sb is, of course, a key partner, and indeed carefully choreographed. But the quickness with which PTI diehards gathered to confront N leaguers, and chances of the situation turning ugly, raised disturbing questions. Is the culture of violence returning to mainstream politics? Are respective party leaders doing what is necessary to avoid recourse to provocation, and bringing followers under control? And, more importantly, are we going see more of this ugliness as political activism intensifies over the coming weeks and months?

The PTI showing was instructive, too, for a number of reasons. The crowd response was nothing short of startling; some observers claimed the numbers overshadowed the strong showing in Lahore recently, which speaks volumes. Clearly the party is attempting to offset the fizzling out of the dharnas, and doing a good job of it. That means, of course, that the tug of war with the N league will now go onto full boil. Go Nawaz Go will be repaid with counter-slogans, not to mention rotten eggs. How that benefits the country or the system, though, is not immediately clear. All parties will do themselves a bigger favour by channelling their energies towards more practical and manageable paths.

Then there was the stampede tragedy at the end of the big show. This loss of life is tragic, of course, but it has exposed, again, another confrontation that is developing between the PTI and the Punjab bureaucracy. PTI has long accused prominent babus of acting as the Sharif family’s personal servants. And there have been instances where government machinery has been used to do the party’s bidding, however unfair things turned on the ground – no better example than Model Town, of course. But this trend, too, is getting out of control now. The deaths from the stampede triggered a row between PTI leaders and the district government. There are signs, now, that his spat will also worsen in the coming days. There is a need for rationality to prevail or more disturbing precedents will be set.