A number of recent developments sparked confidence among people of Pakistan that the country was headed in the right direction but resumption of politics of protests and violence dampen hopes for change for the better. The situation is particularly worrisome for twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi that remain focus of marches and sit-ins by different political parties and pressure groups and latest is the protest by the PTI, demanding release of its jailed leader Imran Khan. As a result of the protest and the security measures undertaken both by the Federal Government (in Islamabad) and the Punjab Government (in neighbouring Rawalpindi) these two nerve centres of governance are somewhat paralyzed, widely restricting movement of the people and inflicting economic harm worth billions of rupees.
The ongoing tension is unlikely to subside in coming days as stakes are high as the Government is expected to move shortly a set of constitutional amendments in parliament, mainly aimed at reforming the judicial system, a move seen by the opposition PTI as highly damaging for its political interests and future. The opposition has a right to voice its concerns and plan and implement activities to highlight its demands but the strategy of marches and sit-ins at all costs is not advisable as these disturb normal life and badly affect governance and that too at a time when the economy is showing signs of visible improvement. The timing of the protests has also forced even Maulana Fazlur Rehman, whose JUI(F) is, these days, seen as cooperating and collaborating with the PTI, has called upon the Government and the PTI to avoid creating scenes ahead of some important events in the Federal Capital. The protest started when the Malaysian Prime Minister was in Pakistan and now the most imminent is the prestigious two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) that Pakistan will be honoured to host on October 15 and 16 in Islamabad. Brisk preparations are underway to make the mega event a diplomatic success and with this in view the Government is not taking any risk as far as security is concerned.
As official-level delegates are visiting the capital in connection with security and protocol issues, the Government has thought it appropriate to call the Pakistan Army in aid of the civil administration to maintain law and order for the next two weeks. Regrettably, instead of postponing the protest as is being advised by saner elements, a leader of the PTI has gone to the extent of saying that the Indian Foreign Minister, who will represent his country in the moot, will be invited to address the protestors. This is height of non-seriousness and a mockery of the ground realities. In another important development, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong in a meeting with Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal discussed issues relating to the planned visit of the Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang to Pakistan. Both leaders emphasized that the visit presents a strategic opportunity to further deepen bilateral cooperation and achieve meaningful outcomes. Incidentally, similar protests in 2014 delayed the visit of the Chinese President to Pakistan and a repetition of the episode will be harmful for the country. Prominent businessman Mian Mansha has revealed that King Charles wants to visit Pakistan. All this shows, Pakistan is becoming the focus of increased diplomatic activities and nothing should be done that could undermine the country’s foreign policy initiatives in an era of growing competition and rivalry. There is also another sensitive aspect of the issue of protests – a growing perception among governmental circles that the official resources of the KP government are being used to ‘destabilize the Federal Government’ and ‘invade Punjab’. Analysts believe this phenomenon can provide justification for imposition of Governor’s rule in the province, a possibility that could deepen the political crisis further.
