AS prudence demands discussions and dialogue, statements and plans of both the government and the opposition parties speak of an imminent showdown in and around the Federal Capital next week. Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), which is protesting against steep rise in prices of petroleum products, is talking in terms of super march towards Islamabad whereas Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Sohail Afridi is adamant to lead a march despite strong parameters drawn by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for politically motivated gatherings in Islamabad.
There are reasons to believe that the JI has been pushed to the road by lack of sincerity and clarity on the part of the Government on the issue of petroleum levy. The party submitted comprehensive proposals the implementation of which could have provided substantial relief to the masses but absence of a positive response forced the JI to opt for the long march. The JI intends to initiate its march from Karachi and it will take two/three days to reach Islamabad and the Government should avail the opportunity to sort out the issue of rising prices of POL products as this has become the primary concern of the people of Pakistan due to its cascading effect on inflation. As for the PTI march aimed mainly at securing relief for its jailed leader Imran Khan, the KP Chief Minister, in a post on X, stated that PTI’s planned long march to Islamabad on 27 September was a “peaceful, democratic and constitutional struggle”, adding that every citizen of Pakistan had the right to “peacefully” raise their voice and assemble for their fundamental rights while remaining within the bounds of the Constitution and the law. This sounds OK but media reports and past records raise apprehensions of the law and order situation.
In a related development, the IHC issued a detailed verdict on the issue of protest gatherings in Islamabad declaring no political party has the right to occupy public roads, highways, interchanges, toll plazas or buildings. It brought clarity to its earlier ruling by underlining that any person, whether legal or natural, who undertakes any activity which results in violation of fundamental rights of the citizens within the federal capital will be deemed to have violated the Constitution and will be liable for the consequences stipulated under the law. All this means, PTI will be in more trouble as any untoward incident could have legal and constitutional consequences. In an apparent attempt to attract other parties to become part of the 27 September protest, the PTI and its allies have decided to convene an All Parties Conference (APC) and make inflation, unemployment, petrol prices and law and order as central issues for the planned march.
The declaration of the parties to ‘reclaim people’s right to rule through the strength of public support’ also raises many questions about what is going to happen. As for the Government, it is also pursuing a policy of overkill, sparking fears about a possible confrontation. It is crystal clear that the Islamabad High Court has not barred peaceful gatherings and protests as such activities are protected by the Constitution. However, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday said that the Government would stop anyone from marching on Islamabad “in every possible way”, warning that organizers would be responsible for any loss of life during the protest. He also hinted that the provinces have been asked not to allow anyone to come out for protest and any attempt to block assembly of people or their march towards Islamabad could result in clashes in different parts of the country sans KP, where protestors are expected to get a free hand to gather and move towards the Federal Capital. Such an eventuality should be avoided at all costs and the opposition political parties need to ensure that focus does not shift from genuine grievances of the public to the issue of law and order.
