Recently, Lahore Police and Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) launched a coordinated campaign and arrested PTI leaders Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, Mehar Faisal, and Hammad Azhar along with numerous PTI workers for their alleged involvement in recent violence and attacks against the state institutions. Meanwhile, PTI’s key leaders including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Chaudhry Fawad Hussian, Omer Sarfraz Cheema, Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Musarrat Cheema, and others were already in police custody over the past few days. The reports suggest that Punjab police have arrested over 3,185 criminals following the violent protests, arson, and vandalism by the workers and supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after the arrest of Imran Khan.
Pakistan went through unimaginable turmoil following the arrest of the PTI Chairman Imran Khan, when a large number of PTI workers/supporters came out to the streets, took the law into their hands, blocked roads, burnt private properties, and vehicles, attacked the government installations, and particularly targeted Pakistan military and LEAs across the country. Despite burning hundreds of public and private properties including banks, government offices, and vehicles, the PTI protestors torched Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar, Jinnah House/Corps Commander House in Lahore and attacked General Headquarters (GHQ), and other army installations of sensitive nature and of high value that seriously breached national prestige and caused embarrassment for the government and Pakistan Army. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir has already announced that no more attacks on army installations would be tolerated. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed May 9 a black day and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. Meanwhile, the former premier and the PTI Chairman Imran Khan denied any involvement in the attacks and insisted PTI is a peaceful party.
The recent series of events following Imran Khan’s arrest, PTI’s violent protests, IK’s release from the court, and an apparent disassociation from the violence, the Police’s campaign against the perpetrators of violence, amid a high level of propaganda and online defamation campaigns of contesting political groups portrays a gloomy picture of the national politics and create fear/doubts about the future of the country. Realistically, politics has no relation with violence and no one has a right to fuel violence, obstruct the routine life of the public, and spread chaos and destruction as a tactic to achieve political objectives through coercion and intimidation. Meanwhile, the judiciary is firmly stuck on fundamental rights while ignoring the essential duties of the citizens as well as the state’s responsibilities regarding the maintenance of peace, protection of public properties, and preservation of the writ of the law.
Presently, each group, every leader, state institutions, courts, and government servants, as well as common citizens had chosen to pursue their political ideology, following their favorite leader with extreme levels of impunity toward national interest, constitution, and sovereignty of the state. After the PTI’s violence and chaos, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has directed its workers to reach D- Chowk to stage a protest in front Supreme Court against the release and bail of Imran Khan and several other PTI leaders who were allegedly involved in recent violence. The prevailing political culture and role of public institutions and bureaucracy is highly condemnable, in that they all failed to adopt a rational and lawful course, and could not differentiate their preferences vis-a-vis obligation toward their duty and the nation. Thus, the leaders’ selfishness starked the Pakistani nation among the global community and caused great embarrassment for faithful and patriots. Such politics is disastrous for the country and must be abandoned by the warring political groups as early as possible.
The top court has recently ordered both political parties to negotiate their issues and create consensus over the upcoming elections and other relevant electoral issues but both groups did not move an inch from their agenda which is deplorable and unfortunate. After all, talks are the only way forward and a charter of democracy is the only solution to the current wrangle, however as early as our leaders grasp this reality, would benefit their politics, the democracy, and the entire nation.
