Political parties are entities that represent the will of the people ascertained through elections. The party or coalition of parties that wins the elections forms the government, while the other political parties sit in the opposition. In a democratic setup, the ruling party and those in the opposition are two sides of the same coin, and both are under a constitutional obligation to work for the good of the people and the state. These are the parameters within which they have to do their politics. The party or parties in the opposition, while differing from and opposing the policies of the government, must ensure that their actions do not lead to chaos, despondency, and political instability in the country, and their political agendas remain subservient to national interests.
Unfortunately, the prevailing situation in the country is entirely opposite of what it should be, thanks to the politics of violence and impudence practiced by PTI. Since his exit from power through a constitutional process, Imran Khan and his party, instead of accepting the outcome of the no-confidence motion and sitting in the opposition as invariably happens in democratic entities, have chosen a policy of confrontation not only with their political opponents but also by maligning and denigrating state institutions, particularly the Army and the Chief of the Army Staff, ostensibly designed to foment political instability in the country.
This campaign has recently been escalated. The social media controlled by PTI is disseminating propaganda against the civilian and military leadership based on fake news and narratives contrary to the ground realities. This campaign has undoubtedly been unleashed on direct instructions from Imran Khan. This strategy seems to be a result of the frustration stemming from the failure of the party’s attempts to organize even a single protest rally with mass participation and the rejection of its anti-state narrative, except for some small rallies here and there in KPK where the party has its government. The party’s defeat in the by-elections in Punjab, which also explodes the myth of its claimed popularity, might also be a contributing factor.
Reportedly, the party is planning to organize a protest rally in New York on June 8th, on the eve of the World Cup match between Pakistan and India. The organizers have put up posters in this regard, and some trucks with animated images displayed on the screens on their backs are already running in the streets of New York, depicting Imran Khan illegally behind bars and the COAS being responsible for all the persecution in the country. While the Indian diaspora is the strength of Indian RAW, our own people have become a pawn in the hands of the Indian spy agency through PTI to malign the state and Army. Indulgence in such anti-state acts and then claiming that they are for a strong Army and Pakistan is a poison only a cult follower can digest. These tactics adequately expose PTI and its objectives in carrying out such devious activities.
Political analysts believe that this deliberate and well-thought-out strategy by PTI probably has two objectives. First, to push the political and military leadership to the limits of patience and get the party banned to strengthen its narrative of victimhood and to reinforce the impression that “No Khan, No Party.” Secondly, if the veritable axe of law does not drop, it will create an impression of helplessness and impotence on the part of the government and military leadership. Either way, it will be a win-win situation for the party. It is an undeniable reality that PTI has nothing else to offer except its false and anti-state propaganda through its social media wizards. However, the party probably fails to understand that these tactics will surely have a boomerang effect for the party itself.
The actions and policies of the government and the state cannot be dictated through social media trolling and hate-mongering actions. They are formulated and acted upon firmly in the light of national interests. The shenanigans of PTI will not provoke the desired reaction by the government or the establishment. The party will ultimately have to account for its actions. The pace of the mill may be slow, but it will grind well in the end. At a time when the Army is fighting on internal and external fronts to ward off the dangers to the security and integrity of the country, trying to malign it and creating fissures among its ranks is the biggest enmity against Pakistan.
PTI and its leadership must do some serious rethinking regarding their relevance to the future political landscape of the country. They should refrain from acting consciously or unconsciously to promote the agenda of the enemies of the country. They simply need to listen to the Indian media and the line it is taking and propagating to ascertain how far they have gone in placing their narrow political agenda over national interests.
Nevertheless, no matter what PTI does, the resilient and patriotic people of Pakistan will not allow it to implement its anti-Pakistan agenda. Pakistan will, God willing, move from strength to strength and will be there long after the characters trying to undermine it are buried under the earth.
Imran Khan may be enjoying a lot of support among the masses, though for all the wrong reasons, but he is certainly not in a position to create East Pakistan-like conditions in the country. Politics must be conducted in conformity with internationally recognized norms, laws regulating political activities, and the constitution of Pakistan.
I am sure there are many sane elements within PTI who do not approve of Imran Khan’s confrontational posturing, and they privately admit that he is creating problems for himself and the party by picking on the establishment, state institutions, and the government. His political survival lies in retracting from his confrontational politics and entering into dialogue with other political entities to pull the country out of the unprecedented political and economic crisis.
Malik Muhammad Ashraf
The writer is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at ashpak10@gmail.com