You reap what you sow. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had been pushing for a final confrontation with the government and the state for months. Delays, terrorist attacks in their home province, and other factors kept them from this course of action. But now, they have reached that point, and they must bear responsibility for the consequences. This latest protest must always be viewed in the context of the party’s demands and its prior actions. PTI, which once claimed it would reject personality-based and familial politics in favour of focusing on the people, merit, and ability, now appears to have morphed into a cult-like group, seemingly willing to set the nation ablaze for one man. For many commentators across Pakistan, they have already attempted to do so once, on May 9th.

When the party brings throngs of loyal workers, armed with blunt instruments, to Islamabad and clashes with the police, injuring officers, while its leaders stand on stage and threaten to pit their province against the centre, promising bloodshed if their leader isn’t released, they must realise that their actions are steering towards another May 9th. While the government’s subsequent crackdown has been harsh by many standards, PTI cannot now stand in Parliament and claim victimhood. Actions have consequences, and those actions must be understood in context.

Yes, the arrest of parliamentarians from the floor of the National Assembly without properly informing the Speaker, as required by protocol, was a misstep by the government and should not have unfolded in the manner it did. However, the government is fully justified in cracking down on those who committed violence at the rally and incited others to do the same. PTI had been repeatedly warned since becoming the opposition to avoid this dangerous path, yet in its blind loyalty to one man, it has charged headlong into confrontation without considering the repercussions.

With each passing day, PTI is eroding any possibility of reconciliation and instead escalating tensions. Its actions are bordering on insurrection, and it would do well to step back while it still can.