With yet another high-stakes political demonstration looming, the nation seems far less on edge than it once was. The November 24th protest, billed as a decisive moment, has failed to generate the fervour or alarm of earlier calls to action. Whether it’s due to fatigue with protest politics or a series of diminishing returns, the excitement—and anxiety—that once surrounded such events has notably waned. Sensing this shift, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, Imran Khan, has issued a stark ultimatum: party leaders and ticket holders unwilling to participate in the upcoming power show should disassociate themselves from the party.

This warning has been backed by the party’s insistence that participation is non-negotiable. Bushra Bibi, Khan’s spouse, further upped the stakes by linking future election tickets to leaders’ performance during the protest. Such tactics, however, betray an underlying insecurity—an acknowledgment that the party’s ability to mobilise crowds has been severely compromised. These coercive measures, far from inspiring loyalty, risk alienating the very supporters who have stood by PTI through turbulent times.

For months, the party’s rank and file have endured hardship, with many workers jailed for their involvement in controversial events like those of May 9th. Meanwhile, senior leaders have largely avoided similar repercussions, whether through defections or backroom deals. This uneven burden has created resentment within the party’s ranks, and the upcoming protest may well serve as another fracture point, driving a wedge between disillusioned members and those still clinging to Khan’s leadership. Even Khan himself has characterised this moment as a final gamble—a make-or-break event.

On the other side of the political divide, the government appears poised to deploy its now well-honed machinery for suppressing PTI demonstrations. It seems ready to neutralise this latest effort with the same efficiency as before. Despite repeated offers for dialogue, PTI remains entrenched in its confrontational approach, choosing escalation over negotiation. Yet, with every successive call to protest, the party seems to lose a little more of its strength, chipping away at its base. What once seemed a force to be reckoned with now appears to be slowly eroding, one slice at a time.