As PTI prepares to put Islamabad on lockdown, demanding for the premier’s ‘resignation or accountability’ following “Panamagate”, the PML-N has accused the PTI of ‘dancing on containers’ instead of serving their province. The sparring of words is likely to continue seeing that Mr Khan has refused to back down from his protest even though the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued notices to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the parties concerned on Thursday after adjourning the Panama Papers Leaks Case for two weeks.
In response Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif vowed to leave politics if corruption was proven against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members. Such convictions of innocence have been heard many times before. As stubborn as the ruling party is on not conceding any ground on accusations relating to corruption, rigging and general mismanagement, Imran Khan is even more stubborn in his refusal to back down from his mission to make the PM resign. In the end, protest is a right until a protester breaks a law, and even though Khan’s party has not paid attention to more orthodox means of protest, like a constant and vocal presence in parliament, the PTI is keeping the PML-N on its toes.
To make the saga more interesting, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has created another plot twist. It has issued notices to Imran Khan and secretary general Jahangir Khan Tareen, asking them to appear before it on Nov 2 — the day of the party’s planned siege of Islamabad — in connection with the disqualification references against them filed National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq. This shows how biased the ECP is when it comes to this battle between the parties, as well as exposing the fact that where the civilian setup is concerned, the PML-N is all-powerful, very smart, and a tad petty. Alternatively, the ECP does not seem to be concerned with its reputation, and it has the full authority to schedule these hearings whenever it wants, it will go on record that the PTI stalwarts missed their own hearings.
The upsetting reality is that this war has boiled down to the PML-N versus the PTI, instead of being about accountability. The PTI’s methods and motives are all the more suspicious considering that the country’s top judicial power has promised to deliver justice. However, a legal case and its demands of evidence are very hard to meet, and the PTI knows this. Even with a case open in court, a ruckus in Islamabad seems to them the only option to keep momentum going. We can only wait and see what the PTI gets up to next and hope that the people of Islamabad can weather this storm for a second time.