EDITORIAL: The PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) coalition government ought to take a step back and seriously reconsider its plan to ban PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf). It’s already ignored concerns from civil society, which is equally shocked by the events of 9 and 10 May 2023, as well as international rights organisations, and green-lighted trial of civilians under the army act which will, in time, attract disapproval and cause dissatisfaction.
But to ban a political party altogether, that too the largest and most popular one in the country according to the latest survey polls, is going a step to far even if you take into account PTI’s condemnable attacks on military installations in reaction to Imran Khan’s arrest earlier this month. There’s no denying that the former ruling party ridiculed the country’s laws and crossed far too many red lines to be overlooked that day. And its actions should, and will, have consequences. Yet that does not change the fact that political parties cannot and do not die till their voters abandon them.
Besides, there’s nothing stopping it from registering under a new name and picking up where it left, just like NAP (National Awami Party) re-emerged as ANP (Awami National Party) even after it was banned by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. That’s exactly what senior PTI leader Pervez Khattak said when asked about the possible ban. And while PTI has a lot of work to do to regain the goodwill it lost so suddenly as a result of the rioting, it will still be able to dodge the ban and make the government look silly and frustrated; which it will no doubt squeeze for further political points.
Considering the unprecedented political bitterness since the PTI government’s removal last year, this seems a case of the government smelling blood and going for the kill even if it means twisting the spirit, even if not the letter, of the rules here and there. And it’s working so far, as it has triggered an exodus from PTI that hasn’t yet run its course.
Surely, the fact that a big majority of PTI’s once firebrand leaders turned out to be a lot more brittle than their counterparts in other political parties — who braved many months, even years of incarceration when Imran Khan was prime minister – is further emboldening the government in favour of the ban.
But that doesn’t account for millions of PTI’s supporters and voters in normal, ordinary homes and offices across Pakistan. Shutting down the party will not simply remove them from the democratic process. They will look for other ways to be heard. This process must be kept progressive and democratic in nature.
However, PTI must also reflect on its trajectory over the last year or so. It’s made all sorts of accusations, from the ‘imported government’ to the exported conspiracy to naming and shaming very senior brass without a shred of evidence to finally provoking young, impressionable Pakistanis into committing excesses that have now landed them on the wrong side of the law.
And even now, despite leader after leader abandoning him, Imran Khan is still not willing to accept that he might have erred on the way; or that he’s even capable of making any mistakes. It used its street power for all the wrong reasons and never allowed a moment of calm, which has had and continues to have a very negative economic impact.
Perhaps the best way forward is for everybody to learn lessons, since no party is completely free of guilt in this confrontation. A good start would be putting the fight aside, letting the law take its course, and joining forces to save the economy. There should be no space for banning political outfits in these or any circumstances.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
Comments
Comments are closed.