When protests become dangerous

EDITORIAL: It is indeed protest season in Pakistan. The main headlines are of course dominated by the 11-party opposition alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), and its rallies up and down the country where many thousands of protestors gather and strengthen their resolve to bring down the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. Yet there are also other protests that raise perhaps even more important questions for the government, and they have been taking place far closer to the seat of power in Islamabad, yet for some reason they haven't quite caught the attention of the press like they should have. For the capital has been host to thousands of very angry government workers fed up with diminishing wages, rising price and the general increasing trend of inflation in the country. They also demanded an immediate end to downsizing a better structured basic pay scale going forward. And they would have marched on parliament, just for good measure, had the government not scattered its security forces just in time to disperse them. Still, even though most protestors withdrew after their initial show of force, the Lady Health Workers pressed on with their agitation despite the administration's best efforts to make things as difficult for them as possible.

Protesting is people's democratic right no doubt but these particular demonstrations have come at a rather awkward time for everybody. One thing all of them have in common is that they bring a very large number of people in very close proximity to each other at a time when there is a very real danger of the coronavirus staging a strong comeback. This fact alone shows, in the case of the protesting government employees at least, how big of a problem rising inflation has become for the average Pakistani. People are suffering to the point that a good number of them no longer care if agitating against rising prices puts them in danger of contracting Covid-19 themselves and also bringing the infection home to their families. This ought to raise serious concerns in Islamabad. Clearly, people are no longer satisfied with the official explanation that somebody else, mostly some previous government, is responsible for all the problems. And the way the government is failing to control food prices, despite promising to use all the might of the state to punish all those responsible, it seems this particular problem is going to get worse before it gets any better.

Yet all those exercising their right to protest must also realise that, whether they like it or not, they are helping create a situation where survival might become even more difficult that it is at the moment. That is so because if they keep protesting and the virus keeps spreading, which is very likely, then the government will be forced to order another shutdown and the economy will take another beating. In that case many of those unhappy with their situation now because their purchasing power is being unfairly squeezed by high prices will not even be left with jobs to speak of. Surely, then this becomes one of those moments when everybody's obligation to the greater good takes precedence over their democratic right to gather and protest, no matter how justified their claims are.

And, not to question the combined opposition's sincerity to the people's interests in its quest to hurt the government, PDM's rallies are far more likely to send a lot of people to hospitals than send the ruling party packing considering how blatantly safety protocols are violated at their outings. But since it is the government's responsibility, at the end of the day, to make sure all is well in the land, perhaps PTI should take the first step in trying to defuse this volatile situation. The government must do what it can to ease the burden on the working classes and lend a very serious ear to all their complaints, especially those relating to salary structures. It must finally fulfill its promise and use the long arm of the law to sort out all corrupt elements and "mafias" that are responsible for the artificial price hike in essential items so life can become affordable for most Pakistanis once more. And it must also engage with the opposition. Their blame-game has degenerated to the point that the country's political machinery is in danger of being completely consumed by it, which will only cause more problems for most ordinary people especially if the virus spreads. There is a very urgent need for better sense to prevail on all sides.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020