Yesterday, the government marked May 9 as “black day” in commemoration of the first “anniversary” of the violence against military installations throughout the country. No doubt, the May 9 events were unprecedented in the history of the country in terms of their scale and scope.
While the PTI had already distanced itself from the violence perpetrated one year ago in various parts of the country against the armed forces and its installations through a narrative by terming it a conspiracy against it and its leadership, the establishment has a counter-narrative, so to speak.
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), however, Pakistani police arrested more than 4,000 people in the wake of May 9 protests, including senior leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). In my view, the gulf between PTI and the army must be bridged without any further loss of time.
It is true that all attempts at conciliation failed and the dispute between the country’s largest political party and the army continued. But both PTI and the establishment must prefer compromise and conciliation to confrontation.
That the national interest demands political stability in the country is a fact. The quest for political stability, therefore, will remain elusive in the absence of conciliation between the two. Needless to say, the objective of obtaining economic stability will become more formidable in the absence of political stability in the country.
Last but not least, the present hybrid plus government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has only added to confusion, anxiety and political instability in the country since its arrival following the Feb 8 general elections. Therefore, the present government cannot be described or even presumed as a solution to the problem; it is in fact a part of the problem.
Hamna Sadiq
Karachi
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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