Another Political Blunder by Imran Khan
It is natural for ordinary citizens to breathe a sigh of relief after the agitation ended.
Peace has returned to the streets of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, after Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), announced the suspension of its dharna (protest) and the temporary return of protesters to their homes. This announcement was made around 1:30 a.m. on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday (November 26-27).
In a statement issued by PTI on Wednesday morning, the party claimed that the government was determined to take the lives of innocent and unarmed people. In light of this, the decision to suspend the dharna was made after consultation with party chief Imran Khan.
However, some party leaders, particularly Ali Amin Gandapur, later stated in Manshera that the dharna was still ongoing. Meanwhile, the Pakistani government, especially the Minister for Internal Security, Mohsin Naqvi, claimed that “it was because of the tough stance adopted by the government that Bushra Bibi (Imran’s wife) and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur found it appropriate to slip away overnight to avoid arrest.”
According to Pakistani media, after the forced entry of PTI supporters into Islamabad on Monday night and the violent actions that resulted in two deaths and around 50 injuries due to police firing, Bushra Bibi and other PTI leaders held two meetings with Imran Khan in Adiala Jail. During these meetings, it was decided that “if the government adopts a bloodthirsty stance, the struggle for justice should be stopped once and for all.”
The formal announcement of this decision was made after the government deployed the army in the national capital and issued a “shoot on sight” order. It is believed that even before this announcement, PTI supporters had sensed the changing situation and started returning home. After the formal announcement, the roads were empty within half an hour.
It is natural for ordinary citizens to breathe a sigh of relief after the agitation ended. The protests had already claimed at least six lives. The government reported that two deaths occurred during police action on the night of Monday to Tuesday, while violence by PTI supporters led to the deaths of three Rangers and a Havildar of the Punjab Police.
The Pakistan Rangers, a paramilitary force primarily stationed along the Indo-Pak border and the Pak-Iran border, is called in to assist the police during critical situations. The three Rangers were reportedly killed after being struck by an SUV on the Srinagar highway, which starts from Islamabad. The government later alleged that the SUV driver was a PTI supporter who deliberately rammed the vehicle into the Rangers.
On the other hand, PTI maintains that the deaths of the Rangers were the result of an unfortunate road accident due to poor visibility and that the deaths were not intentional. In fact, the incident provided the government with an excuse to use force, including a lathi-charge, against the protesters.
PTI had initiated a nationwide protest march toward Islamabad to demand four key issues, including the immediate release of Imran Khan. The other demands were the restoration of the mandate given to PTI in the 2024 elections and the cancellation of amendments made to the composition of the Supreme Court.
However, given the current situation, it seems that the party has scored a self-goal. The violence of its supporters has given the government a justification to implement more severe measures. It is also being discussed that on Tuesday night, the army struck a deal with Imran Khan, offering him some concessions, which led him to agree to de-escalate the conflict. Regardless of the specifics, the immediate threat of escalating unrest and lawlessness in Pakistan has been averted for now. This is, in itself, a positive development.