Daily Times

Sometimes, just one second is enough to tilt the world upside down. If former prime minister Imran Khan’s close brush with death on Thursday was decried by many as a serious cause for reckoning, Friday held all the grim signs of how things seldom turn for the better in Pakistani politics.

The fury of tens of millions of Khan’s supporters, already fuming at a system that supposedly let them down, was a given, especially in the light of a galloping wave of sympathy. While the PTI leadership did leave a few ends hanging when it came to the consolidation of the public sentiment, they might not have wished to contain a holding-no-punches version of the support hydra–to put it plainly–, which has been their biggest bargaining chip to remain relevant in the months gone by.

However, in a comprehensive application of Article 16 of the constitution, the Supreme Court has (on more than one occasion) held that “every citizen and political party has the right to assemble and protest provided such and protest is peaceful…,” This, coupled with repeated demands from authorities to not use “unnecessary of excessive force” to limit the exercise of the right to protest and in turn, express dissent, stands in stark contrast to the scenes of utter chaos in all parts of the country. From blockades trying to disperse peaceful demonstrations to angry mobs setting ablaze anything in sight, the situation does not appear to be getting better anytime soon.

As always, the political tinderbox is just one spark away from blowing in everyone’s faces and this is the only reason why both government and opposition would be well-advised to take stock of the direction in which they wish the ball to land.

It would be sheer fantasy to talk little of Mr Khan’s popularity but neither he nor those willing to burn the citadel down in his name would wish to create more holes in an already struggling ship. Economically speaking, we are in no position to stomach yet another setback. In the meantime, the nation is in desperate need of some olive branch from the state to at least repair the razed-to-ground bridges. If history serves oft-repeating lessons, Pakistan would spend a while before it recovers from this attack. Still, optimism forces us to hope for normalcy to prevail before more lives are lost to an endless spree of violence. If only, wishes were horses! *