Daily Times

It is getting unbelievably hard to rubbish the proof in the pudding. As marathon meetings in all high-profiled corners of the country appear to have echoed in unison against one party and more appropriately, one man, and heavyweights the likes of the former US ambassador to Afghanistan repeatedly sound alarm bells over what is to happen in the coming days, street politics have won over democracy. That the past few days have been nothing but an ugly wrangling match between the government and the opposition wherein a sitting caretaker setup did not bat an eyelid before picking sides has been plastered on the wall in bold letters. There’s no denying it. There can be no defending it.

But while heated critics coming down hard on the PTI chief maintain that the chaos and the bloodshed could have been avoided, had Mr Khan chosen to “graceful(ly) surrender” before the law, they would be well-advised to take a moment, sit back and reflect on their accusations.

No matter what position he took on the question of his arrest in the Toshakhana reference, the ever-ready policing institution of the state was not blind to the sea of weaponless, ordinary civilians standing on the other end of their barrels. More disturbing are rumours about a rush to close ranks with the military over what can only be assumed as the tried-and-tested and well-beyond-expiry date agenda of minus-one.

The federal government only has its eyes on the prize but is in a deep slumber when asked about the price. Since the constitution can only allow a democratic remedy to counter the phenomenon sweeping through streets in all parts of the country, would those who have made careers out of advocacy of the people and their choices very conveniently step onto an entirely different course? Wouldn’t they, too, then become a zillionth manifestation of the adage that a politician does not care about anyone but themselves?

American Founding Father John Adams had once sought to establish the good for his nation by putting his trust in a “government of laws and not of men.” The spring of 2023–from every single count and measure–can be the redefining moment as to what this country wants from its laws and its men. *