The JUI-F had hardly spelt the word “Islamabad lockdown,” the strategic community–a new nomenclature for the establishment plus–started weighing the proposed mode of protest and the intentions attached, which are not less than overthrowing the PTI government, against the fluid strategic environment. Through this, India has strangulated Kashmir and the US hangs around looking for strategic partners against what it has declared as its archrival, China. “Political stability is the highest value to be taken care of at a time strategic environment is dangerously fluid,” sources said putting a question mark on the propensity of the opposition leadership to be manipulated by the vested interests: who knows from where? “The problem with political parties is that they, with few exceptions, severely lack democratic decision-making structures and, hence, don’t have any mechanism to formulate policies of their own in their bid to rule the roost,” a source noted implying that it would be better to deny a democratic right to a religiously-motivated Maulana, to lock down the federal capital. The government’s resolve to curb money-laundering and terror-financing, ironically, serves “the best interest” of the country as it is so vital for it to show commitments with the FATF goals even in the face of an adverse decision in its October meeting. Particular to Pakistan, the mob psyche is another deterrent, which is being given huge weight by the powers-that-be in the deliberations on JUI-F decision to lead folks, bitten hard by high inflation and unemployment, to the federal capital. Particular to Pakistan, the mob psyche is another deterrent, which is being given huge weight by the powers-that-be “The FBR-scared traders may found a strong reason to pull down shutters if firebrand clerics like Maulana Fazl-ur-Rahman show up in Islamabad,” sources said while putting a question mark on the capacity of ITP (Islamabad Territory Police) to handle the combined impact of the protest. “Pakistan can’t simply afford a winter of discontent while the political temperature is high due to NAB arrests and detentions,” confided the other indicating that backchannel parleys focus more on the Maulana to abandon the lockdown idea rather than convincing the under-trial parties to keep a reasonable distance from him. As long as the top leadership of the PPP remains in the NAB custody, it can’t afford the youthful PPP chairperson to step into the unchartered waters. On its part, Bilawal has already dropped positive signals of not blindly following the footsteps of the JUI-F chief during the last Maulana’s All Parties Conference (APC). “The more he remains in the ranks of the PML-N, the rebellious souls will be less able to take the full charge of the party,” a source said pulling a long face. So, the powers-that-be may not push Shahbaz Sharif too far on the question of lockdown. “Islamabad is not in a position to welcome protesters till India gives Kashmiris the due breathing space and FATF affair takes an easy direction,” said the gentleman referring to a recent statement of the Home Minister whereby he has clearly said that strategic compulsion may strip off Maulana’s ‘democratic’ right to protest. The writer is a freelancer