In hindsight, it’s pretty easy to understand why almost everybody thought Imran Khan’s remarks about Maryam Nawaz and her husband were in extremely poor taste, but most PTI loyalists did not. Over time, Imran Khan’s speeches have become quite predictable. Once he’s done with saying exactly the same things as every other time, the only value-add is usually the new insults he’s prepared for his rivals and their families. That means it is a well-planned strategy and also explains why PTI now stands head and shoulders above all other parties for its success in dragging mainstream political discourse right down to the gutter. Things are not just getting more vulgar, but also a whole lot more dangerous. Pakistan’s political leaders have always had the bad habit of badmouthing their opponents, but even the worst of them were slowly learning to at least behave themselves in public; especially at their political rallies. And PTI has not just dragged everybody back in time but also added its own share of toxicity to the mix. Now politics is dominated by personal, dirty attacks instead of the real problems of the people and policy initiatives required to address them. Imran Khan understands very well that he has an extraordinarily large fan following and his behaviour and attitude is mimicked far and wide. That he’s still preaching such conduct through his actions, even calling on his followers to harass his opponents in public, is a sad confirmation that he has no qualms about creating a very bitter divide in civil society. It would be far better if politicians were aware of the maturity required of them, and their discussions focused on matters of governance. But even those that prefer to keep their narratives fixated on conspiracy theories, etc, should at least learn to mind their language. *