To further splash some oil into the excruciatingly toxic cauldron of politics in Pakistan, those steering the ship are pandering to the archetypal rivalries of the days gone by. As all sides are busy hatching schemes to outdo the other, deplorable victimisation has become the new normal. Just a while ago, condemnations smacking former aide to prime minister Shahbaz Gill’s arrest as an unadulterated attempt to clamp down on the opposition had poured in from all quarters when the government was advised to not overstep the line. Today, PML(N)’s blue-eyed leading horse Attaullah Tarar is knocking on the doors of the high court for refuge against the warrants. Similar haste has been shown by other stalwarts of the Lahori Lions in flying to their citadel in Islamabad. In a desperate tit-for-tat attempt, instructions have been given to the FIA to go hard against PTI leaders, especially the former prime minister, in the foreign funding case. Quite expectedly, these charades do not consider the dire consequences bound to be borne by the masses. Never in the history of any country has political instability paved the path for milk and honey to flow. Our fragile economy is in no shape to lose the confidence of whatever vestigial investors it is left with. The venom-spewing culture and overall intolerance of the dissident voices are fast gaining acceptance as the ideals of a democracy whose beauty lies in the difference of opinion. While Jati Umra and Bani Gala have been forced to stare down the barrel of a jumpy gun and the rest of the nation has been left with a bucket of popcorn in their hands, it remains to be seen whether cooler heads would ever prevail. When would the ruling elite of the country realise that too much water has already passed under the bridge and it is high time to struggle for their voters, their homeland for a change? After all, the personal squabbles can wait but an economy trying as hard as it can to survive through the day (without anyone standing in its corner) cannot. *