Since Imran Khan’s has started long March to Islamabad from Lahore, Pakistan’s muddied political waters are suffering huge political storms – engulfing the state and society concurrently. As a result, political instability has increased, dividing society along the political faultlines. The outcome of this instability has impacted the credibility of the state’s institutions, particularly the establishment of Pakistan, policing services and parliament.
Precisely, the attacks on the establishment of Pakistan are unprecedented. Previously, people used to criticize the establishment for its unwanted political role and meddling in the personal lives of people. Today, it is being criticized for it has decided – as an institution – to stay away from politics, which is its constitutional role. It seems the establishment has created a monster for itself. It could be a reason the coalition government is waiting for the establishment to handle its own Frankenstein.
Interestingly, the main reason behind attacking the establishment is it does not want to help Imran Khan to come to power as it has seen the results of unconstitutional interventions. But those who have been addicted to relentless power will not easily let the establishment stick to its constitutional role. That is the reason behind dragging the establishment – as it is seen as an institution from which power flows to the civilian domain.
The story of attacking the establishment had risen to its peak amid the long March of Imran Khan. He didn’t only attack it but also took the names of high officials of agencies for holding a presser to counter the fake news spread in the political arena against the establishment. Take, for example, the murder of Arshad Sharif or the video of Azam Swati, all fingers are raised in the direction of the establishment by the social media warriors of Imran Khan.
Political battles are being fought on the roads with accusations thrown at state institutions.
It is not only that Khan has locked horns with the establishment and the political leadership of Pakistan but also he has offended his ally, Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi, the Chief Minister of Punjab, who was reluctant to give orders to register an FIR against the DG of ISI. Although Khan has not received a medico-legal certificate from any public hospital, he wants to register an FIR against the officers of state institutions on mere political charges. Until Khan receives it, the legal case of murder on the life of Khan cannot be processed.
Politics earlier was an institution through which political players used to solve their problems via give and take. But since the egression of Khan into the politics of the country, it has become an instrument using which Khan is trying to politicize the state institutions and political players. In doing so, Khan has filled the state and society with hateful rhetoric where young minds are impacted to trigger emotional responses. Owing to such a triggering environment, not only has the establishment lost the ability to play a mediatory role but also it has been unable to stop the rising political instability in the country.
Due to a distraught political climate in the country, the police services of Punjab have failed to maintain a law and order situation. The attack on Imran Khan is the perfect example of the rising anarchy in the country. Given this lawlessness, it was expected Khan to tone down political rhetoric; instead, he is hell-bent on pressurizing police and abusing them for not taking action against state officials. Having brought the state and society to the point of no return, khan is now trying to bring one state’s institution against another to gain political mileage. He is doing it all without any care to his government at the helm, Punjab- It is purely scandalization of the state to produce political results.
It is time for Khan to promote consensual politics instead of raising the political temperature which is creating more foes and compromising his government in Punjab. Exacerbating the political crisis is not going to win Khan any favour, not from his own Punjab government, let alone from the establishment. Any more dragging of the establishment and other state institutions would ultimately damage the parliamentary democracy of Pakistan. Resultantly, Khan and the people will be the losers, creating a path for undemocratic forces to ingress into the political arena.
Thus, the best way forward for Khan is to go to parliament – which is dysfunctional currently – as political battles are being fought on the roads with accusations thrown at the state institutions. Until the parliament is revived, the state institutions such as the judiciary, police services and the establishment suffer politicization, which is not a good omen for the state and society because the scandalization of state institutions again benefits dictatorial powers.
Moreover, Khan needs to understand that he cannot bend state institutions to his favour as they have not conceded to his demands of early elections and the appointment of the next Chief of the Army. It has been more than six months since Khan is on the road. Seemingly, the establishment is protecting the parliamentary democracy as it confronts the fascistic tendencies- something, very ironic.
Amid this tussle between the establishment and Khan, all institutions of state seem compromised from parliament to the judiciary and police services.
The writer is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at They6776@gmail.com