Pak crackdown

THINGS are falling apart in Pakistan all over again. A ‘do or die’ protest by jailed ex-PM Imran Khan’s party has been quelled with a brutal crackdown by the Shehbaz Sharif government. The political turmoil triggered by Imran’s arrest in May last year has worsened, with violent clashes between security forces and protesters claiming lives on both sides this week. The cricketer-turned-politician’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which is vociferously demanding his release, has suspended its protest, but this is a mere lull after the storm.

The PTI insists that its stir was peaceful, but the government claims that protesters provoked and targeted paramilitary Rangers and police personnel. Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between. PM Shehbaz has struck a discordant note: “We have to decide whether we save Pakistan or allow sit-ins to take place.” Holding a sit-in is a democratic right of citizens, provided they do it peacefully. It is a reflection of Shehbaz’s insecurity that he is telling the nation to choose between stability and agitation. The government’s ‘might is right’ approach will push Pakistan deeper into the quagmire of anarchy and unrest.

Imran, who is facing 200-odd cases and has been behind bars for over a year, continues to be a popular leader. There is a disturbing perception that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, in cahoots with the military establishment, has left no stone unturned to keep Imran out of power. The ruling coalition’s credibility has been hit hard by the allegation that it stole the mandate in the February general election. Nevertheless, this does not give PTI supporters the licence to take the law into their own hands. The government, on its part, must realise that no-holds-barred repression will not solve the beleaguered nation’s political and economic problems. A mutual climbdown is needed to give peace a chance in Pakistan.