THE tragic deaths in the aftermath of the PTI’s large rally in Multan over the weekend are yet another emotional moment in the passionate and stamina-testing anti-government movement that Imran Khan launched two months ago.

By now, the PTI has tried everything in its bid to oust the government. The sit-in on Constitution Avenue is already epic, there have been massive rallies in several cities, there has been violence and attacks on state buildings, civil disobedience has been threatened, and the PTI has surely solidified its base and even grown it some — but the government does not appear to be falling and in fact seems to be recovering from the body blows it has suffered.

So, the question for the PTI: where does it go from here?

The party is clearly in high campaign gear and full election mode, but how long is it sustainable? Discounting Mr Khan’s ability to carry forward momentum is risky business, but what is the PTI’s strategy here? Is there any long-term plan?

Perhaps Mr Khan views his party’s ascent to power as a two-step process. As long as Nawaz Sharif is prime minister and the PML-N are in power, the PTI cannot be in power and Mr Khan cannot be prime minister. So ouster of the PML-N must precede any realisation of the PTI’s ambitions and therefore the PTI is not concerning itself with long-term strategising.

Yet, a permanent protest movement is one thing, while a movement specifically designed to oust a government will need to contend with the reality that the government does not appear to be falling. Passion and commitment aside, exactly what the PTI’s strategic thinking is appears to be as much a puzzle today as it was two months ago.

At least in terms of an approach, the government’s strategy is easier to discern. It appears the PML-N has decided to revive itself and return to the business of governing while ignoring the PTI and PAT protests. Given that the PTI in particular is refusing to budge from its demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Sharif, this may make sense — but only up to a point.

Ultimately, the PML-N will need to address the legitimate demands of the protesters and, at a minimum, enact meaningful reforms to ensure more transparent elections. A permanent stand-off is in the interest of neither the government nor the country.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2014