THE statement made by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali on Friday painted a desperate picture of the government struggling to stay afloat.

Justifying the government stance on encouraging the COAS to play a facilitative role and accepting five of Imran Khan’s demands just goes to show the hapless predicament the government is in. It is reminiscent of the futile talks the government engaged in with the Taliban just months earlier.

Just a few days ago, parliament was beaming with democracy-extolling speeches by the likes of MNAs such as Shazia Marri. Once the army stepped in, all has gone quiet apart from the highly cautious and rather accommodating statements given by the prime minister and his representatives.

The government needs to toughen its policies against all usurpers that have taken the country hostage in the name of freedom, to actually fulfil their insatiable appetite for power.

Barrister Mobeen Shah

United Kingdom

Published in Dawn, August 31, 2014