ISLAMABAD, Nov 23: The political activities have almost come to a standstill in the Capital city with the departure of almost all the politicians and parliamentarians to their respective towns and constituencies to celebrate Eidul Fitr with their near and dear ones.

Earlier, the Capital remained a hub of political activities for a record period of continuously three months during the National Assembly session, that ended on November 11.

During the session, the eyes of the nation were on the Capital city due to historic protest of the combined opposition inside and outside parliament. The noisy protests and boycotts of the combined opposition made the political atmosphere of the Capital very tense.

The killing of MNA Maulana Azam Tariq not only complicated the already complex political situation but also caused violence in the Capital city in which one person was killed and scores of others were injured. The protesters also damaged private property, which sparked protests by the traders and shopkeepers.

Moreover, the arrest of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) president, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, on October 29 on mutiny charges added fuel to the already charged political atmosphere of the Capital.

All these developments led to the change in the top brass of the Capital administration with the appointment of the new chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), chief commissioner and the inspector-general of police (IGP).

Both the government and the opposition parties took maximum advantage of the holy month of Ramazan by arranging Iftar dinners during which political leaders kept on discussing the political situation in the wake of constitutional crisis.

The leaders of two major opposition alliances — the ARD and the MMA — held several informal and formal meetings to chalk out the post-Eid strategy to continue protest against the LFO and the president’s uniform. In this connection, ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim held a meeting with MMA general secretary and chief of JUI-F Maulana Fazlur Rehman and announced to hold talks again soon after Eid to discuss the future plans.

During the period National Assembly remained in session, several NGOs also held protest demonstrations and rallies in front of the Parliament House building to press for their demands.

It is believed that political activities will again begin soon after Eid as both the ARD and the MMA had already announced that they would requisition the sessions of the National Assembly and the Senate to give a tough time to the government.

Opinion

Editorial

A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...
GB polls’ aftermath
Updated 11 Jun, 2026

GB polls’ aftermath

The new administration must address the region’s issues proactively.
Peace in retreat
11 Jun, 2026

Peace in retreat

THE ceasefire announced in April was supposed to create space for negotiations. Instead, it has been repeatedly...
A few good men
11 Jun, 2026

A few good men

IT was a brave move, no doubt. This Tuesday, in the land of the Afghan Taliban, a few good men decided to take a...