TENSIONS are mounting as Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Azadi march is expected to reach the capital today.

The government granted permission to the JUI-F chief to hold his sit-in within the precincts of the city, and an expanse of land a few kilometres from Zero Point has been designated as the venue for the congregation. The march that commenced from Karachi has ballooned into sizable numbers as it travels north through Sindh into Punjab and onwards to Islamabad.

Mercifully, so far there have not been any reports of disturbances or disruptions to the life of citizens, and the organisers of the march have kept their word about remaining peaceful and orderly.

Yet the real test begins as the marchers enter the capital and Maulana Fazlur Rehman unveils his plans for the dharna. Protest is his democratic right and as a citizen of Pakistan, he is fully within the ambit of the law in exercising his right. After all, this is what the PTI argued when staging a dharna on Islamabad’s D-chowk in 2014.

It is in fact a good decision by the PTI government to allow the JUI-F chief to bring his supporters unhindered as per the agreement signed between the party and the Islamabad administration. If both stick to this agreement, the protesters should stage a sit-in at the designated venue, voice their protests, air their grievances and then disperse peacefully without causing any civic disturbance.

Any action beyond this would be considered undemocratic — as it was during the PTI-PAT dharna, and later the TLP protest, when violence and major disruptions to daily life were witnessed. The maulana may criticise the government but his demand for its removal cannot be supported. The responsibility is on him to ensure there is no incitement to violence or any action that can be construed as a direct threat to an elected government.

The dharna is also a test for the two main opposition parties that have lent him their support. The PPP and PML-N may have had their reservations, and possibly still do, but their key leaders will be sharing the dharna stage with the maulana. A key question would be whether this shared platform would cement unity within the combined opposition or turn out to be a temporary alignment of forces based on a shared interest. The next few days may provide an answer.

These next few days will, however, feel like eternity for the government. It is vital that decision-makers hold their nerve even if faced with grave provocations. The law-enforcement agencies should do their utmost to avoid any use of force while facilitating the citizens of the twin cities to the maximum. It is the responsibility of the government to keep the political temperature in check by not responding rashly to speeches from the dharna. The system must hold firm. So should the political leadership.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2019