IT seems that despite the federal government’s best efforts to sabotage the event, the PTI managed to pull off a respectable jalsa on Sunday near Islamabad. It was the first such event hosted by the party in a while and had been rescheduled after the surprise eleventh-hour cancellation of the original Aug 22 event on the instructions of its jailed founder-leader. Though the twin cities had been almost completely walled off with containers in the lead-up to the gathering — either to discourage attendance or prevent another law-and-order situation, depending on how one sees it — supporters of the party chose to brave the hurdles and gather in large numbers at Sangjani, on the outskirts of the federal capital, to make their voices heard. The speeches and the atmosphere at the event suggested that the PTI’s workers remain committed, which will inspire confidence in the party’s political future.

At the same time, there was much to be concerned about. The contents of many of the speeches veered towards the needlessly confrontational, which does not bode well for Pakistan’s fragile order going forward. The KP chief minister, in particular, seemed unwilling to keep passions in check and made some remarks that could precipitate fresh hostilities between his party and the federal and Punjab governments. He also suggested that the PTI would get jailed former prime minister Imran Khan released by force, if necessary, which seemed rather ill-advised considering Mr Khan himself believes it important to be acquitted of the many charges brought against him through the legal process. Understandably, the PTI may have wanted to put up a brave face after all it has been forced to endure. But its leadership would have done much better by choosing maturity and restraint over bravado. It may have complicated the party’s position by going with the latter. Likewise, the government’s decision to start shelling the jalsa with tear gas to force participants to disperse by the deadline given was a dangerous step. Political gatherings in Pakistan are rarely disciplined enough to observe strict timelines, and the police’s insistence on making the crowd disperse by force made for an unnecessary show of might that betrayed the insecurity of those who authorised it. Thankfully, no major harm was done. Both sides would be well advised to act with more restraint in the days ahead.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2024