RECENT developments, seemingly orchestrated by certain powerful quarters, have demonstrated a disturbing lack of regard for both public representatives as well as parliament. As a result, there is now renewed concern on both sides of the political divide that the historic disequilibrium in the distribution of state power may be becoming increasingly more pronounced.

Those making the decisions should not overlook the long-term implications of their actions. The precedents being set are likely to have lasting effects, particularly on the nation’s youth, and will help perpetuate economic and social instability well beyond the current political cycle.

Historically speaking, attempts to silence political dissidents through coercion and force have never worked as intended. Indeed, most have yielded disastrous results, especially when evaluated from the perspective of national unity. Instead of heeding this lesson, our institutions seem intent on making matters worse. The nation seems to be in dangerous territory, and it is up to the political leadership to steer it towards calmer waters.

It should worry every civilian leader how the scope of political violence and victimisation seems to be growing broader. What transpired in Islamabad over the weekend and after should give at least the old guard within the more established political parties some pause.

First, the city’s administrative authorities were given carte blanche to prevent and disrupt a routine political gathering that would not have posed any imminent threat to the government if it were simply allowed to proceed unhindered. Then, the police were pushed into a confrontation with the attendees of the said political gathering based on the latter’s failure to observe a draconian new law minted by parliament just days earlier. Finally, the same law was put to use to initiate a new crackdown on the PTI leadership, some of whom were picked up from parliament in ugly scenes reminiscent of dictatorial takeovers in the past.

The PTI’s leaders may have gone overboard in their speeches on Sept 8. They could not keep their pent-up frustrations in check when they ought to have been more circumspect while expressing themselves. However, to use this as a pretext by law enforcers to arrest public representatives, briefly ‘disappear’ a provincial chief executive, and even raid Parliament House, as some reports suggest, is a worrying low. It was particularly unforgivable that all this happened on the watch of parties which do not tire of talking about the ‘supremacy’ of parliament.

The only consolation was that, on Tuesday, representatives from all major political parties united in demanding that the National Assembly Speaker take strict action. It is hoped that the pushback will come from the institution as a whole and that politicians from across the divide will see this as an opportunity to repair relations with each other.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2024