AS these words are being written, Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf supporters are en route to the tribal areas as part of a ‘peace march’ to protest American drone strikes in the Waziristan agencies. Earlier, there was some ambiguity about the state’s willingness to provide security to the marchers. The South Waziristan Agency administration had denied permission for the march, citing its inability to provide security to participants. Yet Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Saturday reportedly stated that no impediments were being created for the PTI rally, while the Dera Ismail Khan authorities said they would make ‘fool-proof’ security arrangements. These are welcome developments indicating that better sense has prevailed in government circles. Now, the state should not create panic by issuing warnings, and work on ensuring maximum possible security for the participants. While the wisdom of the march itself is debatable, the fact remains that it is the democratic right of every political party to hold rallies and public meetings. Having said that, the PTI needs to cooperate with the authorities as safety of the marchers is of paramount importance.

Looking beyond the PTI march, the state cannot make the excuse that rallies or meetings should be cancelled because of militant threats. Issuing advance threat warnings and later saying ‘we told you so’ is the easy way out for the government in order to shirk its responsibilities. The authorities can also use the existence of threats to disallow religious processions in Muharram and Rabiul Awwal. Yet the militants cannot be allowed to set the agenda. People have the right to peacefully assemble for political, religious or other purposes and the state must guarantee their safety. Providing security to the PTI march was the right move; hopefully the state will not be reluctant to provide protection to its citizens in similar cases.