With the proposed Azadi March of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the politics of protests, rallies and sit-ins in our country is back. It will be interesting to see how the PTI government plans to deal with the march as the PTI itself staged a 126-days long dharna against the PML-N back in 2014. As of now, the PTI leadership is trying hard to engage the JUI-F through dialogue but Maulana is adamant not to call-off his plan of protest. The government committee headed by Defence Minister Parvez Khattak has made it clear that in case the protesting parties do not agree to come to the negotiating table, they will not be allowed to create chaos in the country. If history is any guide, blocking the door of dialogue has never been an ideal way out.
Let us see which way the dice rolls as everything is possible in our country. Whatever the outcome of the Maulana’s march, one thing is sure: Maulana has succeeded in bringing his party in the limelight. At the moment, Maulana and his Azadi March have become the talk of the town. Furthermore, the other two mainstream political parties are also under great pressure. Our politicians need to adopt a wise course of action as the country is on an historical crossroads at the moment. The chances of being blacklisted by the FATF are still hanging over our heads. The crippling stagflation is stifling the purchasing power of the masses. The soaring tensions with New Delhi are staring the country in the face. At this critical juncture, both the opposition parties and the treasury benches must adopt a give-and-take policy to avoid any unwanted and unnecessary confrontation. A head-on collision between the protesters and the government can unleash an anarchic situation in the country.
Muhammad Fayyaz Nawrha
Mianwali