Long march

This refers to the editorial ‘Imran’s long march’ (Oct 29), which has discussed in detail the pros and cons of the long march that has taken off with huge crowds as expected. The PTI’s strategy is to keep ‘the powers that be’ under pressure and intimidate the government by displaying its popularity to achieve its long-cherished goal of early elections. There is enough evidence that suggests that state institutions are not likely to intervene for obvious reasons, except to perform their constitutional role cautiously.

Imran’s aggressive mode means there will be no compromise on his narrative. The SC’s clear statement that it will not use its pen as a stick has sufficiently boosted the morale of the PTI. Under these circumstances, the government has only one option to offer: talks for an election date. Let sanity prevail on both sides to take Pakistan out of the abyss of uncertainties.

Mukhtar Ahmed

Karachi