The aftermath

The ISPR has spoken. May 9 will be remembered as a "dark chapter" in Pakistan’s history, says the media wing of the armed forces of Pakistan. After a very long day and an equally long night of more rumours and WhatsApp posts than real facts, Wednesday had dawned with a clearer picture of exactly what all happened on Tuesday in the aftermath of Imran Khan’s arrest. Per the ISPR’s statement – detailed, pointed, no-holds-barred – protests “targeting army property and installations” were part of a well-thought-out plan targeting the army. The scenes that were witnessed on Tuesday (May 9) were indeed disturbing. PTI protesters ransacked, vandalized and even set on fire some public and private property. That they were able to set fire to the Corps Commander House in Lahore and enter territory belonging to key army installations made for visuals that were deeply disturbing to the image of the state. No wonder even PTI leaders were soon seen distancing themselves from these mobs. More than a hundred police officers were injured in Punjab and over a dozen in Peshawar as well. The ISPR has said that this "group in political garb” has done what the country’s enemies could not do in 75 years, all in its "lust for power” and that the "army showed patience and restraint and exercised extreme tolerance" despite knowing the orders, directives and complete pre-planning [were] by some sinister party leadership".

Since Tuesday, there had been murmurings about why and how the scale of protests had been 'allowed' to go on. The ISPR statement may have also been meant to put an end to the scores of social media forwards that have relentlessly talked about internal breakdowns, martial laws, coups and what not. One can hardly forgive such rumours in a country like Pakistan which has experienced the ubiquitous 'nazuk-mor' every few years and where even the slightest protest has over the years been seen as an act of defiance against a state that has seldom allowed space for difference or dissent. Things however had changed with the Imran Khan project. Seen as the ultimate blue-eyed boy of the state, Imran had managed to not only embrace but also cultivate a new kind of adherence to nationalism, something our state institutions of all colour have always aspired to inspire.

It is precisely this zeal that may have made PTI rallies and protests more potent over the past few years. And indeed the right to peaceful protest is a democratic right that cannot and should not be taken away from any citizen. But the right to protest must not be conflated with anarchism and the right to just attack public and private property, set fire to historic buildings like Radio Pakistan in Peshawar or attack buildings that serve as residences for state officials. There is only one word for that: rioting. On top of it all, on Wednesday there was a flurry of 'audio leaks' – a very Pakistani political tool that comes in handy at extremely convenient times – that seemed to suggest that these violent attacks and protests were pre-planned by the PTI. Some PTI leaders were arrested yesterday and political observers say that a crackdown is imminent in the wake of the alleged audios. By most accounts, the PTI has walked down a rather blind alley this time – and its usual saviours are either on the opposite side of the fight or retired or made redundant. The optics of army installations being targeted or military officers homes being ransacked did no favour to the PTI. If rumours are to be believed, there is a chance the party may face a ‘ban’ though some observers say this step will be quite drastic. Will the PTI’s travails lead to a minus-one formula eventually? That is something many are wondering. And will a minus-one even work for a party like the PTI that operates more as a personality cult than a political party?

Also: what happens with the PDM? With Wednesday’s ISPR statement, a government already increasingly being seen as the B Team of a much more powerful stakeholder, may have to defend the indefensible. Is it up to the task? Is the 'one page' being scotch-taped back into existence? Has the PTI’s foolishness become the PDM’s healing balm? How will the Faustian bargain made today help or hurt the democratic and political process in the country in the long run? For now, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke to the nation on Wednesday night, calling Imran’s arrest lawful, condemning the mob riots that took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, and warning that strict action will be taken against anyone taking any illegal step. Perhaps for all parties (and others) it is time to step back, take stock of what has happened, let the law take its natural but fair course, and then talk to all political stakeholders. Students of politics say there is a lesson for PTI to be learnt in all this: always give more value and weight to your political opponents than those who bring you to power through undemocratic means. Students of our tainted democracy say there is a lesson here also for the government parties: be careful who you make friends with.