Protest politics

WITH the PTI determined to march on the capital on Sept 27, a l egal challenge to the planned protest has been lodged in the Islamabad High Court. The petitioner — ostensibly an Islamabad trader — fears disruption of routine life and business activities because of the protest. While hearing the petition on Tuesday, the IHC formed a larger bench to hear the “sensitive” case, with the next hearing scheduled for tomorrow. Clearly, there is unease within the corridors of power regarding the PTI’s planned power show, which the party says is being organised for the “supremacy of the Constitution” and to demand the release of its founder Imran Khan. The government’s concern was on full display in Karachi on Sunday, when large parts of the city’s road network were shut down on the day KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was due to hold a rally at the Quaid’s mausoleum. Though the Sindh authorities claimed the shutdowns had nothing to do with the PTI’s planned activities and were carried out due to ‘security’ reasons, major thoroughfares had been blocked off on the day Mr Khan’s party was to stage its rally in the city. The state believes that letting the PTI go ahead with the Islamabad rally could result in violence. These apprehensions are not without basis. After all, the November 2024 protest in the capital resulted in a deadly showdown between the party and the state. Yet there are two distinct issues that must be kept in mind. Firstly, holding a protest is a democratic right, and the authorities should not be placing unnecessary obstacles in the PTI’s way. If the government blocks every democratic avenue to express grievances, it risks radicalising the affected parties. Secondly, though protest is a fundamental right, it must not turn violent. Attacks on law enforcers and harassment of ordinary citizens are unacceptable, and it is the responsibility of party leaders to ensure that their cadres remain non-violent. It is not just the PTI that has sought to highlight its grievances on the streets; the Jamaat-i-Islami has been holding nationwide sit-ins over fuel prices for several weeks. While one may or may not agree with the reasons why these parties have hit the streets, their right to hold peaceful protest is undeniable. When there are so many challenges confronting the people — high prices, economic volatility, terrorism, political uncertainty, erosion of democratic space, etc. — they cannot be expected to keep quiet, and have every right to voice their concerns publicly. The state should engage the PTI just as it engaged the JI to ensure that any protest is kept peaceful. The animosity should not be allowed to snowball into a fresh confrontation as the nation can ill afford more instability. Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2026

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