The PTI’s Lahore rally on September 21, which was touted as a “do-or-die” event by its founder Imran Khan, ended with neither the anticipated mass turnout nor the anticipated chaos. After the fiery rhetoric and subsequent arrests that followed the PTI’s previous rally in Islamabad on September 8, many had feared a repeat of tensions between the party and the government. However, this time, the PTI appeared to have learned its lesson, abiding by the district administration’s conditions, including a strict time limit from 3pm to 6pm. Despite compliance, the rally failed to attract the numbers the party had hoped for. Some point to logistical issues – delayed permission, inconvenient venue location, and poor mobilization from PTI’s Punjab leadership. Others speculate that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s crowd, a usual backbone for the PTI’s rallies, did not arrive on time. Further complicating matters, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur missed the rally entirely. Some observers have suggested he could be possibly wary after his inflammatory speech on September 8 caused trouble for both him and the party.
The rally’s disappointing turnout raises questions about why the government appeared so concerned about this event in the first place. The public gathering was ultimately uneventful, with the government mocking the opposition for its lack of supporters. Yet, the unnecessary tension and roadblocks placed by both the PTI and the administration reveal the deep political polarization gripping the country. In this fractured political landscape, even a lackluster rally becomes an arena for exacerbating animosity. Holding rallies is a democratic right, as long as they do not descend into hate speech or incitement to violence. The PTI’s rallies, unfortunately, have sometimes crossed that line. But punishing an entire party for the actions of a few reckless individuals is not the solution. This should serve as a reminder for all political actors that the problem lies not in holding rallies, but in what those rallies are used for. The government should act swiftly to address any instances of hate speech but should not allow those actions to be the pretext for broader crackdowns.
It is also unfortunate that with every passing day, it is becoming quite clear that the government and the opposition seem locked in a downward spiral of political desperation. Neither side appears willing to step back and allow room for negotiation or compromise. The madness of this situation is evident, but there seems to be no method to it. Both sides lack a coherent strategy – the PTI has no clear path to secure Imran Khan’s release from jail, and the government appears to have no strategy to compete with the PTI’s popularity. Instead, both continue to dig in their heels, as if driven by a misguided sense of moral righteousness. When both the government and PTI are without strategies, the right thing to do would be to go back to the drawing board, rethink their strategies and hold a dialogue with each other instead of fighting due to some non-existent ‘moral righteousness’. Even the judiciary, which should remain a neutral arbiter, has somehow been sucked into this political quagmire. Perhaps now is the time for everyone – government, opposition, establishment, and judiciary alike – to stop, take a breath, and think carefully about the direction the country is heading in. There is still time; everyone just needs to pause and think.