Punjab in the centre

Punjab – government, politics, and law enforcement – is back in the news. This time, it is the matter of the PTI wanting to start its election campaign and the caretaker government’s seeming fondness for Section 144. After the election schedule was announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for elections in the province on April 30, the PTI has not been able to hold its kickoff election rally. The Sunday rally was postponed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan after the caretaker government again imposed Section 144 in the city. Previously, Section 144 had been imposed in the city on March 8 – coinciding with the PTI’s announcement of its election rally. With Imran saying that the Punjab CM and police want to provoke clashes to file cases against the PTI leadership and workers and use that as a pretext for postponing elections, Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that all political parties are freely allowed to campaign but that the caretaker government had restricted rallies and political activities on Sunday due to a PSL match. That said, Naqvi’s reason to impose Section 144 at will every time the PTI announces an election rally – be it on March 8 or March 12 – does look a bit suspicious.

The death of a PTI worker on March 8 has also added to the state of chaos in Punjab, with the caretaker government being accused of murdering a man. The death of PTI worker Ali Bilal – Zille Shah – has led to widespread condemnation from across a divided polity. The circumstances surrounding his death however still remain shrouded in mystery as every day brings a new version of what led to his sudden death. The PTI says he died as a result of police torture, something that has unsurprisingly been denied by the Punjab government. On Saturday, CM Naqvi and the IG of Punjab held a press conference, claiming the deceased had died as a result of a car accident, and that the car belonged to a PTI leader.

This back and forth will continue indefinitely unless there is an impartial investigation with members of human rights organizations, civil society and medical experts so that it can be ascertained beyond doubt what really happened to an ordinary citizen. There are far too many unanswered questions on all sides which will not be cleared in this ‘they said, we said’ manner. Ultimately, the responsibility lies with the caretaker setup. This death took place on their watch and now they are the ones that have to see this matter to the end. The caretaker setup should also realize what its job really is: it is here to ensure free and fair elections take place in the province. Giving in to the tempting idea of just blocking protests or forcefully subduing critics can never work long term.