Imran on the SC red carpet

The Supreme Court has declared Imran Khan’s arrest illegal, ordered his release, accomodated him as a guest of the state in a guest house in the Police Lines in Islamabad, and ordered Imran to present himself before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) today. With that, two days of intense scrutiny may have abated to a large extent. Imran is still not as in trouble as the thinking initially was, he still has supporters and protesters out on the streets, and – while his party leadership is incarcerated – one wonders how long that will last given Thursday’s goings-on. The three-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice (CJ) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar was hearing the PTI’s petition challenging Imran’s arrest.

So what’s in store now for a country that is caught up in this power game between entities least interested in the real lives of the very real people they are supposed to be representing? As Imran goes to the IHC today, it may be recalled that the Islamabad court had earlier declared his arrest “legal”. As for the coalition government, it has in its usual way resorted to the usual litanies of Imran’s ‘special’ treatment. Going all guns blazing at the CJP and the apex court, PDM leaders have responded fiercely. But beyond that there is little coherence in the government team: both in the way they conduct such measures and how they try to defend them.

Legal experts say that the SC’s verdict is a good decision as arresting anyone from court premises is illegal and this precedent should not be set. However, experts have also questioned how such quick justice and relief was given to Imran but has not been given to any other leader or ordinary citizens of the country.

Today will determine whether the IHC will still deem his arrest ‘legal’, whether NAB will arrest him again or if Imran Khan will walk away a free man. A day after the ISPR gave a harshly worded statement against the destruction of public and private property across the country, the SC verdict is being seen by political observers as quite significant; something that will boost the confidence of the PTI. Will the PDM government be able to face the fallout of this verdict given its own unpopularity or will we see a stroger Imran Khan, his release seen as a victory against the PDM government and, above all, the state? And importantly: will we see the PTI and its leader condemn the violence that took place on Tuesday and Wednesday? When Imran was asked by the court to condemn the violence that ensued after his arrest, he said he was not responsible for it as he was under arrest. No PTI leader has so far condemned the violent attacks on Corps Commander House, GHQ and other public and private property. While the SC’s decision may be the right one, the CJP’s insistence on negotiations between the parties is a bit odd given how Imran Khan has never even once whole-heartedly tried to reach out to the other side.