PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf), announced a protest on Friday at D-Chowk in Islamabad. The caravan, led by the Chief Minister of KPK, began its march toward the capital. However, the government had other plans, deciding to stop them with the use of brute force and heavy machinery.
The government sealed the city, with all entry and exit points blocked. Mobile signals were, and still are, shut down. The motorway was dug up to prevent the caravan from crossing. Rubber bullets were fired, and tear gas shells were dropped from helicopters onto the protestors.
Despite these efforts, the caravan managed to reach the Blue Area. Now, the question arises: What did PTI gain or lose from this exercise, and what did the government achieve or lose?
From PTI’s perspective, this is a highly successful show of power, as they were able to achieve their goal. Despite Imran Khan being in jail and no other prominent leader, apart from the Chief Minister of KPK, on the ground, they managed to bypass the government’s hindrances and register their presence at D-Chowk. Additionally, they garnered the attention of the world. Over the past couple of days, PTI was featured heavily in both local and international media, successfully showing the world that they are still a dominant political force in Pakistan.
On the other hand, the government has suffered losses. First and foremost, their poor planning turned this protest into a much bigger event. Had they allowed PTI to reach D-Chowk and register their protest, it likely wouldn’t have attracted this much attention. Instead, their decisions were driven by ego, and they fell into a trap.
Secondly, PTI has cleverly placed the government in an embarrassing situation, as the federal government and Punjab have effectively lost control of Islamabad and Punjab. After the implementation of Article 245, control of these areas is now under the military until October 17th.
This is highly embarrassing for both the federal and Punjab governments, as well as for Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. Their inability to demonstrate control and authority over their own jurisdictions led to the involvement of the Army, who now hold these territories for the next couple of weeks.
With the upcoming SCO summit, this sends a negative message, suggesting that the government does not have a firm grip on the country, and the Army has officially taken over control. In such a situation, how can anyone take the government officials, or even the Prime Minister, seriously? This is truly an embarrassing situation.
In conclusion, PTI is undoubtedly one step ahead after this fiasco.
Author : Zain
