And here we are again in the middle of another political stalemate. This time it’s a tussle between the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government and its rivals Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The current melee is not something unusual for Pakistanis, who seem to be accustomed to such ups and downs, as the nation has witnessed many political upheavals during its 67-year history.
The recent tussle between the two political parties has many dimensions.
Religious scholar and PAT chairman Tahirul Qadir has declared that his march toward the diplomatic enclave is a peaceful one.
Qadri said his decision to stage a protest was to topple the corrupt regime. His act has put Islamabad in troubled waters.
Experts say almost all demands put forward by Imran Khan and Qadri are justified as they aim at eliminating terrorism, corruption and gender discrimination.
Qadri, who has a following of thousands, spoke against growing terrorist activities by Pakistani Taleban (TTP), something other ulema failed to do, fearing threats from the militant outfit.
But there is another side to the tug-of-war between the government and its opponents.
Many believe that though the demands put forward by the two parties are justified, the course of action taken by Qadri is undemocratic, as Pakistan has already a constitution and a parliamentary mechanism. Also the inappropriate language the PTI leader used against members of the government is not in good taste and may lead to unhealthy practice.
A PML-N leader recently said that despite the fact that PTI and PAT have a similar stance against the government, they might not remain united in the long term.
Both parties have emerged under different circumstances.
PAT has remained aloof from mainstream like-minded political groups such as Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan. This shows that there remain certain differences between them.
These parties are more popular in the country, mainly because of their active role during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
A recent YouTube video showed some workers from the JI and the JUI blaming their leaders for the growing popularity of Qadri, saying their leader took no step in implementing equality-based justice system in the country, giving opportunity to the unpopular religious group to take the lead.
Western countries consider Qadri a moderate scholar with “much flexibility” toward the US and Europe rather than JI and JUI, who have an orthodox stance toward them.
But anti-Qadri elements blame him of working on “a western agenda.”
Going by that rationale, US and EU may support Qadri compared to other religious parties.
On the whole, the recent political ruckus, call it democratic or un-democratic, has raised political awareness among the people, especially the lower-middle and poor classes of Pakistan, a country where more than 70 percent people live below the line of poverty.
The next 24 hours will be very crucial as the Pakistani Army and the Supreme Court have officially reacted to the scenario.
The question, who will be responsible in case of any bloodshed remains unanswered as the marchers have already surrounded the Parliament building.
Let us see what is in store for the country and what would be the outcome of this political impasse.
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