Winters are setting in, but the political temperature is once again rising in Pakistan. During yet another massive public rally on Nov. 30 in Islamabad, Imran Khan finally revealed his Plan C to pressure the government. For over 109 days, Khan has been leading an anti-government campaign through sit-in protests and rallies across Pakistan.
Calling his fresh move as “the final war” and a “decisive” push against the corrupt and self-serving system, he has announced a complete shutdown of major cities like Faisalabad, Lahore and Karachi, in the coming days. The leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) believes that these closures will paralyze the civic life in Pakistan and eventually force the government to step down.
The big question is will Imran’s new tactics work and corner Sharif? After an initial hesitant reaction, the government seems to be buckling under pressure and has offered to restart talks with the PTI leadership on the standoff.
The move has certainly jolted the government, which had pinned hopes on the protesters to tire out and eventually disperse with no fruitful results in sight. The PTI leadership has cautiously welcomed the proposal, which has raised hopes of reaching a settlement between the two sides. Given Khan’s aggressive stance and continued success in mobilizing large crowds, the Sharif government seems to have little choice but to negotiate with him.
However, Khan has already indicated that there would be no compromise on his demand for a judicial commission and a joint investigation team to probe the fairness of last year’s general elections.
Imran Khan will not be able to fully implement his Plan C without the cooperation of major political parties across Pakistan. While he may be able to exert some influence in Punjab, any move to shutdown Karachi would require outright support of Altaf Hussain’s Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). Karachi, the largest metropolitan of Pakistan and its economic hub, has traditionally been a stronghold of the MQM. At the same time, the PTI leadership would have to ensure that any strike remain peaceful and non-confrontational with the state’s security apparatus.
While the military’s response to the ongoing political turmoil has largely remained muted, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif may engage the military to deal with any ugly events. Some political observers have dismissed Khan’s Plan C as an expression of frustration with the government and his last bet. Nevertheless, his perseverance and popular rallies have earned him the respect of other political forces. As he grows in political stature and beams hope among the disillusioned masses, there is a good chance that other parties will join his bandwagon to remain relevant and make quick political gains. By gaining such support, Khan may be able to enforce his new plan in case the talks with government remain futile.
Any agitation and shutdown of business across Pakistan will only dampen Pakistan’s economic prospects and lead to instability. The political chaos will shift government’s attention from important issues such as war against militancy, power crisis and other development projects. Khan’s new political challenge to the government places the whole country at a critical junction. It would be in Pakistan’s best national interest that all stakeholders reach an amicable political solution to end the current crisis.
