The PTI’s latest political move – the announcement of an ‘Imran Khan Release Force’ – raises a familiar and troubling question: what, exactly, is the party’s strategy? According to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, the incarcerated PTI founder chairman has directed him to lead a street movement aimed at securing his release from jail. The force, it is claimed, will be formally registered and will pursue a peaceful struggle. At the same time, the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan has called off its Parliament House sit-in, staged ostensibly over Imran Khan’s health. Meanwhile, the former PM’s sisters have once again taken to the microphones, alleging that the establishment is trying to kill him in jail. The rhetoric is fiery; the direction, however, remains muddled. The party continues to adopt confrontational tactics despite having little demonstrable street power. For months now, the PTI has struggled to mobilise people in significant numbers. With Ramazan underway, the space for sustained street pressure is even narrower.
What is missing is not passion or grievance, both of which are in abundance, but a coherent political strategy. Confrontation worked for the party when the establishment was perceived to be on its side. That context no longer exists. In the absence of institutional backing or popular mobilisation, confrontation has become an exercise in political futility. At this juncture, saner voices within and outside the party have urged dialogue and political engagement with the government. Without such engagement, there is no viable way forward. Crucially, the PTI’s strategic paralysis cannot be attributed solely to Imran Khan’s incarceration. Even when he was free, the party repeatedly missed opportunities due to its maximalist approach, even at the cost of losing what was already on offer. The record is instructive. In May 2022, the PDM government reportedly offered elections to the PTI. Imran, wary of being seen as part of a ‘deal’, instead announced a long march. When the march fizzled out, the offer was withdrawn. Later, elections were again offered. The PTI rejected the proposal. Imran’s November long march also failed. In April 2023, another opportunity emerged. Elections were proposed for late September or early October, and by most accounts, matters were finalised. Yet at the eleventh hour, Imran backed off. Some believe this was because he did not want elections held under the new chief justice, preferring his predecessor to oversee the process. These repeated reversals ultimately culminated in the disastrous events of May 9, 2023.
Even PTI leaders have begun to acknowledge these missed chances. Former KP chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur has spoken of lost opportunities, while senior PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah has alluded to serious but failed efforts to reach an understanding with Imran Khan. According to Rana, two such attempts were made. Both times, reportedly Imran initially appeared receptive but later backed away, having set conditions that were impossible for the government to meet. It is now being said that Imran Khan is being misled by advisers who insist that a revolution is just around the corner. In reality, politics is not about waiting for perfect moments or total victories. It is, as countless practitioners have understood, the art of the possible. The consequences of the PTI’s lack of strategy have been severe and have addeded to the weakening of democracy itself. The PTI and its leader must recognise a basic truth: politics is about finding a way out, not glorifying the dead-end. Without recalibrating its approach, the party risks remaining trapped in a cycle of outrage, isolation and irreversible loss. The question, once again, is not whether grievances exist, but whether there is a strategy to address them.
