The PTI has once again chosen the streets as its main instrument of political pressure, calling for a nationwide protest on September 27. The party has criticised the authorities’ refusal to allow regular meetings with Imran Khan, arguing that open lines of communication could have improved the broader political climate considerably. The PTI has also criticised the Punjab government over its crackdown on party workers and raids on the homes of party leaders, and what it calls the continued denial of constitutional and democratic rights, suppression of peaceful political activity and increasing attacks on political workers. These are serious allegations and, in a democracy, there is nothing wrong with peaceful protest. It is the democratic right of every individual, group, organisation and political party. But the question is whether another confrontation will achieve what the PTI wants. Observers believe the September 27 protest may not attract the numbers the PTI expects. The November 26, 2024 protest and its aftermath have left many workers wary of the consequences of marching towards Islamabad. Some also point out that former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur was more familiar with the provincial machinery and knew how to deploy it during such protests. More importantly, the state appears unwilling to allow the PTI to conduct protests as it did in the past. This increasingly confrontational relationship contributed to the violence witnessed during the November 2024 mobilisation. The PTI’s reliance on street protests as a pressure tactic has consequently become less effective. When protests turn violent, the state responds with force, further reducing the party’s political space.
PTI may also be making a more cautious calculation. Some observers believe its leadership does not want to directly take on the state because it is seeking relief for Imran Khan, particularly regarding his health and the restoration of regular meetings with family, lawyers and party members. When the Supreme Court ordered Imran’s medical checkup at Shifa International Hospital, the PTI reportedly interpreted this as a possible signal of relief and political space. But when the former prime minister was instead taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), confusion followed. Reports suggest there remains uncertainty within PTI ranks over the mixed signals they have received, which may explain the caution over what the party will actually do on September 27. Some in the PTI believe they need to clear the air with the establishment rather than negotiate with the government. There are also rumours of backdoor contacts through Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. But mistrust remains high.
A more practical route would be for the PTI, with the joint opposition, to initiate meaningful, broad-based dialogue with the government. Parliament offers a more legitimate and potentially productive arena for resolving political disputes. Such dialogue would not mean surrender by either side. It would recognise that political conflicts cannot be resolved indefinitely through arrests, restrictions, street mobilisation and force. The government also has an interest in dialogue. Suppressing political activity may contain protests temporarily but cannot resolve the underlying political conflict. The PTI has used street politics repeatedly, but its returns are diminishing. If it wants sustainable political space and relief for Imran Khan, it may be time to recognise that dialogue, rather than protest, is the only way forward.
