Pakistan - The Way Of Violence

In Pakistan, be it common people or workers of political parties, protesting peacefully has always presented itself a challenge that they’ve struggled to overcome. Many believed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a relatively new entrant in the scene, would breakaway from tradition and usher in a civilised culture of politics. First, it disappointed by championing troll politics, abusing and maligning anyone and everyone on social media, who dared to criticise its leadership and policies. What’s more troubling is the way it has behaved during its campaign against the government. As a result of political calculation or desperation, the PTI has repeatedly resorted to violence in an attempt to pressurise the government and lend credibility to its movement.
This also speaks volumes about our society and the system that governs it. Peaceful protest is seen as ineffective, which hardly ever prompts action. Unless something is burnt to the ground or someone is killed, no one acknowledges that there is a problem that needs to be addressed urgently. But this still does not justify violence. If that is indeed our culture, political parties are supposed to reform it, improve it, and not use it as an excuse to further their political agendas. Courts don’t always dispense justice, yet we don’t give individuals the right to take the law in their hands, and rightly so.
Plan C is an inherently violent plan as it calls for shutting down cities, and the planners understand that perfectly well. Unless an overwhelming majority of people do not volunteer to shut their city down, the party will have to rely on force for implementation; exactly what we witnessed in Faisalabad. PTI workers will either find themselves clashing with the Police, workers of the ruling party or the common people. It is unfortunate that the PTI leadership is willing to sacrifice the lives of its well-meaning and trusting workers to achieve political goals. The murder of Haq Nawaz has been mourned but it has also been celebrated.
Sheikh Rasheed feels that the movement is now unstoppable since sacred blood has been spilled. Imran Khan has promised that the sacrifice will not go to waste. Such blatant political point scoring over the murder of a young man is truly deplorable. The way the PTI rushed to display Haq Nawaz’s political affiliation and even his body, which it carried to Rana Sanaullah’s residence probably without the permission of the deceased’s parents and the haste with which a man who can only be seen firing a pistol was held guilty of his murder on the media and the court of public opinion, highlights that violence and its aftermath is being employed as a legitmate political tool. What’s worse is that there is a violent party in power. An unreasonable, violent opposition clashing with a short-sighted, violent government will only lead to more carnage, which can just as easily be avoided as it is all set in motion unless it’s too late.