It was a sad week for Pakistan. Sad because we, as Pakistanis, have never been so fiercely divided as we are today. Be it politicians, state institutions, and even the common man, a line has clearly been drawn. In this whole scenario, innocent lives were lost, public property destroyed, and law enforcement personnel attacked. In short, Pakistan is bleeding, much to the delight of our neighbor on the eastern border.
It was most unfortunate to see two Pakistanis-one from the PTI and the other from the PML-N-on the show of Arnab Goswami on an Indian channel, abusing each other, much to the amusement of the Indian panelists. It was a shameful sight.
But what makes one fail to understand is why do Pakistanis appear on the show of someone whose hatred for Pakistan is so evident. Anyways, let’s leave this debate for some other day.
Meanwhile, after days of total chaos, a tense calm prevails in the country. Following Imran Khan’s dramatic arrest from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) by Rangers, PTI supporters had come out in full force. Clashes with law enforcement personnel ensued, public property was damaged, and vehicles were set on fire. As many as eight people were killed during the protests.
The Supreme Court had to step in and declare Imran’s arrest illegal. The apex court also asked the PTI chairman to appear before the IHC, and on Friday, the high court resumed hearing Imran Khan’s bail plea in the Al-Qadir Trust case. The high court’s division bench comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz then granted the former prime minister two-week bail in the case, saying that he was free to go.
The court also stopped the relevant authorities from arresting him till May 17 in any case registered against him after May 9 in the jurisdiction of Islamabad. During the hearing, Justice Aurangzeb inquired from the PTI chief whether he condemned the violence that resulted after his arrest, to which his lawyer replied in the affirmative. The judge then asked Imran Khan to submit a declaration in this regard to the court.
The incumbent government is however fuming. A number of ministers, while addressing press conferences, questioned the apex court’s favorable treatment of the former prime minister. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the Supreme Court’s relief to Imran was “nothing but an NRO”. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Imran would be arrested again if he failed to get bail in all the cases registered against him. PTI lawyer Babar Awan, on the other hand, alleged that a police team from Lahore was on its way to Islamabad to arrest Imran in new cases.
He claimed that there were two to three persons in the incumbent administration who feared for their jobs if Imran Khan was released. Therefore, Punjab police had been called to Islamabad. He once again reiterated that there were threats to Imran’s life.
One sad thing from this entire episode is that doors of dialogue seem to be shut for now as can be ascertained from the statement of Defence Minister Khawaja Asif who has not ruled out imposing an emergency in the country. There are also talks of banning the PTI and disqualifying Imran. The situation would only worsen if there is even an iota of truth in this. The anger that spilled out on the streets after Imran’s arrest is in front of us.
