The storming of the Sindh House on Friday, after it emerged that several PTI dissidents have holed up in the building owned by the Sindh government, by PTI supporters is as abhorrent as is the culture of ‘lotacracy’ emerging in the wake of the no-trust motion against the prime minister. TV channels live broadcast the scenes of a handful of PTI workers, led by two PTI MNAs, first protesting outside the building with ‘lotas’ in their hands.
The Sindh House is located in the Red Zone, a heavily fortified area because of the proximity of sensitive state installations, where public gatherings are hardly allowed.
The police and the personnel of other law-enforcement agencies, however, were seen as reluctant guards and helpless bystanders. They allowed the workers to assemble, climb over the walls of the Sindh House, and later breached the building. Thankfully, they stopped harming the ‘holed up’ MNAs. After the damage was done, the Islamabad police woke up to the action, cleared the area, and rounded up 13 people. The opposition has rightly criticised the storming act. PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called the attack an “act of terrorism”, “an attack on Sindh”, “a planned act”, and that “Imran Khan has shown his spite for Sindh by directing [PTI workers] to carry out the attack”.
No doubt, PTI workers are in a rage over the defections of their lawmakers. To rub salt into their wounds, these lawmakers have shamelessly acknowledged their plan to desert the party in the no-trust motion, citing reasons, such as ‘the voice of consciousness” and inflation. They chose not to explain why they did not resign from the party and membership in protest at the government policies. The recent episode shows that the culture of ‘lotacracy’ has returned to assemblies. In fact, the menace never went away, but in the latest episode, it has returned to the shocking level. From time to time, groups of defectors have been manufactured in assemblies in the form of ‘Patriots’ (2002), and PML-Q Like-minded group (2008). PTI Chairman Imran Khan knows well about those hidden and visible hands. This is high time he brought out those powers who fail or install governments. Moreover, the party should stick to democratic principles during these hours. Also, the party has trampled democratic traditions during its three-year rule. It would be wise if the party acknowledge its past sin, and pledged to follow fine norms in the future. The same stands for the opposition too. It should either wait for the completion of the government’s tenure or ask the dissenters to resign from the PTI membership and assemblies and seek a fresh mandate.
