The shameful exhibition of defiance against the state and rule of law at Zaman Park Lahore has sent a shudder through the nerves of every law-abiding citizen and the people who can visualise the consequences of such willful actions by a leader who keeps crying hoarse from every convenient rooftop to stress the need for rule of law but misses no opportunity to act otherwise. The PTI unfortunately has turned into a cult vitiating its political credentials. The mayhem that unfolded when the police went to arrest Imran Khan to implement the court orders is unprecedented in the political history of Pakistan. No political leader or party has ever resorted to violence against the state and showed disrespect for the court orders before. They have invariably courted arrests whenever the courts ordered.
The area presented the look of a battlefield where the PTI workers equipped with sticks, clubs and Molotov cocktails put up stiff resistance to thwart attempts by police to arrest Imran Khan. In the process, they damaged property, burnt police vans and injured scores of personnel of the law enforcement agencies. The leaked audio call between Yasmeen Rashid and President Alvi wherein she told the latter that the situation had become very tense as the PTI workers had started throwing petrol bombs at the police and asked him to advise Imran Khan to give in before a greater tragedy unfolds, amply testifies to the reality that the PTI workers came there with full preparation to inflict casualties on police. Her suggestion regarding Imran giving in also revealed the realisation among the party leaders that it was appropriate for Imran Khan to surrender in view of the prevailing circumstances. That suggestion and idea probably did not sink into the minds of those who were hell-bent to exacerbate the situation. Consequently, the stalemate continues to the chagrin of the masses.
I honestly feel that the leadership of PTI, particularly Imran Khan is responsible for what transpired at Zaman Park on Tuesday and even earlier when Islamabad police went there to arrest him. The Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court Amer Farooq rightly observed during the hearing of a petition regarding the cancellation of Imran’s arrest warrants that Tehreek-e-Insaf itself is responsible for whatever is going on in Lahore. He also remarked “At this juncture, it would not be out of place to observe that the law-and-order situation prevailing in Lahore is a sad state of affairs where the state is being prevented to carry out its obligation for complying with the orders of the court. Police were on state duty and attacking them was an attack on the state. Such defiance of the law is not acceptable in any civilised society and the law needs to be adhered to by the citizens/people of any country in general and persons at the helm of affairs particularly. Court had provided relief to Imran Khan when it suspended arrest warrants till 13 March and directed him to appear before the trial court”
I do not think that in view of the remarks of the IHC Chief Justice, any ambiguity is left regarding the prevailing situation. Imran Khan should have appeared before the trial court on 13 March as directed by the IHC but he did not which also is tantamount to contempt of the court. It is interesting to note that Imran as usual continues to lie about the episode. In an interview with BBC on video link from his residence he claimed that the court had given him protective bail till 18 March but the police had arrived four days earlier to arrest him. The remarks of the Chief Justice about the deadline of 13 March amply nullify his claim regarding the date when the court had granted him protective bail. It is really unbelievable.
The regrettable aspect of the matter is that President Alvi in a statement termed the action by the police as a political vendetta knowing fully well that the police were there not on the orders of the government or any political leader but an honourable court where Imran had failed to appear in spite of the directions of IHC. It was indeed a despicable attempt to give a political hue to a legal issue. It is a regrettable reality that Imran has introduced a culture of violence in politics and defiance of the law. His 126-day sit-in in Islamabad which many attributed to a conspiracy to destabilise the incumbent government provides irrefutable proof of his violent antics. The events unfolding recently after his exit from power have corroborated these realities. The edifice of a state and society are built on rule of law which unfortunately is an elusive dream in our beloved land. I really wonder where are we headed and what our so-called leaders want to achieve through undermining the rule of law, and creating anarchy and chaos. The country has suffered tremendously due to the shenanigans of the political elite and it was time that they changed their ways.