So now we all know what Imran Khan actually wanted to achieve. Now we know it was never about transparency or accountability. We know it was neither about the rule of law nor about the establishment of democracy.

It was about politics and power. More importantly, it was about one political party and one politician; PML-N and Nawaz Sharif.

Panama papers exposed not only Sharif family or a few Pakistani politicians and some judges rather it played an instrumental role in national politics of many countries across the world. But majority of Pakistanis know only about Pakistan, and in Pakistan it is only the Sharif family that has been the target of the Panama Papers. This is factually untrue.

Like Imran Khan every sane citizen of Pakistan wanted to know a few things after Panama Papers saga; how these politicians and judges made money and were able to establish such large business empires out of Pakistan? How money was transferred from Pakistan? And more importantly, who did what?

Being a popular opposition leader Imran Khan started questioning the ruling party, and threatened to organize nationwide dharna once again if the government did not clarify the matter. Nawaz Sharif wisely sensed the situation and addressed the nation twice. He also came in the National Assembly to clarify his position.

But neither Nawaz’s speeches nor his presence in the National Assembly could pacify the angry Imran.

In a politically critical scenario the Supreme Court of Pakistan decided to take up the matter and assured Imran that justice would not only be done but it would also be shown to the nation. Imran agreed with the court. He cancelled the call and didn’t lock up the federal capital.

The court then decided to form a Joint Investigation Committee (JIT) to further collect the evidence in order to make everything clear and open. The JIT is working on its given task these days.

What went wrong during this process of politics, power and justice is important to be understood. The logic Imran Khan-led PTI offered us to hold accountable the prime minister was very simple; everyone is equal before the law.

Is it so? Does law ensure equality in theory and practice? Does law both at national as well as international level treat every member equally? Probably not!

Does the application of law for every individual is the same? Does the law treat a sitting judge and a guy in the street in the same manner? Are there any immunities? How about the president and governors of the country? Aren’t they extraordinary people?

Everyone is not equal before the law. Some are equal, some are more equal and others less equal. There can’t be an absolute equality before the law. What if an ordinary citizen files a case against the president of the country for some very ordinary reason? Do we expect the president to stand before the court?

There is an inequality before the law. And that is exactly what the liberals used to call the State as a necessary evil. Inequality before the law is a necessary evil.

Interestingly, PTI believes in equality of law but still wishes to hold the prime minister accountable at first. They never asked for anytrial against other politicians or judges because they believe that it should be from top to bottom which means PTI believes there is a concept of hierarchy in the implementation of law and not of absolute equality. This is the reflection of PTI’s self-contradictory political position.

The saddest part of the story is not about the flawed and Utopian PTI logic to drag the Sharif family to the court rather the way PTI top leadership took the superior court’s verdict and the formation and working of the JIT.

First, Imran Khan and PTI are reluctant to read out the complete order of the court. PTI believes the dissenting notes of the two judges to be the final word of the court. This is naïve to think in this way and to fool the nation.

Second, JIT’s formation by the court is for a reason and that reason is not what PTI believes it to be. The task given to the JIT is not to determine who is guilty and who is not rather its only task is to collect the evidence. But ostensibly PTI considers the JIT some sort of trial court.

Third, if the prime minister himself and his family members are being summoned by the JIT it does not imply in any way that they are guilty too. Dismayingly, PTI and its top leadership are so certain to portray an image of the Sharif family as if they are proven guilty.

The celebration of PTI’s leadership and voters on PM Nawaz’s appearance before the JIT and declaring him as guilty and marking that day as a day of victory for PTI expose a lot. The intention was not to fight against corruption or to maintain what they earlier stated as the rule of law rather the desire was to bring the PM before the JIT and humiliate him. Probably political intention of PTI is to capture more public attention in a softer way and to portray their nemesis Nawaz in a derogatory manner.

Imran Khan has been exposed that his fight was neither against corruption nor about the rule of law. It was simply about one family and perhaps about one person. This self-centered political approach of PTI’s top leadership may seriously damage the national integration of Pakistan in years to come.