Since its ouster from power in Apr 2022, the PTI leadership is in a battling mode. Acting as a victim, it has repeatedly made violent attempts to unseat the govt. The worst attempt was on 09 May 2023.
Each attempt backfired and resulted in the shrinkage of its political space. However, the social media and attractive narratives kept IK’s popularity high and the party alive.
This month, chaos was planned to be triggered to exploit a rape incident in Lahore girls college, which had not occurred and was phony.
Investigations have revealed that PTI controlled social media and miscreants had exploited the fake event based on fake videos uploaded by two girl students of that college. It made all-out efforts to make it into a countrywide protest movement on the model of student protests in Dhaka last July, which had led to the ouster of PM Sheikh Hasina on 5 Aug.
The Lahore chaos was in continuation to the PTI’s efforts to stage protests at D Chowk Isbd on 4-5 Oct and again on 15 Oct. The main purpose was to disrupt SCO and to attract the attention of the world so that IK could be released from prison. Both were foiled, and brought a bad name to the party.
To incite the public and to earn their sympathies, a concocted story was circulated in the media that IK in Adiala jail was being mistreated and slowly poisoned and that his health was deteriorating.
The other behind the propaganda was to remove the bar on visitors, which had been enforced due to the high profile visits in Isbd in Oct and security threats. Doctors and neutral visitors dispelled the erroneous misperception. All his needs are provided as heretofore and given best facilities.
PTI leaders had remained part of the negotiations and approved the draft of passage of 26th Constitutional Amdt, thanks to the efforts of Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Bilawal Bhutto. The Constitutional Court was changed to Benches at PTI’s behest.
However, it took a massive u-turn and chose to boycott the parliament and not to vote on the Amdt. Its confused role, was widely criticized by all segments of the society including some members and followers of the party.
It is paradoxical that PTI rejects the new Amdt but accepts the new CJP who is the direct beneficiary of the 26th Amdt.
PTI affiliated lawyers are now protesting against the reform oriented and people friendly amdts in the constitution, but are in a state of shock after PTI’s Hamid Khan led SCBA lost to Asma Jahangir group in the elections. It is another setback for PTI.
PTI has now planned another series of protests under the guidance of a new protest committee and Sher Afzal Marwat would be the advisor.
Gandapur is being censored by the hawks in PTI and is accused of botching up three attempts. He is looked at with suspicion and many are of the view that he is secretly in touch with the establishment.
Many view the release of Bushra Bibi and the two sisters of IK as part of a deal. It is being propagated that IK will be released by Dec and that the govt will fall.
The PTI’s UK chapter called for a protest outside Middle Temple where a ceremony had been organised on the evening of 30 Oct to appoint ex CJP Faiz Essa and two others as members of the Bench. Middle Temple is among the four top Inns of the UK.
This honor was unacceptable to the Intishari party, since Faiz Essa is in their bad books and is hated by them.
They held former CJP Essa responsible for frustrating their attempt to regain power with the help of 8 Supreme Court judges, six IHC judges, sizable segment of legal fraternity, and the foreign patrons. Blaming others for their misfortunes is an old tradition of PTI.
PTI was already roiling in shame after their icon IK was ousted by the Oxford University for the seat of a chancellor because of his tainted past record.
Picking up Faiz Essa along with Prof. Adrian Briggs, Isabel Hitching and Nikki Singla by this prestigious Inn was a matter of pride for Pakistan and its people, but not for the deranged cult followers of PTI.
A smear campaign was launched against him soon after his elevation 13 months ago, painting him as a devil incarnate. For PTI, Saqib Nisar, Asif Saeed Khosa and Bandial were excellent judges, since they had set aside all norms of justice to benefit IK and his party.
PTI eagerly waited for the retirement of CJP Faiz Essa on 25 Oct and takeover by their favoured justice Mansoor Ali Shah. 26th Constitutional Amdt dashed their dreams. Justice Yahya Afridi was appointed the new CJP by the parliament.
Essa declined extension in service, and an official farewell dinner to avoid expenses, didn’t reply to the toxic letter written by superseded Mansoor Ali, or passed any adverse comments in his closing address. Overall, his tenure was constructive and he behaved gracefully.
He and his wife flew to London in Economy Class on 29 Oct without any protocol. He was made fun of and it was maliciously conjectured that he didn’t have the courage to stay on in the country after his retirement even for a day.
It was upsetting for them to learn that their most hated man was being honoured by the UK’s Middle Temple. To give vent to their ego and injured feelings, the known miscreants of PTI like Shayan Ali were tasked to attack Faiz Essa after the ceremony was over and he, accompanied by his wife and Pakistan’s High Commissioner were on their way out. Zulfi Bukhari was the chief organiser.
Out of 80 protestors, 8 held on and they chanted slogans, banged the Embassy car with fists, tried to open the door, all in the bid to create a scene and to mar the celebrations.
Pakistan Govt has rightly decided to take stern action against the culprits through Pakistan’s HC and the British Govt. It has decided to block their ID cards and passports, register FIRs and revoke their citizenships.
This pattern of hooliganism by a trained UK group has been in vogue in London since 2020. They used to perform this ritual two times a day in front of Nawaz Sharif flat in London regularly, when he was living in self-imposed exile, or whenever he ventured to move out of his apartment. Judge Dilawar and other PML N leaders were also rough-handled and booed by them.
Likewise the PTI- USA Chapter resorts to similar dirty tactics to defame the country. They and the absconding journalists are paid for the services rendered.
PTI is a house divided, rived in rifts and infighting, and the so-called leaders have lost their sense of purpose and sensibility, and they behave like unguided missiles. Their behaviour is abusive, uncouth, crass and uncivilised, and is violence prone. All unruly acts including the 9 May arson and London protest are defended and justified.
The party has divorced itself from political, democratic and constitutional norms, and has shredded rule of law. Decency, morals, values and ethics are not found in their body chemistry.
Its policies revolve around confrontation, non- cooperation, spreading hatred, abuses, taunts, accusations, character assassination of opponents, intransigence, violence and blaming the victims for their sins.
Among the leading lights, none advise prudence and sanity. There is no dilution in cultish cultish and there is no change in the perception of cult followers about their cult leader, whom they regard as a Messiah and above reproach.
Due to its anti-state stance, PTI is fast receding into oblivion, and it seems that its future will be similar to the MQM under Altaf Hussain.
