THE PTI’s ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’, which it plans to commence from Lahore on Wednesday, Feb 22, will be an acid test of the party’s as yet untested street power. There is no denying that the party is capable of pulling large crowds for its jalsas in most major cities of the country. However, there is a major difference between asking supporters to brave a few hours of hassle to hear their leaders speak and expecting them to commit to spending an indefinite length of time behind bars. Will the supporters deliver?
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It may be recalled that, just over a decade ago, the PTI had been mocked relentlessly after one of its supporters had complained on camera about facing off with the police while protesting on a hot day. “How are we to bring about a revolution if the police keep beating us up?” he had asked the nation. Has the party’s support base finally outgrown this youthful naiveté? It remains to be seen.
Another equally important question is whether Mr Khan really believes he can pull off a ‘jail bharo’ movement or whether he is just pushing yet another button to prompt the establishment to intervene. He has lately seemed quite averse to spending any time behind bars, having filed bail pleas in multiple courts. In case the movement kicks off in earnest, he would be expected to lead from the front. Is he ready to make that sacrifice for his political goals? Yet another question concerns the grounds on which PTI supporters will court arrest. The police can only take them in custody if they have broken some law; so which law will it be?
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There is clearly a lot that remains up in the air as the party embarks on its new adventure. Yet, however tempting it may seem for the government to seize this opportunity to clamp down on the PTI, it would be better served by exercising restraint. The PDM government, and especially the PML-N, have done themselves no favours by acting with aggression while continuing to bungle basic governance and economic management. They will gain nothing by vitiating the political environment further with a heavy-handed response. Instead of making more unforced errors that may give their rival’s narrative another fillip, they would be best served by simply sitting back and letting events take their course.
Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2023