The PTI has taken two years to reach a dead point. Despite persistent, large, peaceful and chaotic efforts, the party has not been able to ensure the launch of its founder.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s reluctance to participate in the dialogue has only deepened its isolation. It is not clear how much more time the PTI can maintain its resistance, or to what extent its leader is willing to arrive.
So far, pressure and disappointment do not seem broken. But with the organizational capacity of the severely diminished party, questions remain about how long their confrontation with the State can continue.
It was supposed that on August 5 it would mark a symbolic turning point: two years from the arrest of Mr. Khan.
The party, whose ‘final call’ to ensure the release of its leader last November had ended in blood and tears, had been instructed to move again and demonstrate its vigor. From the initial reports, it seems to have been lower.
Will this lead to a reevaluation within the rows of the party, or perhaps even by Mr. Khan himself? It remains to be seen.
What is clear is that the State has responded to each attempt by PTI workers to mobilize with firm resistance and it is likely to continue doing so in the future. The intention seems to be discouraged any agitation by repeatedly demonstrating the uselessness of the latter. However, its strong hand has not won the State greater legitimacy or public favor.
On the contrary, each repression has further away the segments of the public and accelerated the erosion of confidence in institutions. Those who are in power are surely aware of this, but there is a certain resignation to the status quo that no one, especially civil leadership, wishes to challenge. That is why Pakistan seems not to go anywhere; There is no end for the crisis in sight, and this is how things can continue.
The PTI has certainly undergone extraordinary pressure, and many of the actions taken against its leadership seem deeply worrying. Any political party would feel obliged to affirm their rights to such repression.
However, the PTI should also have realized that every failed attempt to challenge the regime would only be emboldened to the latter. The announcement of another protest round last month invited disbelief because the party never seemed to have the strength or strategy to set up a credible challenge. The PTI has long suffered a lack of internal cohesion and organization, and therefore, it seemed fantasy of its leader to trust him with the launch of a blunt movement nationwide when he has never been weaker.
The attempt now seems to have hesitated, and Pakistan remains so full of political stagnation. Without any leverage, the PTI could soon face difficult decisions.
Posted in Dawn, August 6, 2025
