Walled in
All hail Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for its persistent display of vision and wisdom. Here we were, all of us, united in our ignorance, adamant to prove that issues such as terrorism, economy, misgovernance and corruption demand our undivided attention. We were wrong to believe that Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, is held hostage by its law and order situation, rising religious militancy and ruthless politics. But, thanks to PTI, we have now seen the light. The root of all evils is the “Berlin wall” in the city. The less dramatic and considerably less misguided know it as the Bilawal House wall. And, it is this very wall that the PTI desires to run into, and bring it down with the sheer power of thick skulls.
On Sunday, workers of PTI and PPP clashed as the former held a protest outside Bilawal House against the wall. Police joined in and baton-charged workers of both parties. With the local bodies elections approaching, one wonders whether the spectacle helped voters decide which one of the two sides quarrelling over a wall they would elect, to better their difficult lives. There should be no doubt that the PTI is right in principle as far as this particular issue is concerned. The structure is indeed a public nuisance and the courts have declared its construction illegal. But, let us not for a moment pretend that this barricade culture is exclusive to PPP.
There are countless similar structures, which surround the residences of various high-profile personalities, many amongst them who face a far less imminent threat to life, compared to Mr Bilawal Bhutto. They say that timing is everything in politics.
The fact that the PTI appears to be concentrating all its energy and anger on a single structure, just after Mr Bilawal’s address which criticized Mr Imran Khan’s apologetic stance on terrorism, raises serious doubts over the motives behind its latest ‘mission’. Is it being done to ease the lives of ordinary commuters, or to make Mr Bilawal’s life difficult? Perhaps, a little caution should be exercised considering the reports that allege Mr Khan’s own residence in Bani Gala is not CDA approved. It is understandable that the party leadership needs to keep its ‘passionate’ crowd indulged in one ‘cause’ or the other. It’s clearly addicted to opposition. And, it is from the self-cultivated sentiment of blatantly obvious self-righteousness and victimhood it derives its momentum from. It cannot and will not work for too long. Sooner or later, everyone will get tired. PTI is assured that it doesn’t stand on the moral high ground it believes it does, and its ongoing displays of selective outrage and vigilantism fool no one.
On Sunday, workers of PTI and PPP clashed as the former held a protest outside Bilawal House against the wall. Police joined in and baton-charged workers of both parties. With the local bodies elections approaching, one wonders whether the spectacle helped voters decide which one of the two sides quarrelling over a wall they would elect, to better their difficult lives. There should be no doubt that the PTI is right in principle as far as this particular issue is concerned. The structure is indeed a public nuisance and the courts have declared its construction illegal. But, let us not for a moment pretend that this barricade culture is exclusive to PPP.
There are countless similar structures, which surround the residences of various high-profile personalities, many amongst them who face a far less imminent threat to life, compared to Mr Bilawal Bhutto. They say that timing is everything in politics.
The fact that the PTI appears to be concentrating all its energy and anger on a single structure, just after Mr Bilawal’s address which criticized Mr Imran Khan’s apologetic stance on terrorism, raises serious doubts over the motives behind its latest ‘mission’. Is it being done to ease the lives of ordinary commuters, or to make Mr Bilawal’s life difficult? Perhaps, a little caution should be exercised considering the reports that allege Mr Khan’s own residence in Bani Gala is not CDA approved. It is understandable that the party leadership needs to keep its ‘passionate’ crowd indulged in one ‘cause’ or the other. It’s clearly addicted to opposition. And, it is from the self-cultivated sentiment of blatantly obvious self-righteousness and victimhood it derives its momentum from. It cannot and will not work for too long. Sooner or later, everyone will get tired. PTI is assured that it doesn’t stand on the moral high ground it believes it does, and its ongoing displays of selective outrage and vigilantism fool no one.
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