The PTI has lost a lot of ground in the last 1.5 years, but it is also concerning that the party does not appear to be backing down from its harsh politics. Instead, its founder has continued to receive concessions while incarcerated in several situations. Once again, the tone and tenor of the party gathering in Islamabad yesterday, particularly that of Ali Amin Gandapur, the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, demonstrated that this party was founded on an antagonistic and confrontational ideology.
When the Chief Minister spoke to opponents and state institutions, the civilized people could not have imagined that the Chief Executive of a province could have used the same tone. The CM’s claim that he was given a deadline by Almighty to secure his founder’s release also seems extremely odd.
The next day, when the chief minister “went to Islamabad” and his spokesperson broke the news of his arrest or “abduction” without confirming it, the panic that gripped the entire country was over. The irony is that all the important leaders, including the founder, without knowing the facts, created a very irresponsible narrative of the “Missing Chief Minister” and left no stone unturned to discredit the important state institutions as usual, and the leaders, ministers openly incited their workers to prepare the battlefield for the recovery of the “Missing Chief Minister.”
The nation’s terror subsided the following day when the chief minister “went to Islamabad” and his spokesperson announced his detention or “abduction” without providing any confirmation. Ironically, all the prominent leaders—including the founder—without having access to the facts spun a reckless story about the “Missing Chief Minister” and did everything in their power to undermine the status quo of key state institutions. The leaders and ministers even openly encouraged their staff to set up a front to rescue the “Missing Chief Minister.”
Later that night, the Chief Minister’s brother-in-law and a member of the National Assembly broke the “good news” to his employees and the people on X that the Chief Minister had departed from Islamabad for Peshawar. The Minister also stated in his X-post that Ali Amin had traveled to Gandapur to attend a critical meeting. What are the facts, and what information does the chief minister provide regarding all of this?
In any case, it remains to be seen who will make up for the degree of anti-state fanaticism that was released following the Chief Minister’s “mysterious disappearance” and what measures will be taken against those who incited the workers on May 9.
Regretfully, in addition to spreading inaccurate information, the mainstream media also made an effort to handle everything in an extremely lighthearted way. Instead, fear and thought-provoking remarks based on presumptions were also expressed.
The parties must acknowledge the difficulties confronting the nation and eschew their custom of stubbornness, retaliation, and blame-game mentalities, which aim to exacerbate tensions by boosting a leader’s popularity. They ought to be dissuaded because, historically, people who have treated the state with contempt have faced dire repercussions, and, heaven forbid, the popular leader should be executed like some other notable figures in history. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister had to go above and beyond the call of duty; he should not only think twice about his combative and apolitical demeanor but also concentrate on finding solutions to the province’s difficulties while he carried out his moral and political obligations.