Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman, Imran Khan addresses to public meeting held at Shahi Bagh in Peshawar. Photo: Awais Khan
by Muhammad Ali Raza 1 April 2023
Pakistan has been facing a greater level of political and economic instability since the dismissal of former Prime Minister Imran. The PTI chief has been removed from office on 9 April, through the vote of a no-confidence motion in Parliament. The vote of no-confidence motion was brought by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). PDM is a joint movement made by Pakistani political parties who were mainly in opposition then. However, later on, the PTI’s coalition parties in government also defected to the PTI and joined the PDM which led the PTI leader to lose its vote confidence in Parliament.
PTI has been adopting the far-right political ideology on the political spectrum. Far-right political parties are often called right-wing extremist parties. Due to their extremist views, these parties are usually used to describe the experiences of fascism. Parties that lie on the far right of the political spectrum don’t believe in their governments. These parties often promote political violence and challenge the state’s writ for national rejuvenation. Far-right or fascist ideologies pursuing usually advocate a one-party state. They demonize their opposition and always prefer their interest irrespective of the consequences that their interest will bring on. As they view their community in a state of decay facilitated by the ruling elites, far-right members portray themselves as a natural, sane, and alternative elite, with the redemptive mission of saving society from its promised doom. They reject both their national political system and the global geopolitical order (including their institutions and values, e.g. political liberalism and egalitarian humanism) which are presented as needing to be abandoned or purged of their impurities so that the “redemptive community” can eventually leave the current phase of liminal crisis to usher in the new era. The community itself is idealized through great archetypal figures as they glorify non-rationalistic and non-materialistic values such as the youth or the cult of the dead.
Pakistan’s current political situation is the result of these fascist and far-right ideas of one party. PTI wants itself to be the center of the axis it is why since the dismissal of the PTI leader from the Prime Minister’s seat it is continuously changing its narrative. PTI leader Imran khan from USA’s conspiracy to malign state institutions and now criticizing the current government for his removal. PTI chief on various occasions criticized Pakistan Democratic Movement for conspiring with a foreign power to expel him from office because he was not serving the foreign power’s interests. According to the chairman of PTI, our ruling elite is the root cause of the country’s economic downfall. According to Imran khan, the only solution to the country’s problem is his party for which government should hold an early election. He is advocating categorically a single-party government while demonizing his opposition parties as corrupt and dishonest. He has been using his charismatic personality to attract people to political gatherings and to securitize the political narrative that only he and his party can bring out the country from this crisis.
For the past few months, PTI has been adopting political violence in its policy in which it has been challenging the writ of the state and its institution by criticizing them and taking the law into their hands. This month of March especially witnessed violent clashes between state institutions and the PTI political workers which resulted in vandalism and damage to public and Government properties. These clashes also result in the obstruction of law. Moreover, clashes between violent political workers and law enforcement agencies resulted in the deaths of political workers and injuries on both sides. The vehemence of clashes proliferates when the use of flammable material is made by violent workers and it increased the amount of crevasse.
PTI has to reweigh its political ideology which is evolving perilously for the state and its society. The rising number of violent clashes has also been worrisome for the common masses as it affects their lives directly or indirectly. PTI should embrace political tolerance to embracing other political parties rather than demonizing them and portraying itself only solution for the Pakistan predicament. Let the current Government complete its term and should equip itself for the general election of 2023. Because political violent ideology is not conceivable for the state of Pakistan and its society it will ultimately deteriorate the circumstances more than currently, they are.