Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf – the largest political party in the country stands broken, fractured and torn apart with a clearly chalked out strategy. However, analysis on one interesting factor is still to be voiced. The truth is that it’s not just PTI, even the Muslim League Nawaz stands shattered. The actions are different. Imran Khan has had to witness the breaking of his own party due to his clash with the military, which is why PTI is being eliminated through the use of state violence. On the other hand, the Nawaz League, as a result of cooperation with the military, has lost the support of the people from within. Imran Khan has at least the excuse of becoming a political martyr, of being called oppressed. The N-League has lost its political ground in the Imran-Military saga. Thus, in the end, the only political party that has gained power is known as the Ministry of Agriculture in common parlance.
To begin with, Imran Khan did not have any confrontation with the military. He came to power through internal arrangements within the military establishment. After losing power, he initiated campaigns or measures that proved to be very costly for him. He failed to understand that he cannot immediately return to power. As a result, some of his supporters and commentators thought that he had turned against the military. Before attaining power, even the Muslim League Nawaz chanted slogans of respecting the vote and temporarily succeeded in expanding its popular base. From time to time, the Pakistan Peoples Party also dons the mantle of opposing the military. In the end, everyone is willing to serve the military for the sake of power. What is the reason for this?
The most important reason for this is that right-wing capitalist parties are more focused on seeking shortcuts and power consolidation rather than internal democracy and external popular support from the people, because these parties are more dynastically motivated rather than being politically driven. In the case of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, it takes on the form of personality worship. Therefore, expecting these parties to strengthen democracy in the country is equivalent to knocking on the wrong door.
Can support be extended to the breaking of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf? This question itself is incorrect. Democracy was never strengthened in the first place with the manufacturing of this party nor has it been damaged by its breaking. From the perspective of the public, there is no harm done to democracy as a result of its disintegration. If democracy is to be strengthened, it requires working at the grassroots level. This is a challenging task.
Therefore, many liberals, leftists, activists, or intellectuals who remain active on social media sometimes criticise this party as being ‘anti-military,’ while at other times they defend its ‘democratic rights.’ Working at the grassroots level means forming trade unions, organising social movements, creating alternative media outlets, organising students at the school and college level, organising farmers at the village level, and collaborating with existing organisations. Democracy is not just a mere election. Democracy is the name of organisation building.
So, should support be extended to the oppression of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers? Absolutely Yes! Whether it is the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, humanitarian and democratic rights should never be violated. However, this does not mean that progressive workers should become spokespersons or sympathisers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or any other party.
If you are a progressive political worker and you criticise the actions of the state that are affecting the democratic rights of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, then it is also necessary to take a stance at that moment that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf itself is an anti-democratic party. If the American intervention in Afghanistan was completely wrong, that did not mean one can support the Taliban. There is always a third narrative which is balanced and democratically motivated which is to call spade-a-spade, no matter what.
