Politics awakens?

THE long, hard summer is coming to an end, and with it, politics seems to be awakening from its hibernation. It may partly have been the end of the summer holiday at parliament, but for once, the politicians are not simply using the new session to blindly vote for legislation. The rundown halls of the big building on Constitution Avenue are witnessing some politicking too, as party delegations connect for discussions and strategising. Even Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who has spent the past two years playing hard to get, seems to be considering a ‘date’. The PPP, too, is, for once, doing more than paying lip service to the idea of sitting together. The rains have rejuvenated far more than the greenery in the capital.

But even the parliamentarians could not take attention away from their neighbours next door. After months of petitions and chatter about Imran Khan’s health, the Supreme Court also held a hearing on the matter. Perhaps this was due to the ‘alarming’ report on his medical well-being which made its way to the judges. It is still a bit unclear who ordered it and why but the court asked for a health check-up and a hospital stay for the former prime minister.

What followed the court’s order was pandemonium. After all, Khan has been locked up and has been out of sight (but not out of mind), since he was arrested before the election. A court order which allowed him to meet his family, consult his doctors and stay in hospital seemed impossible concessions, considering the non-stop messaging about how Khan was not acceptable to those who matter. In this land, where conspiracies rule the roost and even prove to be true at times, everyone, including the PTI, thought something was up. So did the government. Indeed, it seemed the government took a page out of the PTI’s book — in which there is more contradiction than agreement.

The government was proved right as the order was not implemented the way many assumed — Khan took a road trip to hospital and then back to Adiala. But it was not the hospital the court had ordered nor did he get to consult his own doctor. So, what happened and what went wrong?

Co-option cannot happen at the level of high politics without also including the people.

After all, our courts do not give orders which will not be implemented. That really isn’t how Constitution Avenue works. No wonder some went so far as to think that the hearing came after some behind-the-scenes understanding. And of course, those who believe such fairy-tales then also argued that, at the last minute, someone, somewhere changed their mind.

The finger is being pointed at the government, for it has the most to lose from any ‘relief’ given to the PTI and its leader. But it is worth asking if the PML-N component in Islamabad or Lahore has the power or the space to make such decisions. After all, the manner in which Pakistan is being run, the decision to take Khan to hospital and meet his family could not have been lightly taken or at any unimportant level. And so, if it was scuttled, it was done by someone as powerful as the one who made the original decision.

If we allow for these assumptions, does it mean that there is some disagreement at the top about how to treat the PTI? The answer to this question will be evident once the court hears the PTI’s contempt of court petition and says something about it. The party has already approached the court complaining that the latter’s orders were not implemented. That the petition names government ministers other than Mohsin Naqvi is worth noting.

As an aside, it is interesting that the time period from Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification in the summer of 2017 to the vote of no-confidence in April 2022 is similar to the period from the VONC to the present. A little short of five years. Relief from imprisonment doesn’t necessarily mean the end of all troubles but it does indicate that there is some softening of attitudes, whatever the reason. But to repeat, all of this will become a little clearer if and when the Supreme Court gets around to dealing with the petition.

There is a larger issue here that escapes the attention of those who focus on high politics in Islamabad. And that is of the people, whose support has turned Imran Khan into the force he is. Large parts of this support is linked to the anger the people feel towards the state’s policies of high taxes, an affordability crisis, the lack of security and the absence of economic opportunities. The list may be longer. This anger is why, despite the utter lack of competence displayed by the PTI and the imprisonment of Khan, his popularity has not faded. For people need hope and they have pinned this hope on the cricketer-turned-politician.

If he and his party now reach an understanding with the establishment, as did Nawaz Sharif and the PML-N some years back, what will the people do? This is not a question to be ignored. It is illogical to assume that the anger will dissipate just because Khan is released — even if he returns to power — if the crises facing the populace are not addressed. People will simply dump Khan the way some of them ditched Nawaz Sharif. Will they then still believe in mainstream politics or turn to more extreme options?

Indeed, it is important to understand that co-option cannot happen at the level of high politics without also including the people. Those who think this is possible need to pay a little more attention to what is happening in Balochistan. Parliamentary politics or political parties can be effective only as long as they are linked to and carry the people along. The PTI and those engaging the party should remember this.

The writer is a journalist.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2026