Pakistan is facing a political crisis of proportions perhaps never witnessed before in its history. Political rivalries have reached a point where there is literally no space for compromise through dialogue. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, apart from when it suits him and his party, has always given preference to a confrontational style of politics rather than conventional parliamentary democracy. As a result of consistently and unapologetically expressing a personal level of disdain for the former opposition, he has created a severely polarized society and this reality has expectedly started to hit home. A protest outside former PM Imran Khan’s ex-wife’s London home targeting her children has been arranged by the PML-N for today. That her residential address has been mentioned on online advertisements is highly condemnable and dangerous. Not only has she remained relatively a-political since her divorce from Imran Khan, she has managed to successfully shield her children from the worst of what their father’s political life would surely bring upon them. This is also perhaps why neither of the sons is on social media.
Similar protests and demonstrations that have at times led to violent fights have been witnessed outside the residence of Mian Nawaz Sharif’s London residence over the years, arranged and led by PTI’s UK chapter. PML-N leader Abid Sher Ali, who is arranging the protest for today and has been in self-exile in London for over two years, was the target of obscene abuse by a PTI worker at a restaurant last year where the former was present with his family. There will be no letup in incidents of ugly, abusive and at times violent demonstrations of hate against political rivals at their personal residences unless both sides agree to draw some lines that are not meant to be crossed. Unfortunately, such a peaceful, logical and mature outcome is very unlikely as politics in Pakistan has, over the past 5-odd years, boiled down to which side can go lower, leading to families and children being dragged into the mix. It is a reprehensible reality that whichever side blinks first, calling off its protests and social media trolls, will be the loser. This is the new reality of discourse in the country where civility and basic decency has no place.
