The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI)’s recent protest in Islamabad resulted in several fatalities among police officers and protesters, escalating the party’s conflict with both the government and the influential military.
Last month, the party announced a “do or die” march on the capital, dubbed the “Final Call.” This protest seemingly aimed to secure the release of PTI founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who remains imprisoned on various terrorism and corruption charges. Despite a ban by the Islamabad High Court on political activities in the capital — due to the impending visits of the Belarusian president and a Chinese delegation — the PTI proceeded with the march.
The party chose to disregard the court orders to pressure the government and the military. Their goal seemed to be gaining concessions in the ongoing legal cases and creating an environment conducive to resuming negotiations with the military by applying pressure on the institution.
The PTI’s march reached Democracy Square in the capital, adjacent to critical government buildings and the diplomatic enclave. In response to the gathering of PTI workers, the government took action to disperse them, which the party absurdly condemned as an attempt to massacre its supporters.
Following the departure of PTI supporters from Islamabad, their social media teams unleashed a barrage of misleading AI-generated images portraying the streets drenched in blood, falsely claiming that hundreds had died due to police intervention. Meanwhile, PTI leaders based abroad rallied their supporters, insisting that this was a crucial moment to dismantle the system and urging them to stand ready to sacrifice everything for the cause.
PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan, who did not take part in the “do or die” march, rejected social media claims of “hundreds of deaths,” emphasizing the need for responsible statements.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan seems determined to use the party’s ability to use social media to incite instability against the government and state institutions, further isolating space for his party domestically. Moreover, his hopes for intervention from the United States government or other nations to secure his release are diminishing with each violent protest.
For instance, during the “do or die” protest, Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, claimed on social media that Saudi Arabia allegedly influenced the ousting of the PTI government. This claim comes after numerous allegations by the party claiming that the U.S. also played a role in Khan’s removal from power.
According to government sources, PTI protests during Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko’s recent visit prompted him to question Pakistani leaders about “who benefits from such chaos,” especially since the protests occurred in the vicinity of his meeting.
The conflict between the PTI and the government has decisively escalated following the recent protest in Islamabad. A court in Rawalpindi has formally indicted Khan and several other party leaders for their involvement in the attack on the army’s headquarters during the May 9, 2023, protests.
Earlier this week, the army conducted a Formation Commanders Conference where it condemned misleading social media campaigns that alleged protester killings during the PTI protest. The army described these campaigns as a “preplanned, coordinated, and premeditated” effort to create discord between the military and the public. The meeting seemingly also conveyed a message to PTI supporters, emphasizing that the institution will continue to serve the nation and the public without “bias or political affiliation.”
Furthermore, military leaders have demanded that the government take decisive action against those responsible for spreading fake news. In light of these developments, the government is taking steps to amend cybercrime laws to effectively tackle the issue of disinformation.
On the other hand, Khan seems resolute in his incitement efforts. Perhaps he sees stirring instability as his only means to evade prison and reclaim power. Khan called for a major gathering in Peshawar on December 13 to honor those he asserts were killed by the government authorities during the Islamabad protests.
Khan has also announced the formation of a five-member negotiation committee tasked with demanding two crucial actions from the federal government: the immediate release of PTI protesters currently on trial and the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the crackdowns on PTI supporters during the protests on May 9, 2023 and November 26, 2024.
He has made it clear that if these demands are not met, he will launch a civil disobedience movement on December 14, holding the government accountable for any consequences that arise from this significant action.
Pakistan finds itself in a severe political deadlock, a situation worsened by a major political party that actively incites unrest and spreads fake news to discredit state institutions and the government.
On the other hand, the government and military appear reluctant to seek compromise with Imran Khan, who is increasingly viewed as untrustworthy.
Currently, breaking this deadlock through reconciliation seems unlikely. Instead, there is a growing concern that the situation could descend into violence, coercion, and other forms of pressure in the coming weeks.
What will be the cost of such turbulence for Pakistan?