The ongoing political crisis has invited much political analysis from people of all ages, genders, statuses and backgrounds. But people refuse to see the situation for what it really is. They would much rather argue whether or not Nawaz is corrupt and should be removed or if Imran Khan is or isn't the leader Pakistan actually needs.
But all of that is completely irrelevant.
The question is not whether one supports Imran or if one is siding with Nawaz but whether a man, along with his supporters, has the right to demand the resignation of a prime minister and the dissolution of all assemblies by basing his calls on unproven claims of rigging in a few of the constituencies.
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Also, would it be right for a prime minister to resign over unverified claims of rigging or any other claims for that matter? Would it be right to dissolve all assemblies that contain members from other political parties as well?
The question at heart is bigger than who out of Imran Khan or Nawaz Sharif is better. It is: What gives a certain group the right to impose its opinion on the other?
It is Imran's demand that because certain constituencies were allegedly rigged, all assemblies be dissolved, the prime minister resign, and elections be held again. And although this demand came after Imran brought the issue to the government's attention on a number of occasions in the past, there are many who disagree with his approach.
What has also become clear in the past several days is that there is no other political party in any of the assemblies that agrees with Imran's demands. And it wouldn't be wrong to say that there are countless ordinary civilians, including PTI supporters, who disagree with this approach.
The main argument of those who support Imran's demands are that they have tried all means of justice; they say they have gone to all the courts and have taken every measure possible and no other option is left anymore. But if Imran has tried all possible routes and has failed, the smart thing to do would be to put pressure on the right points, such as calling for the setting up of an impartial investigating agency to look into the matter and holding re-elections in constituencies where rigging is proven.
Another argument used by Imran's supporters is that as long as Nawaz is in power, it's impossible to conduct a fair and independent investigation. This line of thinking is also baseless because if Nawaz can rig the elections without being in government, why should being out of office stop him from influencing an investigation?
One can now only wonder what the next PTI demand will be and if the party will put some faith in the country's institutions because I do believe that with the pressure of civil society and the national media, an investigation into rigging can be conducted fairly.
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What has also been viewed is the lament by Imran and his supporters that the law is only invoked when the PTI chairman tries to do the right thing and not when the other parties are allegedly getting away with their corruption.
However, is Imran following the law by asking for Nawaz’s resignation? Especially because that means denial of my right to live under my elected government.
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Coming back to the people of Pakistan, here is my plea to you: forget which political party you support and critically think about the following questions:
Is it right to demand the dissolution of assemblies over unverified claims of rigging on a few seats? Is it right to want to deny others their rights because one doesn’t agree with the outcome of an election?
Imran may have the right intentions but it’s hard to tell where he’s headed, and given the kind of havoc that can result from this approach even as unintended consequence, one cannot help but see that the ends here cannot justify the means.