Islamabad, Pakistan: Trying to subjugate opponents and even state institutions by using mob mentality is part and parcel of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) politics of chaos. Attacking others without reason verbally or sometimes physically is the art PTI is mastered. However, sometimes it does not work when the opponent is fearless and mentally strong enough to decide to counter the attack. PTI failed to get results from the May 9, 2023 incidents when it attacked military installations and related buildings including the monuments of martyrs. On October 2, 2024, it again failed when it tried to do a May 9 of Judiciary.
On October 2, 2024, PTI’s counsel, Tayyab Mustafain Kazmi, threatened the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court during the Article 63A hearing that 500 PTI lawyers were standing outside, ready to prevent any ruling against the PTI. Instead of ignoring this threat, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who was presiding over the bench, swiftly responded by calling for police to maintain order and told PTI lawyer that institutions cannot be run through threats. He added that his (Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa) only fault was that he had always shown patience.
Chief Justice Isa remained firm to continue the proceedings despite the threatening tone of PTI’s lawyer and passed the observations that the court would not tolerate threats or disrespect.
PTI failed in attempting May 9 against the Supreme Court but would try on other State institutions
“You cannot run the courts through intimidation. We will continue with the proceedings, no matter how much opposition we face,” the Chief Justice added, signaling that the judiciary would uphold its independence. Chief Justice’s comments were followed by his fellow judge Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail who expressed concern over the growing trend of targeting judges when decisions do not favour specific parties. “This behavior is unacceptable. The judiciary must remain independent,” he said.
Chief Justice Isa, in response, remarked that such incidents only undermine the judiciary’s role and expressed disappointment in the disrespect shown towards the bench.
The five-member bench, which includes Justices Amin-ud-Din Khan, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Naeem Akhtar Afghan, and Mazhar Alam Miankhel, continued to hear the case after the disruption. The Article 63A review petition was dismissed that was filed by PTI which argued that the bench had been constituted improperly, but the Chief Justice dismissed the claims.
PTI had a long history of gathering mobs outside courts and this practice was started in 2014 when PTI started sit-ins outside Parliament and the Supreme Court. Since then intimidating institutions through mob power had been of PTI politics. However, this behavior of PTI has intensified since it lost the federal government in a vote of no confidence against its former prime minister Imran Khan but higher judiciary had been supporting PTI in bad weather and the party remained hopeful that it would reclaim power but all hopes went to drain that former DG ISI Faiz Hameed was arrested and Imran- Faiz Hameed Gang was busted.
“Now, the only option left with PTI is to challenge state institutions including today’s judiciary that give decisions on merit. Moreover creating unrest and chaos in the country can favor PTI’s founding chairman to get out of jail and this is the reason that he does not want to retreat from protest politics now he is seen saying to the leaders of his party that those who are not ready to protest should sit comfortably at home and protest is our priority in the current situation” commented a senior journalist who covers activities of PTI.
The action plan of PTI shows that they are now insisting on protests instead of any dialogue with the government and they are short of options. One thing is clear intimidating state institutions (judiciary, Election Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan Army) and threatening the state (Gandapur’s announcement for raising arms against the State of Pakistan) are options sent by jailed Imran Khan who is suffering from frustration inside the prison. Therefore, there is no political way out for this party. The reports are that all the officials and members of the assembly are being convinced that they should not sit in their houses and heat the streets. However, the party has lost ground support and arrangements for protests have become difficult for the party after the jailing of the Punjab leadership and the plethora of cases, PTI Punjab realized that May 9, 2023, was a debacle for the party Khan’s approach damaged the party to place workers in front of state institutions.
The dilemma the PTI is facing is that it has lost Imran-Faiz Hameed networking, dealing with impartial judiciary instead of ‘good to see you’re judges and the workers are not ready to come out in the street. This situation is too much to bear and the founding chairman who is in jail is showing impatience. How to move ahead, is a question that PTI tries to find answer.
