Is Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf still merely a political party, or has it begun to resemble a fault line within the state itself? This is a question the party must confront, perhaps for the last time, because no nation state can indefinitely tolerate an internal fracture. There comes a point when the state chooses to seal its fault lines permanently, leaving no space for further rupture.

Even before the vote of no confidence, PTI’s grasp of political prudence was never particularly strong. Since then, however, it appears to have lost whatever little sense of balance it once possessed. It is difficult to recall a single decision in which even a modest degree of foresight can be discerned. What has been unleashed instead is a climate of agitation and frenzy. The line is no longer drawn between opposition and government. It is fast turning into a confrontation between the opposition and the state itself.

At moments when the state finds itself moving in difficult terrain, PTI does not offer restraint or goodwill. Rather, it seems to sense opportunity. Its response is not cooperation but pressure. Whatever position the state adopts, PTI appears compelled to take the opposite stance, with little regard for the potential cost to national interests. Its rhetoric, both spoken and implied, continues to orbit around a single axis: without Khan, nothing else matters.

This may be perceived by its leadership as a winning strategy. In reality, it is anything but. It is a reckless course that leads not to political recovery, but to a dead end.

Consider the most recent episode. A meeting takes place between Shia scholars and the Field Marshal at a particularly delicate juncture. Regional stability hangs in the balance, and even a minor misstep could trigger serious consequences. For a few days, there is silence. Then, suddenly, a wave of agitation begins. It appears as though a deliberate attempt has been made to weaponize religious sentiment against the Field Marshal. Analysts have pointed towards PTI, noting that several key voices amplifying this narrative are aligned with the party. The fact that Raja Nasir Abbas holds the position of Leader of the Opposition in the Senate with PTI’s backing only adds to the suspicion. It is therefore a legitimate question whether those shaping this narrative are the same actors who appear to be strategizing PTI’s broader direction from afar.

As if this were not enough, PTI’s social media machinery has further intensified the situation. The Pakistani state is being portrayed as a villain.........

© The Patriot