Some political analysts have been suggesting that a formal rapprochement between the military establishment, the government and the incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan is the only viable path forward, as Pakistan enters a tricky situation that demands political unity.

They argue that, as Pakistan faces a predicament demanding national cohesion, particularly amidst an open war on the Afghan border, the spillover of the recent conflict in the Gulf and a constant threat from India, the call for unity must override internal grievances.

By advocating for a negotiated settlement between the PTI and the government/state, these voices claim a united front is essential to signal strength to the world. While this narrative sounds like common sense, a closer look at the political reality of 2026 reveals that pursuing unity through granting concessions to a political personality may be a rather naive idea.

The gap between the PTI and the state has increasingly become an unbridgeable chasm. Since the events of May 9, 2023, when the PTI set out to allegedly trigger a coup within the military, the party’s rhetoric has rapidly shifted from conventional political opposition to an almost existential challenge against the state’s institutions. At least, this is the conviction held by the government and the military establishment.

While some argue that unity is essential as Pakistan faces mounting security threats, history and the country’s current political trajectory suggest that concessions to a populist leader may deepen, rather than resolve, Pakistan’s structural instability Even as the country faces a looming threat from India and a surge in terror attacks by Islamist militants and Baloch separatists, the PTI leadership continues to frame the current administration as ‘mandate thieves’ and views the military leadership as personal adversaries.

While some argue that unity is essential as Pakistan faces mounting security threats, history and........

© Dawn (Magazines)