Ominous Timing

April 02, 2026

Newspaper, Opinions, Editorials

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Days after members of the Khan family sought to mobilise international pressure against Pakistan by calling for the suspension of GSP Plus status, thereby risking higher costs for ordinary citizens, the party has now returned to the familiar refrain of street protests to secure Imran Khan’s release. The timing could hardly be worse. With Khan’s health being attended to and his legal status under determination by the courts, there is little that prolonged agitation can achieve without undermining the very framework of due process. What such protests will certainly do, however, is divert the government’s attention from a volatile regional environment, weaken Pakistan’s emerging role as a venue for diplomatic engagement, and reinforce the perception of instability where the capital can be paralysed at will. At a moment when Pakistan appears to be positioning itself as a regional interlocutor, such disruptions risk acting as a self-inflicted setback.

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This trajectory reflects a deeper failure to distinguish between political mobilisation and national responsibility. There are moments for protest, and there are moments when restraint serves the broader interest. The present appears firmly to be the latter. The concern is sharpened by recent legal developments. The Federal Constitutional Court has directed the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sohail Afridi, to respond within ten days to a petition seeking to prevent the mobilisation of a so-called “release force” for the jailed PTI founder. The very conception of such a force raises serious alarm. By its own description, it implies organisation, readiness for confrontation, and a willingness to bypass legal channels in pursuit of a political objective.

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The creation, or even suggestion, of a paramilitary formation loyal to an individual represents a dangerous escalation. Pakistan has seen, time and again, how charismatic figures can summon large numbers to the streets, often paralysing civic life and challenging the writ of the state. To move from protest to organised force risks crossing a line that should remain inviolable. At a time when economic fragility and regional tensions demand cohesion and clarity, such actions deepen public anxiety and project a party increasingly detached from the broader national interest.

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