The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has stumbled and faltered through three tumultuous years of governance, leaving the country in a state of political disarray and uncertainty. What began with the hope of change and accountability quickly became a narrative of inaction, inconsistency, and failed promises. In its first few months, the PTI appeared disoriented, like a confused newcomer thrust into the complex world of governance. While some of this initial confusion was understandable, it was deeply disappointing to witness the party’s consistent inability to challenge the established political powers that it had once opposed with such vigor.
One of the most glaring signs of PTI’s failure has been its inability to stand up to the discredited and widely rejected figures of the Sharif family and their political machinery. Despite Nawaz Sharif being publicly disqualified and convicted on corruption charges, he continued to enjoy an unparalleled level of influence. The former Prime Minister still paraded through the streets with police escorts and fleets of jet-black Land Cruisers, even as he attended court trials. The PTI government stood idly by, allowing this display of arrogance and power to continue unchecked. Roads were still blocked in his favor, and jails were treated as personal retreat centers and party conference venues. The sheer audacity of such privileges being granted, even in custody, was a clear indication of PTI’s impotence in the face of entrenched political dynasties. The situation reached its absurd peak when Nawaz Sharif was granted a paltry Rs 50 surety bond, allowing him to escape to the UK on the pretext of medical treatment. His departure, which was marked by a series of legal manipulations, showed the PTI's inability to uphold the rule of law.
Similarly, the PTI's failure to act decisively against other members of the Sharif family, such as Hamza Sharif, who was granted bail on a Sunday, further exposed the party's weak resolve. Such concessions, unheard of in the judicial system, demonstrated the PTI’s inability to challenge the established political order effectively. The judiciary itself seemed complicit, with the frequent transfer of judges in cases like that of Rana Sana Ullah, who was caught with sacks of drugs in his vehicle but remained unindicted. The political and judicial elite seemed to be engaged in a game of collusion, leaving the PTI's claims of accountability looking hollow and increasingly irrelevant to the public.
The PTI, in its fervor to expose the corruption of the previous governments, repeatedly clung to the narrative of recovering billions allegedly pilfered by the Sharifs and Zardaris. However, three years into their rule, this rhetoric has turned into a punchline. The PTI’s obsession with corruption charges, without any tangible progress or real action, has worn thin with the public. People have grown disillusioned with the constant claims of corruption recovery that never materialize into real results. This failure to act on their promises, combined with the party’s tendency to scapegoat others, has left them looking increasingly ineffective and out of touch with the nation’s needs. The incessant blaming of Nawaz Sharif for escaping abroad only served to expose the PTI as a party unwilling to take responsibility for its own failures, especially in dealing with decisions made within its own cabinet.
If the failure to deliver on accountability was not enough, the PTI’s handling of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) agitation exposed the party's profound lack of political will and strategic direction. What the PTI hailed as “successful negotiations” was, in reality, a humiliating capitulation to a group of violent radicals who had once again seized the initiative. In the history of governance, this episode will undoubtedly go down as one of the most shameful examples of a state bending to the whims of extremists. Despite warnings not to yield to blackmail, the PTI government caved in, making dangerous concessions that only served to empower the TLP and other militant groups. It was an ugly demonstration of how the PTI's political strategy, far from providing stability, only emboldened a mob of loud-mouthed mullahs and further compromised the state’s authority.
The consequences of this weakness were immediate. Other militant factions, sensing the PTI's reluctance to stand firm, began making their own demands. Jamaat e Ahle Sunnat threatened agitation if the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba was not delisted, and the MQM called for the reopening of their sealed offices and the withdrawal of sedition charges against their leaders. In Punjab, the Chief Minister quietly withdrew references against Ansar ul Islam, the semi-militant arm of JUI(F), without any public explanation. The PTI’s failure to maintain a clear stance against these groups only fueled further unrest and division, undermining the very foundation of the state.
Perhaps the most alarming development in the PTI’s political strategy has been its approach to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). After years of fighting against TTP militants, PTI's leadership announced an ill-conceived plan to open a dialogue with the terrorist group and even offered a general amnesty if they laid down their arms. This move was as reckless as it was short-sighted. The TTP, having lost its safe haven in Afghanistan under the Taliban, is now seeking refuge in Pakistan to regroup and reorganize. Their willingness to enter talks and ceasefire is a mere tactical maneuver. The PTI’s decision to negotiate with such a group is akin to inviting disaster. History has shown that the TTP has no regard for agreements or ceasefires, and once pardoned, they would only further infiltrate Pakistan’s interior, leading to more bloodshed and instability. The TTP’s past actions, including massacres and attacks on the military, have left a trail of destruction, and the PTI's decision to appease them could lead to a repeat of these horrors.
The PTI must seriously reconsider its strategy before it falls further into the trap of appeasing militant groups like the TLP and TTP. Pakistan cannot afford another round of devastating terrorist attacks, including massacres, IED explosions, and assaults on military and civilian targets. The country is already teetering on the brink of chaos, and the PTI's recent actions have only made matters worse. For the sake of Pakistan’s stability and security, the PTI must abandon its misguided concessions and confront these extremist factions head-on, without fear or hesitation. The public is watching, and the stakes have never been higher. If the PTI fails to rise to the occasion, it risks losing both its credibility and the trust of the people it vowed to serve.