Waiting for judicial reforms

After the arrest of General (retd) Faiz Hameed, the network running the PTI suffered a severe blow, but due to the facilitation of the media, social media, and especially the courts, the rope was burnt but the situation is still intact. The pressure is increasing regarding the plotting of a coup in the army including May 9, corruption scandals and anchor Arshad Sharif's murder case. It is being said that any time now there will be constitutional amendments and legislation in the Parliament regarding keeping the Judiciary within the constitutional framework, after which the whole scenario will change.

On the other hand, the jailed Imran Khan has limited options, which is why his anger is increasing. Most of the functions of conveying outside news and messages to them have been controlled. Imran Khan's statement on the crackdown by the state after the highly provocative speeches in the Islamabad rally that the establishment has cheated and now has closed the doors of negotiations is a meaningless statement that shows his frustration.

The establishment has decided that there is no place for the PTI in power politics shortly, and all foreign pressure has been rejected in this regard. In this cat-and-mouse game that has been going on in Pakistan since 2022, the establishment has made several glaring mistakes, as a result of which the project PTI has expanded instead of being rolled back. During the same period, foreign forces also took advantage of the opportunity to stir things up. Institutions came face to face with each other. Before the situation descended into complete anarchy, it was realized that the time had come for decisive action.

The Islamabad rally on September 8 fully reflected the mood and ambitions of the founding PTI. Chief Minister KPK Ali Amin Gandapur's ill-mannered speech against political and journalistic figures, including women, was in line with the guidelines of its leader and founder PTI, which he spoke to journalists in jail a day later. He also admitted. Imran Khan said that I support what Gandapur said and the party people who are condemning him are cowards and have no place in PTI. (By the way, it is a strange spectacle that a convicted prisoner involved in dangerous crimes including terrorism and corruption is being allowed to hold a press conference every day in jail.)

In the Islamabad rally, Gandapur on the army as an institution attacked, represented the Afghan government and defended TTP's terrorism by saying that you took dollars and killed their children, now you say they are doing terrorism. The Chief Minister KPK also gave a warning to the state of Pakistan that if the founder of PTI is not released within 15 days, they will break open the Adiala Jail. The planned speeches at the rally were a systematic attempt to put pressure on the army like on May 9, but perhaps the reaction was not well anticipated. It is being understood in optimism that the courts, especially the Islamabad High Court, will continue to defend the PTI by becoming a Chinese wall.

As soon as the meeting was over, Gandapur was summoned to an important place. After being missing for eight hours, he suddenly appeared and went to Peshawar. Informed sources are claiming that he apologized. That is why he did not immediately comment on this meeting, but gave the impression through his sources that he stood by what was done in the meeting and will do the same in the future. Gandapur and some other PTI people like him are stuck in a dilemma. On the one hand, they have contact with the establishment and even take instructions, on the other hand, they have to fulfill every legitimate and illegitimate desire of Imran Khan to retain their position as chief ministers.

This series cannot last long. Serious circles concerned about the situation in the country say that due to the mixed signals coming from the establishment, the situation of chaos in the country could not be controlled. In hindsight, some funny things are still coming out. Sometimes the news is being spread about General (R) Faiz Hameed that he has no connection with the events of May 9, sometimes it is being told that all the corruption was done by Faiz Hameed during the PTI era.

There are also such scurrilous articles coming out in which it is being said that Imran Khan disliked Faiz Hameed during his prime ministership, although everyone knows that Imran Khan was always in control of all kinds of matters during his tenure. He used to get guidance from General (R) Faiz Hameed. It should also be noted that Faisal Vawda is now more openly implicating Faiz Hameed, Imran Khan and Murad Saeed in the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif.

It has to be seen whether the establishment supports this case to a logical legal conclusion or in the love of Petibhai this case will also be confused by conflicting claims and put in cold storage. However, it is certain that after the arrest of General (R) Faiz Hameed, the next most important step is judicial reforms. If this happens, the ground will become narrow for the Faiz network in the media and social media. If this does not happen, the constitutional ways to get out of the crisis will be further blocked.