Khalida Niaz

On May 9th, Rangers arrested Imran Khan, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman and former Prime Minister. This led to an outbreak of violence as Tehreek-e-Insaf workers stormed government buildings as if they were going to conquer another country. The workers were ready to do anything without sacrificing their lives, even though the buildings belonged to their own country and were the source of relief for many people.

By May 10th, the situation had deteriorated to such an extent that toll plazas were deserted, streets were empty, and uncertainty prevailed everywhere. People were scared for their lives, not knowing if Tehreek-e-Insaf workers would damage their cars, and motorcycles, or even harm them.

The situation was the same in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where Tehreek-e-Insaf workers had stormed government buildings and were ready to do anything without fear of sacrificing their lives.

In Peshawar, workers were forcing people to close shops, and roads were blocked, preventing essential work from being done. Even patients were unable to receive proper care due to the chaos. During the holiday period, I barely managed to reach home, as hundreds of people blocked the roads.

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Peshawar, the flower city, was now engulfed in blood as protesters stormed government buildings, and the government used force to stop them. Tear gas, shelling, and bullets were used, four precious lives were lost, and over a hundred people were injured.

Seeing all these situations, I thought about when political consciousness would come to the people. When would they learn to distinguish between violent protests and peaceful protests? When would they know that they should benefit Pakistan, which is currently surrounded by economic problems, instead of harming it? The country needs to work for its development and not lose crores by storming government buildings.

Protest is the basic right of everyone, but no one has the right to block roads, damage government buildings, burn vehicles, hurt people, forcefully close shops, or do violence in the name of protest. It’s sad to see how apathetic people have become that they have not even spared the vehicle that saves people’s lives.

Political consciousness is very lacking in the country, and the current situation after the arrest of Imran Khan is proof of this. Not only has this politics damaged relationships in some places, but it has also cost precious lives.

Political workers are so blinded by their love for their leaders that they do not even know how much damage they have caused. The loss of the country and government buildings is their own loss, but who will explain this to them?

According to the police, 7 protesters have been killed so far in the violent protests in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while more than 300 people, including 58 police personnel, have been injured, and 17 vehicles, including 12 government vehicles, have been set on fire. The protesters have caused irreparable damage to Radio Pakistan. The dollar has reached 300, and the economy is on the brink of collapse, but no one seems to care.

Politicians are worried about power, and people who are devoid of consciousness are concerned about their leaders. Disagreement is bound to happen in politics, but it does not give the right to anyone to take the life of another person.

Political workers need to understand that they should work toward the development of their country, not toward its destruction.