To Whom It May Concern

In the realm of mutual interests existing between the two, the relationship based on equality and reciprocity is only possible when both the parties are of the equal significance and have the same level of strength and power. Quite the reverse, when the relationship is formed between the weak and the strong or between those who are unequal in terms of their status, social rank, political prominence or other realpolitik parameters, the symmetry of relationship remains off balance to the extent of being reduced to a probationary marriage of convenience and nothing more. When it comes to the relations between the civil government and military echelons, Pakistan has had a chequered record since its very beginning. However, when the PTI government, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, took the country’s reins in August 2018, Imran Khan’s rise to power was hailed as the start of a new era for the civil-military relations.

The political ambiance was echoed with a one-page mantra and hopes were rightly pinned for the smooth functioning of state affairs without any ego-driven clash or conflict of interest with the powers that be. Now on the cusp of completing its three years in power, however, nothing could better describe the current state of the PTI leadership other than the old-age proverb, ‘disasters come treading on each other’s heels.’ This is with particular reference to the PM Imran Khan’s recent warning which he issued apparently to the Opposition in a live telecast while answering the queries from the public. PM Imran Khan, in his own words, says he will be more dangerous on the streets than he is in the government. Corroborating his trademark certitude and off-the-cuff speechifying, Imran Khan’s candid statement this time cannot be ruled out as merely an emotional burst out of pent-up frustration because of his poor show of governance thus far. His intimidating message was not directed at the opposition parties either. Ingeniously delivered on the spur of the moment with ‘to whom it may concern’ caution, the stark message was in fact aimed at the most appropriate recipients: the military as well as the Judiciary.

Believing himself a potential danger eager to erupt on the streets if thrown out of power before his 5-year term is up, the words uttered by the incumbent prime minister are nothing short of an open threat to the point of blackmailing and politically manipulating the corridors of power. Doing so, the Prime Minister, with its professed dangerousness and self-destructive ambitions, has positioned himself as more of a suicide bomber than a statesman, who is trigger-happy to blow up himself for the sake of killing the rest. Touching the height of institutional clashes, the trend is off-putting as well as chiefly condemnable and would soon lead the country to political anarchism and mayhem. Eventually, the public at large would be the ultimate casualty. It sounds as if someone, who by himself is an upshot of a Faustian bargain, has reached the point of no return. However, the country cannot afford another Frankenstein.

Syed Jawaid Iqbal
President & Editor in Chief