PRINCIPLED protest can serve to enhance democracy. Even marching in the streets to stand up for what is right can be necessary at times. The current protests led by Imran Khan and Dr Tahirul Qadri do not enhance Pakistani democracy instead take it two steps back.

The objective of both is to topple the government. Although the protestors raise important issues —such as enhanced electoral transparency and an end to corruption— their method of protest undermines their goals. By threatening to illegally occupy parliament and refusing to discuss their grievances until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigns, they are attempting to hijack the government. This is undermining Pakistani democracy.

Last year was the first time in Pakistan’s history that a seated government completed its full-term in office and peacefully transferred power through what independent observers consider to be a generally free and fair election.

The Pakistan Tehreek Insaf even won the election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. But instead of taking the time to demonstrate its competency through strong governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mr Khan decided to rely on theatrics and threats to push his agenda.

Mr Khan and Dr Qadri’s supporters are destabilising Pakistani democracy by hijacking the legitimate electoral process in favour of democracy in the streets. It would have been better for Mr Khan and his supporters to demonstrate their ability to run Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while challenging Mr Sharif through legitimate parliamentary means.

Mr Khan had the potential to develop PTI into an independent, national political party that appealed across ethnic and ideological boundaries. Instead he has demonstrated a serious lack of maturity that will dampen PTI’s long-term electoral appeal and instead serve to enhance old-guard political parties like Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

Mr Khan’s attempt to bring a Tahrir Square style protest to Islamabad will be a disaster for his agenda, Pakistan and its democracy. He has yet to demonstrate any serious political strength in his governance abilities. Instead he is focusing his energies on an illegitimate power-grab. He should learn that real democracy is built through patient governance and principled opposition, not through theatrics and headline grabbing protests.

It seems Mr Khan has forgotten that Tahrir Square eventually ended with an Egyptian military coup. One can only hope history does not repeat itself in Pakistan.

Nausherwan Hafeez
Florida

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2014