THE fate of the main opposition party is becoming increasingly clearer with every passing day as most of its frontline leaders have already left or are seriously thinking of jumping the ship. It is time for many in the political arena to ponder over what went wrong where.

There are apparently two main factors that caused the exodus. The first factor was a string of statements made by the party head against the country’s establishment, and the second factor was the widespread incidents of May 9 that included the ransacking of the Corps Commander House in Lahore and damaging the main gate of the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi by party workers and activists. Besides, some installations were also vandalised and damaged in Peshawar and other parts of the country.

Never in my life have I heard or seen political workers indulging in such activities. This has to stop once and for all. Possible trial under the Army Act of all those involved, followed by a ban on the party itself may convey the message to all such elements; as a punishment for the culprits, and as a lesson for the masses, especially the future ‘activists’.

The armed forces in Pakistan are held in high esteem by the nation for their role in various walks of national life. People respect them beyond doubt or debate. Political leaders and their followers should also learn to do the same.

Cdre (retd) Sajjad Ali Shah Bokhari Islamabad

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2023