Islamabad, 26 January 2023 (GNP): It is unclear what the government has gained specifically by the detention of Fawad Chaudhry, one of the PTI’s most prominent figures. All that it appears to have done is make him become an overnight hero for PTI spectators.
The PTI claims that it is being persecuted by the central government, and the recently formed interim government in Punjab has received a boost from the ugly drama that played out all day yesterday on national television.
The Election Commission has also dragged itself back into the middle of controversy when it ought to have been concentrating on getting ready for the elections in Punjab and KPK.
The ECP secretary filed a complaint against Fawad Chaudhry, accusing him of “threatening” the election body’s family members. Criminal intimidation, making a remark intended to cause trouble, inciting animosity between groups, and sedition are among the allegations listed in the FIR.
Also Read: Pakistan to pay $500m in debt
The latter accusation that Fawad used his remarks to commit sedition, which is particularly worrisome. When these sentences were written, it was unknown what Chaudhry might have said to support the accusation.
It is well known that the PTI leadership is against the current ECP structure, notably the chief election commissioner. For a long time, PTI’s top leadership was involved in criticism of the Commissioner.
It seemed like a blatant overreaction to detain Chaudhry in the way in which he was and then accuse him of sedition. If such, the country’s social fabric is fraying under the weight of the various challenges it faces, so those in authority believe stability can be achieved in this way, but they are terribly mistaken.
The nation has already descended into such a pit of despair that many people openly advocate leaving it all behind. In such an unpredictable time, does the government really need to fuel popular unrest?
