What’s next for Imran Khan’s PTI after Islamabad protest setback?

Islamabad, Pakistan – When a convoy of thousands of supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) enactment arrived successful Islamabad connected Monday nighttime to rally down their imprisoned leader, erstwhile Prime Minister Imran Khan, they were urged by Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, to enactment until his merchandise was secured.

However, wrong 24 hours, a precocious nighttime raid by information forces connected Tuesday dispersed the crowd, reportedly resulting successful casualties among some PTI protesters and instrumentality enforcement personnel.

The operation, which began conscionable earlier midnight, was conducted nether a powerfulness blackout successful cardinal Islamabad, little than 3km (2 miles) from D-Chowk, the nationalist quadrate marking the bound of the capital’s Red Zone, wherever galore authorities buildings are located.

Bushra Bibi and Ali Amin Gandapur, the PTI main curate of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, retreated to the northwestern state nether the screen of acheronian arsenic the cognition commenced and information forces utilized teardrop state to disperse the crowd. By Wednesday morning, PTI issued a connection announcing it was calling disconnected the protestation “for the clip being”.

The PTI convoys had moved from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa into Islamabad, defying tribunal orders banning their introduction into the city, to unit the authorities connected 3 demands: reclaiming what the enactment calls its “stolen mandate” from the February elections, the merchandise of governmental prisoners including Khan and the reversal of a law amendment granting the authorities power implicit judicial appointments.

By the clip the protesters left, it was the PTI’s enactment that was nether pressure, analysts said. None of the party’s demands had been met, and determination was small clarity connected however the organisation would regroup.

“This protestation was framed arsenic their ‘final call’, but for it to illness similar this is simply a large stroke to their governmental strategy,” governmental expert Zaigham Khan told Al Jazeera.

The cognition by constabulary and paramilitary rangers has led to conflicting reports astir fatalities.

The PTI said 8 of its supporters were killed portion the authorities denied utilizing unrecorded ammunition and insisted nary protesters died. Officials reported that 3 rangers were killed successful a hit-and-run incidental involving a PTI convoy connected Monday portion a constabulary constable died successful clashes with enactment supporters.

Security forces occurrence teardrop state shells successful Islamabad to disperse PTI supporters demanding the merchandise of Imran Khan [Reuters]

This was the PTI’s 4th protestation successful 4 months with erstwhile rallies, including 1 successful October, ending prematurely.

On Wednesday afternoon, Gandapur held a quality league successful Mansehra metropolis of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, condemning the government’s crackdown connected PTI workers and indicating that the enactment would proceed to property its demands.

The PTI has been successful protestation mode since Imran Khan’s authorities was ousted done a parliamentary ballot of nary assurance successful April 2022.

Although its candidates won the astir seats successful February’s elections, the enactment failed to signifier a authorities and claimed its mandate had been stolen.

Imran Khan has been successful jailhouse since August 2023 and faces galore charges, including corruption and treason. Bushra Bibi was besides imprisoned for 9 months connected corruption charges earlier securing bail successful October.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi blamed Bushra Bibi for orchestrating the unrest successful Islamabad. “The nonaccomplishment of beingness and economical harm implicit the past fewer days lies squarely connected her shoulders,” Naqvi said connected Tuesday.

PTI person Sayed Zulfi Bukhari declined to remark connected the party’s adjacent steps, saying it was focused connected dealing with casualties.

But Benazir Shah, a Lahore-based governmental analyst, said that astatine the moment, launching yet different large-scale protestation for Imran Khan’s merchandise seems retired of the question for the PTI.

“Moving forward, PTI volition request to recalibrate its strategy. One imaginable way would beryllium to physique alliances with different governmental parties arsenic good arsenic fashionable movements that stock grievances against the state. A unified protestation focused connected societal oregon quality rights issues could assistance make nationalist momentum,” Shah told Al Jazeera.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spokesperson Rana Ihsaan Afzal rejected accusations of excessive force, accusing PTI supporters of carrying weapons.

“We person policemen with slug wounds, which indicates the protesters were armed,” Afzal said. He added that the authorities had repeatedly offered alternate protestation sites but the PTI violated Islamabad High Court orders by holding a rally successful the city.

“This was not a peaceful protest. They wanted unit and utilized it arsenic a maneuver to summation sympathy,” helium said.

Thousands of PTI workers and supporters arrived successful Islamabad from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa connected erstwhile Prime Minister Khan’s ‘final call’ to signifier a sit-in successful the superior [Akhtar Soomro/Reuters]

But analysts said the PTI’s latest protestation setback demonstrates, much than thing other its deficiency of leadership.

Analyst Talat Hussain said the party’s reliance connected societal media hype faltered erstwhile tested connected the ground. “Last night, PTI learned determination is much to authorities than online narratives,” helium told Al Jazeera.

Ahmed Ijaz, a governmental perceiver successful Islamabad, questioned the abrupt departure of Bushra Bibi and Gandapur, arguing their actions would deepen divisions wrong the party.

“The mode they abandoned supporters astatine D-Chowk volition wounded the party’s quality to formulate its adjacent steps,” helium said.

Yet governmental observers said this week’s events person besides formed a shadiness connected the government’s credibility.

“The government’s usage of unit was apt to acceptable an illustration to deter aboriginal protests,” Shah said. “However, this heavy-handed attack risks backfiring successful the coming days and exposes the existent government’s nonaccomplishment to prosecute successful dialog oregon successful de-escalating matters.”

Zaigham Khan, the Islamabad-based analyst, wasn’t amazed by the government’s response.

“This is the astir unpopular government,” helium said, pointing to allegations of rigging successful the February elections that person plagued Sharif’s medication for the past 9 months. “So immoderate effort seen arsenic upsetting the pome cart, they could not spend it and went aft them with specified force.”