Pakistan: How To Get Out Of The Quagmire?

 CHITRAL: Country wide protests are looming in Pakistan from Chitral to Karachi,  demanding abolishment of the petroleum levi and realse of imprisoned political leader Imran Khan. The capital has already begun to be ‘containerised’. Scores of heavy containers have been placed on road sides ready to close the roads any time and make the lives of citizens further miserable.

The economy already is in a severe recession. Buying power of the masses has fallen to an all time low. By closing the roads people in the area would suffer further and the government would have to pay colossal amount to the containers and extra TA/DA allowances to the police forces brought from outside cities.

The demand of the would be protestors i.e the Jamat Islami, is that the heavy petroleum levi which they claim as unjustified must be abolished and the lavish overhead spendings of the government be reduced, while demand of the largest political party, the PTI, is the release of their leader Imran Khan who is in prison unjustifiably as per his followers, for the last three years.

The point to consider here is how much damage to the already bruised economy will be caused by these protests. The protestors will spend billions in actualising these protests and the government will spent even bigger amount trying to stop these protests.

Can’t matters be solved in a peaceful manner in Pakistan. Can’t the government accept the genuine demands of the people instead of confronting them every now and then. How can Pakistan get out of this quagmire is the billion dollar question. .. CN report, 19 Sep 2026