Close shave

The risks of impending disaster Close shave were in the air though the cavalier attitude of the PTI leadership particularly fearless Imran Khan made matters look easy and their haqeeqi azadi march kept on crisscrossing the lush plains of Punjab uninterrupted hurling threats left, right and centre. The march has fallen behind schedule and many reasons were given for it including behind-the-scenes parleys that were vehemently denied by official circles but were quietly insisted upon by the PTI enthusiasts. Fully aware of the acrimonious nature of the march and that it was an open target for retaliation, on what grounds these factors were ignored or justified is indeed an enigma and speaks volumes about the deep divisions within the decision-making hierarchy of the state. It has become very obvious that the gradual division of authority has functionally weakened the impact and finality of authority itself and this is the typical dilemma of countries where duality of authority exists. Imran Khan has probably got a safe exit and it may serve him well to terminate an open air sojourn littered with hazards. He may still keep up his defiant challenge as the underlying causes of bad governance will remain in their place for him to attack. TW