The party is finally over. The JUI-F has winded up the ‘Azadi March’ sit-in in Islamabad. The party’s workers have packed their tents and walked away. There will be debates about what the march actually achieved but the abrupt and disappointing ending points out that it was an overwhelming failure.
Did the JUI-F receive the resignation of the prime minister? JUI-F Chief Malana Fazlur Rehman was adamant that he would not leave without the resignation. The PTI government considered the demand too far-fetched and eventually ignored him. Another key objective of holding snap elections was also not entertained and the march slowly began to lose relevance and public interest.
It is also unclear what backdoor talks were held with the JUI-F chief to wind up the sit-in. The Chaudhrys of Gujrat, a key ally of the government, are said to have played a pivotal role with their trademark reconciliatory politics to prevent a major political crisis. The JUI-F was assured to continue his strategy in a peaceful manner and no force would be use against him. However, what the JUI-F has been offered in return remains under wraps.
The JUI-F is convinced that the Azadi March is not over and has announced to expand its anti-government protests to every nook and cranny of the country. The party will block all major thoroughfares and highways disrupting traffic leading to the provinces. This is now a serious headache for provincial governments and law-enforcement agencies as sporadic violence has erupted at several locations.
After refusing to participate in the sit-in, the PPP has also distanced itself from the ‘Plan B’, saying that JUI-F activists will not be allowed to block roads. Vehicular traffic between Sindh and Balochistan has been disrupted. The everyday life of citizens in KP and Punjab has also been affected. One is left wondering whether this will achieve the objectives of the Azadi March.
One party which gained significantly at the cost of the Azadi March was the PML-N. The party can be blamed for single-handedly sabotaging the entire movement. The JUI-F was counting on the PML-N support base in Punjab to make the march successful. However, the PML-N was more concerned in salvaging itself rather than overthrowing the government.
The biggest face-saving for the JUI-F is that it has gained relevance. The party was facing an existential crisis after receiving a drubbing in the 2018 general elections and has now revived itself in Pakistan’s notorious politics.
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