Apropos '14 questions to army chief: Altaf hints at holding sit-in in Islamabad' carried by Business Recorder on Saturday, it increasingly appears that country's capital will assume the role of a permanent venue of protest demonstrations of various political and non-political parties.
In recent times, it was the movement for restoration of higher judiciary that brought under the global spotlight a struggle that was jointly launched by lawyers' community and Pakistan's civil society. Earlier, the Lal Masjid crisis that played out in the federal capital in a different manner presented itself as a profound challenge to the writ of state.
The ongoing dharnas or sit-ins of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) have brought under doubt the government's claim in relation to the writ of state. The MQM chief has therefore raised a legitimate question: "It has been more than 40 days now but some parties have the permission to go inside the Red Zone and carry out their sit-ins there.
"If the MQM announces to carry out a sit-in in Islamabad after one week I hope the army, rangers and police will not take any action. I shall wait for your answer."