The persistent attempts by PTI to foment political instability and chaos at a time when the country actually stands at a crossroads reminds me of two couplets from my ode that I wrote during the political turmoil triggered by the PNA movement against the Bhut­to government in 1977. They were “Wohi Rastey Phir Wohi Pustian Hein, Udasi Mane Doobi Hui Bastian Hein, Tareekian Hein Watan Key Ufaq Per, Raqeebone Ki Ab Bhi Wohi Mastian Hein.” The English translation of these couplets is: We are treading the same lowly path and sad­ness hangs over all habitats. There are dark clouds on the country’s horizon, but its ill-wishers are continuing with their mischievous acts.

Imran Khan started fomenting political instability and chaos immediately after the 2013 general elections and took it to a higher level after the success of a no-confidence motion against him through a constitutional process.

He invented a false narrative of rig­ging in the 2013 general elections pre­mised on 35 punctures allegedly done through courtesy of the caretaker chief minister Punjab Najam Sethi in favour of PML (N). He along with Tahir ul Qa­dri - who came all the way from Cana­da - resorted to a 126 day sit-in in front of the parliament house almost paralys­ing the functioning of the government and insisted on the formation of a judi­cial commission to probe rigging in the elections. When the Judicial Commission constituted by the government after in­vestigating the matter threadbare came with the findings that there had been no rigging in the elections, Imran Khan un­ashamedly admitted that 35 punctures were only political talk. Somebody had told him about it.

PTI had 33 seats in the National As­sembly and the only thing that these........

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