Rally called off

 Many people were upset by the PTI's last-minute change of heart. After great buzz and expectation among party workers about its scheduled public assembly in Islamabad on August 22, its officials cancelled the event at the last minute, citing instructions from the party's jailed chief. Though some party leaders, including former Prime Minister Imran Khan's sister, claimed he was not consulted, others insisted that the decision was made during an early morning huddle at Adiala Jail due to other protests planned in the federal capital and the cancellation of a NOC previously issued by the authorities to the PTI for its meeting.

The animosity that existed inside the party leadership was also reflected in regular workers, many of whom were left angry and dissatisfied after being denied their long-awaited power show, which their leaders had promised with or without a NOC. Leaders of the PTI-led opposition alliance appeared to have been kept in the dark, with PkMAP leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai and MWM chief Raja Nasir Abbas allegedly angered by the last-minute cancellation. These developments created a bleak picture of a major political power in complete disarray.

It is unknown what motivated the PTI to pull out at the last minute. Some leaders argued it was the government' decision to remove the NOC, and that the PTI does not want any additional confrontation with the state.If this is the case, it speaks poorly of the federal government, which appeared cowardly on both times when heated protestors stormed the Red Zone in recent days. If the state's power is simply used to deny one political party the ability to hold public assemblies and protests, then such use of power is not lawful. The authorities should consider their double standards before their acts spark another clash between the people and the state, as seen previously. Finally, there is conjecture that the cancellation of the PTI's public meeting was due to a late-night agreement between the party and the establishment. If so, if these two can still find common ground, They must reconsider resolving larger difficulties with simple discourse. If a political jalsa can be brokered, what about Pakistan's future? They owe it to the people.