THE clock may have been pushed back, but the countdown to another confrontation between the PTI and the state has not stopped yet. In one camp, a millennial politician is taking the big decisions, if only on behalf of a jailed Imran Khan.

The chief minister of KP, Sohail Khan Afridi, is all of 37 years old. He was slated to lead the PTI this Sunday into yet another showdown with the state. Late Friday, however, his party’s long march to Islamabad was put off by a week, giving everyone some breathing space.

Afridi must live up to some daunting expectations from the hardliners within his ranks. He has to succeed where others more experienced than him have failed, or face relegation and possibly political oblivion.

The odds remain stacked against him, and the PTI’s opponents have left no stone unturned to impress upon him and his party what their prospects are if they march on Islamabad. That is why it would be premature to say the pressure has been released.

Yet the other side is hardly in a better position. Intoxicated by the impunity granted to it under the current configuration of state, and seemingly oblivious to the optics and potential consequences of an overreaction on its part, the government is making it abundantly clear that it will ‘fix’ the PTI ‘for good’ if it dares march.

That, however, will not solve its problems. Whatever calm the country has seen of late has merely been the lull before another storm. Ordinary Pakistanis have endured years of economic hardship. The protracted war in the Gulf has now handed this government another painful economic test — one it does not appear equipped to pass. Its show of strength is, in large part, a mask for that weakness.

In short, both sides appear to be in varying states of desperation. And this is why the coming days could prove dangerous for the federation: a province marching on a barricaded capital. De-escalation is required, however remote a possibility it may seem at this point.

Those in power must realise that no matter what they accomplish and no matter how comprehensively they are able to thwart the opposition, power is fleeting and the future will bring consequences in one form or another.

Pakistan’s history is replete with missteps and unfortunate decisions that continue to hurt its present generations. The PTI, too, must realise that politics and negotiation remain the most viable path forward.

There is a real danger that its march, if it goes ahead next weekend, may still end in violence and bloodshed. Fresh bloodshed will not advance its cause. Both sides must meet each other halfway, with the state permitting protest and the PTI keeping it peaceful, to prevent another tragedy from playing out.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2026