False Concerns.

The government is in a tough spot, with the opposition march on Islamabad just around the corner it has to figure out a way to allay their concerns and somehow forestall the protest. However, with the protest building steam as more opposition factions join it, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehaman - the de facto leader of the protest - is in no mood to make concessions. The demand, the resignation of the Prime Minister, is obviously disproportionate and unacceptable, and since no other demand has been made the government committee - spearheaded by Defense Minister Pervez Khattak - is sputtering in its public rebuttal.

The government has many legitimate concerns; the fact that the protestors might disrupt the law and order situation in the twin cities, the fact that the protestors might stray beyond the designated protest areas, and that the protestors may resort to violence. Beyond these practical concerns, their principle objection: that the opposition parties have called this protest without approaching alternative and legitimate institutions for redress, such as the Parliament and the Supreme Court - also stands as a valid...