More of the same.

Byline: I.A. Rehman

BY the time these lines see the light of the day the great hullabaloo over the Senate elections would have come to an end and the PTI regime might be a small step short of realising its ambition to establish absolute rule in the country. The run-up to yesterday's Senate elections showed that nothing has changed in the country's politics except for an increase in reliance on violence.

The more patriotic PTI legislators did not hesitate to bring the doubting Toms in their party back into the fold and attempts made to keep Karim Gabol within his lane seemed to have come straight out of the chase sequences in Bollywood movies.

Those who have been building their reputations with slogans about their campaign against corrupt practices lost sight of what they themselves were doing. While loyalties were being openly purchased the battle cry still was a commitment to build a corruption-free Pakistan. Nobody could, however, imagine how much the state had changed. The people will soon realise how much yesterday's election to the Senate has changed the nature of the state and its direction.

Observers of the country's politics with long memories could not have failed to notice that the PTI leadership was not stopping short of doing anything needed to capture the Senate. Herding of legislators and use of a vigilante brigade to keep a close watch on them revived memories of similar tactics used in the past and for which the present government has consistently denounced its predecessors.

Civil society groups and political parties tend to treat their paid employees as casual labour.

Before the Senate elections pushed all matters aside, the main debate was on the right to due process. The discussion began when the PTI supremo was reported to have sacked the district party boss in Nowshera in KP after an electoral setback. The media report did not describe the procedure followed before punitive action was taken. Were the demands of due process adequately met? Was any show-cause notice issued to the district party chief? Was he given a proper hearing? Had the party adopted any standard procedure to deal with such situations? Is the procedure for inquiry into a supporter's adherence to fair play or otherwise adequate and effective?

These questions arise because entitlement to due process is a basic right though it is honoured more in the breach than in the observance.

Many will agree that the bond between leaders and members of political...