Politics enters a new phase with unpredictable consequences.

Byline: Ashraf Mumtaz

LAHORE -- The opposition parties' insistence on the prime minister's resignation and need for fresh elections, and immediate rejection of both the calls by the cricketer-turned-politician and his party have ratcheted up political tensions in the country that, if not addressed urgently, have the potential to culminate into a bigger crisis of unpredictable consequences in times ahead.

The attitude and the tone of speeches of the organiser of the 1,400 kilometres march between Karachi and Islamabad - Maulana Fazlur Rehman: are very meaningful and incompatible with his long past career. It needs to be explored who is providing him the support to challenge the entire system. Another factor that needs to be examined is who is uniting the opposition parties.

The politics appears to have entered a new phase.

The Maulana had not yet started his march from Karachi when some media reports said that he had met the COAS who had told him about the border situation and that the country could not afford destabilisation at this stage. In the kind of system that we have and the impact of military establishment thereon, it is hard to believe that the Maulana could dare ignore the message given by the country's most powerful personality.

But he went ahead according to his declared schedule.

The PPP and the PML-N adopted an ambiguous policy about his protest march. They were seen with the protesters and at the same kept themselves at a distance. They played no role in swelling the crowds. The reason was that nobody seemed prepared to take responsibility of any adverse outcome of the Maulana's foolhardiness. The bigger parties did not want the head of a religious party outgrow them in stature.

The march was supposed to conclude on Thursday night with a charter of demands by the participant parties.

However, the caravan being led by the Maulana could not reach the venue that night. The same day there was a train inferno that caused some six dozen heaths and made it difficult for other parties to make any announcement in the absence of the march organiser.

As a result, the PML-N secretary general said the event had come to an end. ANP chief Asfandyar Wali made a speech and said his party was going back. PPP Chairman Bilawal made a brief speech to the participants and left the venue, saying he would not be there on Friday as he was supposed to address a party meeting in Rahim Yar Khan.

However, there was a totally different situation on...