Showdown at Zaman Park.

It was an evening and night of high-drama. Till our writing of these lines, the law-enforcement agencies were in a tug of war to arrest PTI chief Imran Khan, as they stormed his residence near Zaman Park, Lahore on Tuesday. Clashes with police, reported injuring of DIG Islamabad, extreme tear-gas shelling and defiance by Khan's supporters, led to calling in of paramilitary forces that kicked off subsequent protests in all the major cities of the country, upping political instability to new heights. The coalition government's endeavor to net the former prime minister, in relevance with a number of cases booked against him and non-bailable warrants in his name by the various courts of law, had created a perfect scenario of confrontation. While there is no stepping down the ladder by either side, the evolving equation does not bode well for upcoming elections in the province on April 30 and, thus, necessitates extreme acumen and political wisdom.

Tuesday's bid to arrest Khan was not the first one. Islamabad and Punjab police had been after the PTI supremo for long, as he shielded behind bails and...