Editorial
In the ongoing political deadlock in Pakistan, analysts and power brokers repeatedly call for a “compromise” between two dominant forces — the military establishment and Imran Khan. This binary framing, however, dangerously oversimplifies the crisis. What most critics are unwilling to confront is the emergence of a third and far more consequential stakeholder: the people of Pakistan.
For the first time in decades, ordinary citizens are not just reacting to political events; they are actively shaping the discourse. Through protests, social media, and civil resistance, the people are asserting their right to elect their leaders and demand a system based on the rule of law and constitutional supremacy. This is not merely a political preference — it is a declaration of democratic sovereignty.
The old elite mindset — where decisions are made behind closed doors, and power is balanced between the barracks and the ballot — no longer holds. Any “deal” or “understanding” that ignores or sidelines the people’s mandate will only deepen the crisis. Stability cannot be bought with elite pacts; it must be built on public legitimacy.
The real compromise needed today is not between Imran Khan and the establishment. It is between the power-holders and the people. The citizens are no longer willing to accept manipulated mandates or arbitrary rule. Their demand is clear: the right to freely choose their representatives and to hold them accountable through constitutional mechanisms — not through force or backroom arrangements.
Pakistan is at a political inflection point. Any roadmap forward must begin not with power-sharing among elites, but with restoring the people’s trust in the democratic process. Without this, no “compromise” will last, and no state will sustain. The time for real democracy is now — not deals made in its name.
