The recent PTI rally in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was billed as a show of political strength. Instead, it exposed the depths of the party’s internal chaos and mismanagement. What was meant to project unity and energy turned into a case study in failure, leaving behind not only public embarrassment but also a staggering financial waste. The choice of venue itself set the tone. Organized in a ground unfit for such a gathering—described by many as a dumping site—the rally looked doomed from the start. The poor condition of the site, combined with disorganized arrangements, reflected how far PTI has strayed from its once-disciplined grassroots mobilization.
The humiliation reached its peak when the lights went out. It didn’t take long for the real story to come out. Word started spreading that the person running the generator hadn’t been paid, with rumors flying that the money had been pocketed by someone else. What was supposed to be a smooth, professional event quickly turned into a complete mess, perfectly captured by the moment the stage was plunged into darkness. But the real story was the silence. Despite all the money spent and all the hype, hardly anyone showed up. You could see the frustration written all over the face of the Chief Minister, Ali Amin Gandapur. It all ended with his guards apparently using batons to clear a path for him to leave—a chaotic end to a totally disorganized event. But the fiasco did not end there. At a dinner in Nathiagali later that evening, PTI’s leadership clashed openly. Rather than engage in sober reflection, senior figures exchanged blame in heated arguments. Gandapur, unable to contain his frustration, stormed out of the meeting with a bitter remark: “Next time, you organize on your own.”
The rally’s collapse would have been embarrassing enough if it were merely symbolic. But the real tragedy lies in the resources wasted. More than 100 million rupees of taxpayer money was poured into preparations, along with the deployment of hundreds of workers, machinery, and official support. All of it was squandered on a spectacle that failed to materialize. This episode is not an isolated mishap. It reflects the current state of PTI as a political force: fractured, directionless, and unable to manage even basic logistics. Once celebrated for its ability to inspire massive crowds, PTI now struggles to gather even a modest turnout. The rally is a stark reminder that political capital, once lost, cannot be reclaimed through slogans alone.
The implications for governance are serious. If the ruling party in KP cannot organize a single rally without lapsing into chaos and internal fighting, how can it credibly claim to manage the province’s complex challenges? The people of KP entrusted PTI with their mandate, but instead of development, they are witnessing waste, division, and theatrical failures. Let’s be honest: this disastrous rally was a complete failure of leadership. This is a party that sold itself as being efficient and trustworthy, and now that image is in tatters. The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have a right to expect their leaders to use public funds for the public good, not for embarrassing political stunts.
PTI must confront a hard truth: it is no longer the party of hope it once claimed to be. Without serious introspection and reform, it risks reducing itself further into irrelevance. The people have already seen enough empty chairs, blacked-out stages, and leaders storming away in anger. What they need is honest leadership and real progress.
