Pakistan is bracing for another showdown. The PTI is fractured, its leader is locked away, and yet crowds are gathering once again. But here’s the real question: who actually holds the reins as Pakistan edges into another political storm? The government says the law must take its course. The PTI claims its leader is being silenced. But everyone in Pakistan knows there is a third force in the room, the military establishment. So what happens when public anger collides with an institution that has historically shaped every major political turn? Will today’s protests fizzle out under Section 144, or will they spark a confrontation that forces the establishment to step in? Ananya Dutta asks.