Pakistan, Feb. 1 -- Just a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged the opposition to reconsider the negotiations committee's olive branch, reminding them that "it takes two to tango," hopes for a much-needed thaw in political tensions faded away on Friday when the government officially called off the talks.

Regardless of who bears the blame, both the PTI and the state should recognize that Pakistan has been teetering on the brink of political turmoil for the last three years. It's clear that the underlying narrative becomes more apparent with each passing day: a disconnected leadership is struggling with challenges that go beyond party lines.

The constant complaints from both sides serve only as a reminder that the real drama unfo...