August
17, 2016
By Saeed Qureshi
After his
previous flopped campaigns to oust and dislodge the PMNL government in 2013 and
2014, Imran Khan has announced to stage renewed multi- pronged agitation to
knock down Nawaz Sharif particularly and his government generally. Tahirul
Qadri and Sheikh Rashid have also announced to join the fray against Nawaz
Sharif on the issue of Panama leaks wherein the names of Nawaz Sharif’s
children are mentioned for maintaining offshore accounts by sending money from
Pakistan.
Imran Khan has
also announced to stage sit ins, long marches and hold public rallies. He has
given September 3 as the deadline for government’s response. Thereafter he would
go for countrywide agitation and protests.
Already Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf Party and Sheikh Rashid ‘s
Awami Muslim League have submitted their petitions to the speaker of the
national assembly for disqualification of Nawaz Sharif.
Simultaneously
they intend to file petitions in the supreme court of Pakistan for money laundering
against their arch target the prime minister of Pakistan main Nawaz Sharif. Jamaat-e-
Islami has too joined the fray and its leaders have also announced to approach
the supreme court to probe money laundering and offshore accounts of Nawaz
Sharif and his family members who are primarily two sons and one daughter.
Simultaneously
Jama-i-Islami, Tahirul Qadri the chief of Pakistan Awami Tehrik and sheikh
Rashid president of Awami Muslim league have decided to mount street protests along
with the legal battles against Nawaz Sharif primarily for stashing money
abroad.
Although the
issue of corruption is important but to single out the prime minister seems to
be motivated with a kind of political animus. If the supreme court of Pakistan
is approached to hand out their verdict on the money laundering case, then Imran
Khan and other litigants instead of mobilizing street agitations, should wait
for the verdict. If the apex court finds truth in the allegations, then prime
minister had no moral grounds to hold on to his office. But if not then he
should continue to administer his responsibly and complete his term till the
next general elections to be coming off in 1918.
The renewed round
of agitations and long marches that all the fringe political parties and
religious zealot Tahirul Qadri aim at kicking off against the PMNL government,
would plunge the country into a spell of chaos that one witnessed during the upheavals
of 2102, 2103 and 2014 whipped up first by Tahirul Qadri and later joined by
Imran Khan along with Sheikh Rashid.
Although presently
it is not the elections season in Pakistan, nor Imran Khan is a candidate, he
can be equated with Donald Trump, the Republican Party nominee for his
mercurial temperament, odd antics, outlandish statements and emotional decisions.
Mr. Khan’s attitude in politics is irrational and immature. He should have been
convinced that his earlier boycotts and fierce rabble rousing had not been
successful in dislodging his prime foe Nawaz Sharif.
How can his
latter day anti-government agitation fructify when PMNL’s political standing
has become much credible after its victories in Azad Kashmir elections and even
on odd seats in Pakistan? I would wish if better sense prevails on firebrand
Imran Khan and he creates a favorable public opinion in his favor by presenting
his agenda, plans policies in a decent and peaceful manner. That would be more convincing
and result-oriented that knocking down the political edifice based upon the peoples
‘mandate.
The next
general elections are far by two years and in this period Imran and his party
cohorts can adopt a positive and constructive strategy to win the majority
votes and thus be justified to hold the reins of the government. If the ongoing
democratic set up no matter how faulty, is short-circuited, then this could
lead to unhealthy tradition to oust a rival government by agitations and Dharna
and by inciting the vulnerable sections of society.
It defies
the logic why Tahirul Qadri who spends better part of the year in Canada comes
to Pakistan to sabotage a democratic and political system that is the best notwithstanding
whether the power wielders were competent or inept and corrupt. The best and
the logical recipe to oust a political establishment should be on the political
turf and not by noncooperation movements and violent tactics. Let the decision
to elect the MNAs should be left to the choice of the people and not by short-circuiting
it through foul and aggressive means.
The chaos
that would boil up with such a rowdy rivalry could pave way for the army to
step in and thus the country would recede back to dictatorship. A worst
democracy is better than a best dictatorship. The periods of dictatorships are
like oasis in a desert but not a full-fledged ever green orchard which in the
case of power politics is democracy. Imran and other parties should not disregard
and forsake the democracy at any cost for personal whims and wait for the
elections to be held when due.
As far
Panama Leaks and money laundering of
Nawaz Sharif, let the supreme court of Pakistan hand out a verdict that should
be binding on all. It would be in order that along with the probing of money
laundering case and overseas accounts of Nawaz family and all other such cases
should be looked into by the supreme court or NAB for that matter. This probe
should be across the board without any political vendetta for political gains.
Even
if Imran Khan succeeds in removing Nawaz as the prime minister he may later
also remain vulnerable for a similar backlash from his detractors. So in this vicious
musical chairs game of vendettas, should we infer that he is taking a wrong course
for a just cause. Or else he may be acting at the behest of some foreign actors
who don’t want CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) to fructify or Pakistan
to remain politically and economically stable.
I might be mistaken but there seems to be a great
deal of similarity in the temperament, attitudes, outlook and world view of
Donald Trump and Imran Khan. Both are short of vision, depth and sobriety that
are the hallmarks of a politician and national leader. Both are readily pleased
and infuriated alternately. They would look angels when in sober and kind mood.
On the contrary when they are angry they would be provoked beyond permissible limits.
On the whole both politically are incorrect and swayed by emotions and resort
to knee jerk reactions to challenging situations.
Instead of
healthy dialogue and logical response both are in the habit of lambasting and
undermining their detractors, rivals and critics with condemnations, curses and
derogatory remarks. Both tend to suffer from illusion of self-glorification and
popularity. Both offer plans and recipes for nation building and politico-socio
and economic issues that visibly look enticing but practically undeliverable. Both
tend to suffer from distortions of understanding by making non-issues as big issues.
Both are
emotionally zealous about their policies and imbibe bubbling spirit to excel
other politicians in serving their respective nations. As such one may infer
that Imran Khan is the Donald Trump of Pakistan. The only difference between these two leaders and
their postures that I can perceive is, that while Donald uses his party’s
platforms and political caucuses to unfurl his agenda, Imran tends to advance
his political bandwagon by demonstrating street power, holding rallies, sit ins
and long marches that are reminiscent of the Indians demanding liberation from
the British colonial rule in India.
While Donald Trump has entered the wild waters of politics quite recently, Imran has been there for over twenty years now. Donald Trump has a strong base of white American supremacists and frustrated under-privileged , Imran has none of the sort. Donald Trump might still spring some surprise, Imran has no acuity to do that. Young lads and romantic females do not make a political force.
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