Comments (49)
Share this article
Print this page
Email a friend
- RSS
- Today's Paper
- Subscribe
- beta 2.0
High: 28°C
Low: 11°C
Alerts
Can Imran Khan change Pakistan?
Imran has arrived on the Pakistani political scene, but sadly in the same league as the Sharifs and Zardari.
The writer is a defence and security analyst who served as deputy-chief in the Pakistan Air Force
Yes, that’s who we are looking for — someone who can set us on the way to a prosperous and a disciplined society. Imran has arrived on the Pakistani political scene, but sadly in the same league as the Sharifs and Zardari. He doesn’t seem to be, at least right now, as someone who is going to change the way politics should function in the twenty-first century. Is he, for example, aware that Pakistani politics resides in the mid-twentieth century and the attitudes and ways of the political elite may be even more archaic? Patronage, tribalism and the biradari will determine who comes up atop the political pile.
While the basics of an equally archaic, nineteenth century society are still antiquated, as are their expectations, the political elite is equally averse to pulling the naïve electorate out of their routine muddle of the thana and katchery. Since such function is easily doable and within the intellectual capacity of our political elite, in turn assuring heavy returns in the shape of electoral allegiance, all that is needed is a compliant police station head-officer (SHO), which their political clout, when in the assemblies, can easily contrive. The circus thus goes on. The police officer must also receive back his pound of flesh; and he does that through a system of gratification that the legislators are obliged to overlook. So is the case with the tehsil, district and provincial bureaucracy where honesty is a disqualifier for mainstream plum jobs. With an uninterruptible cycle of corruption now fully in place and feeding on itself for sustenance and strength, all that remains is for the original sinner, the politician, to cream off his share in this thievery at the top. But is ‘electing’ the SHO the solution? Even in England, police commissioners are from the police cadre and that is a good model to follow.
What is it that the electorate gets in addition to help with the thana and katchery for their electoral allegiance? Naukri! And what that might be? A peon, a lascar, a bearer, a government job in short, signed in hundreds by the politician when he makes his weekly return to his native constituency and attends to the piles upon piles of applications seeking recompense for their electoral duty. What does the nation get in return for this ignoble association? An overstaffed PIA; a sinking Steel Mill; a broken Railways. The list is unending, gobbling up four to five billion dollars worth of precious money that may in the first place have been begged off a world wary of our shenanigans. Return to the original sin. Who needs help at the thana and the katchery? The hustlers and the rustlers! The entire edifice is based on criminality. When you input trash, what you get at the other end is unlikely to be anything savoury.
Can Imran change this? I hope he can, because both Nawaz and Zardari won’t. There is a need to change the level of expectations of the electorate; to make them more issue sensitive; to suggest to them more sustaining avenues of a better promise in their daily lives. Imran should be honest with them. He should frequently talk to them and explain his hopefully more abiding policies that will bring to them fruits for a longer period though later in time than the immediate returns that they seek through transitory and episodic jobs at the lowest rungs, in turn making institutions untenable and inefficient. Bank loans rather than jobs will enable them better hope: India, just across the border, and Bangladesh have put in place programmes of poverty alleviation that are putting people to work where they live. Our few steps in this initiative have been rather tentative and without an institutional framework to ensure long-term efficacy.
Let’s go back to Imran’s jalsa. Like so many others, I was pleased and surprised at the number of people who attended it. More importantly, they came of their own wont and remained enthusiastic enough to give hope to a malfeasant political scene. That the young have taken to expressing their frustration is also encouraging — they remain our best hope to push this system to drastically change itself. Imran did better than the rest in enunciating something of his plan on how he intends to right the national wrongs, but remained woefully short in suggesting a fresher perspective of our ailments. It was conventional, drawn-out and boring. The last letter in PTI may stand for Insaf (justice), but it should not mean justice against corruption alone. Imran carries the flag against corruption and kudos to him for that but zeroing in on the Zardaris and the Nawazs seems a transparent case for finding political space by making both irrelevant. That is old politics. That way he will remain firmly entrenched in the same league. A useful advice to him in the last few days has been ‘to stay above the fray’; I hope he does better and carries a more wholesome view of our ills with the courage to bring structural corrections.
Imran may not be corrupt and hopefully will not be when he converts his potential into electoral gain — more of a science than an art alone — but one looks for a deeper statement to correct a corroding edifice. The structures for sure need to change; increased administrative units can devolve responsibility and authority closer to the people. This will also mitigate undue regional sensitivities, freeing the state to undertake initiatives that are put to halt simply for fear of upsetting federated order. A larger number of provinces than the present four will obviate parochial sensitivities flouted through various ‘cards’ to seek undue political advantage. The 1973 Constitution, while a veritable instrument of consensus under difficult conditions, should not become an instrument straitjacketing progressive thinking to formulate governance mechanisms that suit our needs, especially given our experience with it of four decades. It deifies the political elite and enables familial domination of politics. Imran should have the courage to challenge such entrenched manipulation of the political system.
If Imran can do all this and more, and reset Project Pakistan, this nation would like to see him leading it for as long as it will take us to realise our potential. Imran could then be the Lee Kuan Yew that we all seek.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 7th, 2011.
Reader Comments (49)
Latest News
Five killed in Afghan protests over Quran burning
At least five Afghans were shot dead and dozens wounded in clashes between police and demonstrators.
Indian police arrests former Pakistani national over ‘spying’ for ISI
Kamran Akbar, 39, was ‘tasked’ to collected defence-related documents from New Delhi: police.
Price hike: Petrol bomb expected in 7 days
Secretary Petroleum and Natural Resources says prices will have to go up in seven days.
PML-N rolls out conditions for attending Balochistan APC
Party chief Nawaz Sharif says participation useless until arrest of Bugti’s killers and recovery of missing persons.
Saif Ali Khan booked for assaulting patron in Taj hotel
Mumbai police registered case against Saif Ali Khan for allegedly assaulting a patron in the Taj Mahal Hotel.
Recent Slideshows
More in Opinion
Pakistan and India at the United Nations
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed or derived from.
Unless otherwise stated, all content is copyrighted © 2012 The Express Tribune News Network.
Technical feedback? webmaster@tribune.com.pk
we need people like Mustafa Kamal who have really delivered to the people and world have appreciated his efforts.
Recommend
@ Ali : Really!!! LOL!!!
Recommend
YES it is time for Pakistan for the change it needs and Imran Khan would be that saviour Inshallah.
Recommend
“Imran has arrived on the Pakistani political scene, but sadly in the same league as the Sharifs and Zardari. He doesn’t seem to be, at least right now, as someone who is going to change the way politics should function in the twenty-first century.” The writer makes this outrageous observation without any proof.
Recommend
Question you should ask ,
Can Pakistan change Pakistan???
SIr ,respectfully ,you are beating a dead horse and bet on the wrong horse.
Leader always reflect mirror image of Society.
you can lead a horse to water (but you can’t make it drink)
Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. … But it seems like Imran Khan going to be “serve as a guinea pig” for Pakistani with some hope.Recommend
Nothing will change for the people ever. Not until and unless people themselves will be prepared to change their habits and attitude which will enable them to be able to come forward to install a new and just system, which is ‘democracy of the majority’.
Such a system can be evolved only by the participation of the masses by organizing ‘Co-operative Collectives’ of the people, by the people, for the people, in every locality. This is the only way people can organise the means to have their ‘true and effective representation’.
By coming together people will be able to become vigilant and observant of how their hard-earned tax money is being used or abused. Peoples’ power thus gained through thousands of ‘Co-operative Collectives’ all over the country will ensure that the people can take corrective actions through their effective representations and avoid any adversity to their common interests.
Charity begins at home. So the initiative to organize “Co-operative Collectives” has to come from the people themselves in the localities where they live. If people fail to make a move in this direction they will certainly never achieve, what are their just rights, no matter whomsoever they allow to be their leader. We all have seen such things happening in the last 60 years in this part of the world and for centuries in other countries of our world.
Nothing is in the hand of a leader and everything is in the hands of the people themselves. When the people will be prepared to bring their heads together to think the best way for them and when they will be prepared to act collectively to translate their common thoughts into action, peacefully, methodically then they will then certainly enable themselves to achieve what they want to achieve.
O’ People, there is just no other way. It is your own collective action which will help you in making your country, your life, Heaven or Hell.
Recommend
About 15 members of PML-Q are going to join PTI after Eid. Imran cannot bring change by collaborating with the same old elites. He can only reduce some corruption at the highest level and provide some better governance.
Recommend
An insightful thorough analysis. Splendid indeed.
PTI and JI are setting their course for the next elections. Both parties’s decision to boycott the 2008 elections is bringing fruit.
Recommend
For all those sceptics out there what is the alternative? Vote for the status quo? Or don’t vote and wait for yet another military strongman? These two alternatives have been tested and retested and we know for sure that it hasn’t worked. With IK at least we know that he is not as corrupt as the other two alternatives. They had their time more than once and the result had been a total disappointment. Let’s think outside of the box and vote for a change. What could be the downside? That he will be a disappointment just like the others? For those who think he can’t win, I say; shouldn’t we make an effort and try? To those who say it’s a “one man show”, I say, wasn’t Z.A. Bhutto a ‘one man show’ as well? Bhutto’s ‘one man show’ was so powerful that people are still voting for the promises made by dead Bhutto. So my friends lets close our ranks and vote for Imran Khan. It’s our opportunity to vote for a change. In order for IK to succeed he’ll have to organize many such rallies throughout Pakistan. We’ll need to carry this message to Karachi where people are still hanging in with Altaf Hussain who has abandoned Pakistan and is controlling through his telephone. And to Multan and Sindh where people are still basically voting for the promises made by a dead man. Let’s help him get elected in whatever way we can; through participation in his rallies, by donating money to his campaign, or by simply writing on blogs to inspire people. YES WE CAN!!!!!
Recommend
how can he change when he is thinking about an alliance with PML (N)……???
he is actually trying to join a party he has been against for 14 years…he is out of his mind and we can wait for someone else to come forward…I as well as others of silent majority are starting to lose confidence in IK just because of his apparent “inclinations” towards PML N……A party he always said was full of corruption…..IK seems to be aimless…..
Recommend
mr.author…what you want to suggest is that you will accept only that person who promise to change everything overnight. well i m relieved that IK did not make any such commitment or else he would be in the same league of zardaris and nawazs.you agree that he is honest so you should allow an honest man to reach at the helm.if that is done then everything will fall in line
Recommend
Can Imran Khan change Pakistan? Probably not, for one simple reason: he is colluding with Army/ISI in his quest for power. How can a transformed Pakistan come about from someone who is receiving illegal help from the most anti-change institution. Once Imran is in power, can someone please explain to me how he will be able to act independently with the army breathing down his neck and reminding him at every turn about the favor he owes them for the strings they pulled to put him in power. And the moment he pulls a Junejo on them (i.e. becomes assertive and independent) they will either fire him, or perhaps ask him to make a speech at Liaqat bagh (the Establishment’s favorite spot for target practice)
Recommend
@Shehzad Hameed:
You mean like how Imran Khan himself shows no proof of his judgments and promises? Even I can tell people what they want to hear and get a following. My self respect just wouldn’t hold up long enough to drag it out.
Recommend
Nice impartial write up. InshAllah Imran Khan would be the torch bearer for us.
Recommend
@Ali,
I think Mustafa kamal did delivered a lot to karachi but again i dont like when they talk like
street politicians i remeber when T.V ancher Hamid Mir asked him about payment delay
for pathans construction workers he replied yes they made lot of money from these projects
and some delays not gonna kills them how rude was his answer and the way he did it was
a shame for that kind of city leader i guess.
Recommend
@Ali: Delivered what? Are you suggesting Karachi’s problems are solved?
Anyways, without giving him any chance, we want Imran to be an angel first and then our leader.Recommend
I find it so unfair for an ex-military person to lecture on what it takes to ‘change’ Pakistan. ‘Project Pakistan’ is not much of a challenge for this nation. If we could build the biggest gas distribution and transmission infrastructure in the 60s why can’t we produce ample power now. If we could build such airlines as Emirates and Singapore Air in the 80s why can’t we rebuild our own flag carrier? Name a problem we can’t tackle. It only takes a Muhammad Khan Junejo to set things right-only if the Air Marshall’s former institution lets him. .Recommend
Sadly, i believe Imran Khan is well out of his depth here !!!
Its not as simple as opening or managing an Hospital !!!
Pakistan has multitudes of problems to deal with both internally and externally too, however there is a serious lack of sincere people with credentials for the task, as the track record of all the major players is rather lame, if not bordering on criminality!!!!
Perhaps the electorate can start demanding accountability from their elected officials.
There are no quick fixes on the horizon at present.
Recommend
@Fahd
I believe Ali is talking about Mustafa Kemal Ataturk of Turkey who saved the nation with his secular nationalistic policies.
We had our Ataturk, he was called Jinnah but he died a year into Pakistani’s birth.
Recommend
This is few of the articles that has touched on the ground realities in our districts and cities and what can be done by PTI to overhaul the system in the short-term and long-term. Thanks for putting this together. We need to have our intellectuals on-board to facilitate this transition. PTI might not be ready, but with everyone’s cooperation, it can lead us through the change. Remember, it is not only PTI’s Pakistan, it is our Pakistan and we all own every bit of it!
Recommend
Sir, with due respect, politics have not changed for more than 5000 years and will not for another 5000. Where IK is different is not that he is trying to invent his own definition of politics. It is that he is an honest man who can do politics and beat these crooks at their own game without stealing from the nation (all his funds are coming from donations.)
Recommend
Good Article, we need to understand that Pakistan is a very complex country both internationally and domestically. He just cant lay out his micro-management plans for each Govt Dept, since every one of them is citadel of corruption, its not that there is one branch of the Govt inefficiently working, its the whole archtecture crumbling, complete system failure, societal derangement, and for that one has to stick with collective slogan of “Justice, Deliverance and No Corruption”. About twentieth century political mindset, thats true, yet we will be surprised to see changes in upcoming election, during campaign people will promise these bigwigs of their support but at the polling station if not monitored they will “Beg To Differ”
Recommend
Imran Khan Changes or not but we the people of Pakistan have to change our Pakistan , a positive change .
Hope for the best
and
Eid Mubarak !
Recommend
Why don’t these writers criticize mqm,ppp and sharif brothers in same manner!!
Recommend
Imran will be as good as pro-establishment Nawaz of 80s and 90s. Keeping in view his intellectual capacity and organization of PTI, he will be easlily used by the deep state before he finds himself in exile in UK.
Hey guys- just a heads up call, no hard feelings.
Recommend
Yes Imran Khan can change Pakistan but not by embracing the traitors of the worst govt party like PML-Q and unelected leaders like Marvi. If he has to make any meaningful changes he should have no room for the lotas, rats, traitors and people who have mostly supported military dictatorship. Otherwise there is no difference between TI and various factions of PML. The inclusion and embrace of Mir Jaffer and Mir Sadiq does not make a good change. Mush has already tried this and done that not too long ago.
Recommend
May Allah save Pakistan from people like Mustafa Kamal. @Ali:
Recommend
This is a classic “Super hero syndrome”. No one man can solve the problem of Pakistan. Imran Khan has shown that he is no different than most other politicians. He tacitly supports army role in Pakistan Politics, Supports Islamic fundamentalism. Whether he is corrupt or not is yet to be tested (he hasn’t had much opportunity). But, he is already having tainted folks in his tent.
having said that, he may not be any worse than the other two parties – So, what the heck!!
Recommend
The point, well made, is that while the incumbents will not even try, Imran will make a faithful attempt to implement strategies to execute his vision, which is, broadly speaking, a compelling one. More of my thoughts on redwishdotcom.wordpress.com if you’re interested.
Recommend
Winds of change are blowing in Pakistan. Imran Khan is the best choice against all odds.He is honest and a man of integrity.He can certainly produce better then best if provided.People of Pakistan are tired and sick of looters and plunders .They are against bhatta mafia and crooks of former Soviet agents and now on American payroll the Sarhadi Gandhi’s new party.It is time now to dump all crooks and put them behind bars until and unless they wouldn’t bring back the national wealth of Pakistan.Recommend
@Shahzad Choudhry
Patronage, tribalism and the biradari will determine who comes up atop the political pile.
And pray why is that so? Wasn’t the country ruled for long spells by ‘professional patriots’ not beholden to Patronage, Tribalism and Biradari? Didn’t the ‘system’ push through leaders like Bhutto, Sharif, Leghari, Jamali and Aziz, in the name of forces other than Patronage, Tribalism and Biradari?
And if the PIA is bloated and the Railways is broken and the SHO demands his pound of flesh, why were these issues not addressed by Ayub, Zia or Musharraf? At least these Presidents and CEOs of Pakistan were not bound by ties of Patronage, Tribalism and Biradari.
And will Mr Khan be allowed to grant or not grant extensions all by himself? If not, How do we fight Patronage?
Recommend
I am amazed to see how this guy attracts crowd, weather he will be a good manager or not, he certainly seems to be a popular leader.
His charisma has put traditional politicians to rethink how they are interacting with people. The choice of using money and dirty politics is changing by using more cleaner and progressive approaches. Such as Shahbaz Sharif catching him up on social media.
IK is changing expectations of people for how our Leaders should be, at least at Prime Minister/President/Chairman of party level.
We should keep the hope he will keep his acts clean with visionary approach.Recommend
@Ali : May i know the distance between Edgware and Collandale. :) …
Recommend
If there is any temporal force for change in Pakistan, it would be the Pakistani people and not Imran. It is great to talk about Naukri and welfare, but the biggest threat right now come from militant madrassas and terror outfits. Squeeze the money supply, expose these anti-national elements and brace yourselves for a spate of violent backlashes…After a while, a more equitable Pakistan may emerge.
Recommend
There should be a two-pronged approach against militancy and corruption. Both feed off each other and both should be tackled simultaneously.
Recommend
One thing need to be understand by you all that in political scenario and within constituitional limits, you can bring evolution not revolution. Therefore, it is not fair with Imran Khan to expect him to bring change overnight, it will take time but important thiong is that Imran will guide toward right direction and bring improvement.
Recommend
Answer is simply YES Imran Khan Insha Allah will twist the scenario of politics in pakistan by introducing the self-respecting-Foreign Policies, by restoring the nation’s honour and integrity in its true sprit.
Recommend
Why not?
Recommend
@observer:
PIA and the railways thrived in the time of Ayub. You need to read some history.
Recommend
@Meekal Ahmad
Sir,
Should I then assume that the rot has set in only since the current Government has assumed charge?
My point was about all the conditions being cited by the AVM , for which, he seemed to be laying the blame exclusively at the doorstep of the ‘civilian political leadership’ and the political process.
And if the Railways were ‘thriving’ in Ayub’s time, I would mark that to the ‘inertia’ of inherited momentum of the past.
Recommend
I 100% agree with the writer’s recommendations for rectifying the political and administrative ills fatal for existence of itself Pakistan and that is creation of new provinces or smaller administrative units. Such units should not have grand and expensive political offices such as Governors/Chief Ministers, large Cabinets, big administrative set-up and pomp and show associated with elitism. Provincial, regional, ethnic, linguistic, tribal and other such cancers can only be eliminated by dividing large provinces into much smaller set-ups geared for providing good education, health, infrastructure, law and order and justice more efficiently and in a best possible manner. The administrative division may be converted into provinces so that language and ethnic issues may not become an irritant in creation of provinces.
The hatred between provinces will evaporate with creation of more provinces.
Harmony, peace and national coherence will be achieved.
Socio-economic development will be realized very quickly.
Political culture and ethics will be transformed from present style of power accumulation to be a more responsive to peoples’ needs.
Accountability would become intrinsic at gross root level.
Local issues will be addressed more easily and promptly.
Imran Khan or whosoever delivers such system will be the greatest leader in the history of the country. It is time to act or we are doomed (God forbid).
Recommend
I thought this was a fairly balanced article with sound observations.
The bigger picture here is that the 2% who rule the 98% do so under rules engineered by themselves and the 98% realise they are being taken for a ride but remain submissive.
As of now its mere speculation as to how Imran’s PTI will try redress this blatant wrong. I feel we should wait and watch and not raise expectations.
Recommend
@arif mahmood:
There is no need to create more provinces as what you are proposing already exists in the form of Divisions and then Districts.
Recommend
No one can stop tsunami, we are with you Imran Khan till our last breath to save our Motherland to save our Nation to save our beautiful Pakistan, so mind every one who oppose Imran the cornered Tiger and the Leader of our Nation to never come in our way.Pakistan ZindabadRecommend
@observer:
How long such an inertia would last? Unless you think Ayub ruled for an iota. Also, Pakistan Railway made sound profits during the Shaukat Aziz government.See the World Bank report for net operating incomes of PR.
Recommend
There is no denying that Imran Khan has begun the process of change for the better.
Respect to him and all those involved.
Recommend
@raja islam:
yes districts and do division exist in Pakistan as colonial legacy and 4 big provinces are also there with big fat crumbling politico administrative system. District level administration has terribly failed, division level is just an additional tier and big burden on resources and provinces are too big and distant from the reach of common peoples.
The present size of provinces is not only unsustainable but also redundant for meeting the basic needs of the society and deliver justice and services. Making all divisions provinces is the only solution but yes such provinces should not be symbol of grandeur of rulers and pomp of show for elites, simplicity, efficiency and lean and efficient political set up and very small administration can also save nations’s wealth and country’s resources as these are being wasted by big provinces.
Recommend
Yes Khan is last hope for Pakistan
Recommend
Another very Typical artical from Tribune.. Thanks but no thanks.. The article starts with a hateful and shameful opening and then it goes on and on with writer’s mindset… just one line ” I hate Imran Khan” would have been enough rather than writing the whole long essay..Recommend