A misunderstood man

Letter April 13, 2012
I believe that he is neither a rightist nor a leftist.

KARACHI: This is with reference to Shibil Siddiqui’s article “Imran Khan: engaging delusion” (April 12). Many people — both rightists and leftists — fail to understand Imran. I believe that he is neither a rightist nor a leftist. If he opposed the Waziristan operation — which riled the left — he also condemned Salmaan Taseer’s brutal murder in an interview to NDTV, which many on the right perhaps did not approve of.

When he was about to share the stage with Salman Rushdie, those on the right cried foul but when he called off his participation in that event, the left started questioning him. I believe that Imran is the only one who can act as a bridge between the left and the right and also among the ethnicities of Pakistan. He will not close his doors on extremists because it is important to bring them into the mainstream, instead of shunning them and forcing them onto the path of violence.

Adeel Ahmed

Published in The Express Tribune, April 13th, 2012.