Question thy leaders

When he makes a mistake, I will speak up and try to make sure Imran Khan doesn’t repeat the mistakes of past leaders.

I have long been a supporter of our party leader, Mr Imran Khan. I was a staunch supporter of The Khan long before he became en vogue; long before the Che Guevara or Obama-esque T-shirts promising “change”; long before the rockstar endorsements or Twitterati trolls and patrols. I was a true believer when the tsunami was a mere trickle.

I supported — and continue to support — Mr Khan because I believe he is honest and I believe his heart is in the right place; because I believe he genuinely represents a positive change for Pakistan. The reason why I have supported Mr Khan and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is because I felt it was the one party where one could speak one’s mind openly — and where the party leaders were receptive to alternative inputs.

Having said that, I have, of late, found my faith somewhat shaken. I wonder about Mr Khan’s desire to build a Naya Pakistan — one in which he promises to “protect the life and property of all minorities”. I find myself questioning our leader’s resolve because of his various recent statements. Don’t mistake me — I support the PTI candidate in my constituency, Mr Shafqat Mahmood. But I must confess, I feel a bit let down by what I perceive as Mr Khan’s pandering to the right. However, what disturbs me even more is the fact that party supporters refuse to acknowledge that, perhaps, he made a mistake. Surely, the whole point of joining a political movement is to implement change and not just parrot what your “leader” is saying. It’s one’s moral and civic responsibility to call out our leaders when they err — whether they are from the PML-N, the PPP or, indeed, even the PTI.



Armchair liberals censure other parties for their associations with the right — yet, not a peep when it comes to Mr Khan or certain ridiculous statements of late (for instance, when he “requests” his Taliban brethren to stop bombing people but only during the elections; does that mean they can continue post-polls?). Surely, I can’t be the only PTI supporter who sees the farcical nature of such statements; isn’t it our duty, our farz, as moral, responsible citizens to question our leaders when we feel they have taken a dubious step? Surely, one can question and still support a party. Mr Khan is human and, as such, is not infallible. Contrary to what one reads on social media, he is not the messiah. Surely, it behoves us as his supporters to ensure he stays on the straight and narrow.

The irony is that I will still vote for the PTI — but not merely because it’s a change and is not the PML-N or the PPP. When it comes to manifestos, theirs aren’t too bad either. And, by the way, folks, being the lesser of evils is not a valid reason to vote someone into power in a country as fraught with problems as Pakistan. I’ll vote for the PTI because my candidate is the best of the lot and in the past, Mr Khan has stood up for the rights of minorities — even in some cases, at the cost of his own safety. Take how he was the only leader who actively spoke up against the Laskhar-e-Jhangvi for sectarian violence.

However, I’m scared because it seems that even if Mr Khan’s tsunami sweeps him into power, we might be destined to repeat the mistakes of the past by continuing to fiddle away idly while Pakistan burns. To ensure real sustainable change, we must maintain a healthy scepticism. I support Mr Khan because I still choose to believe in his moral centre and ability to maintain a stance in the face of all opposition. But when I feel he makes a mistake, I will speak up and try to make sure he doesn’t repeat the mistakes of past leaders just to get the kursi.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2013.