From leader to messiah: Imran Khan’s power of populism

Imran is now inching towards becoming the ‘supreme’ leader, or as his followers put it, “our only hope of survival”.

In a recent statement, former Prime Minister Imran Khan stated that he wants two million people present at his jalsa in Islamabad. Had this been any other leader, the idea of gathering two million people on the roads of Islamabad would have seemed delusional at the very least, but with Imran, everyone knows that this could be a real possibility.

Ever since the captain’s first entry into the political arena, his irresistible pull has completely transformed the outlook of political participation in the country. Imran has managed to turn into Pakistan’s ultimate populist leader and is now possibly inching his way towards becoming the country’s ‘supreme’ leader, or as many of his followers put it, “our only hope of survival”.

Populist leaders are best identified through their natural charisma and their ideological stance which is based on the juxtaposition of the common man and the ruling elite. Populist leaders claim to embody the will of the people and stand against all that is wrong with the status quo. On the surface, the idea of a highly charismatic leader, the sole voice of the nation, the defender of the common man, the only hope to surpass all vices of society, seems ideal. However, a populist leader, as proven by political science and history, is not so perfect in reality.

By definition, a populist leader claims to represent the unified will of the people, and stands in opposition to an enemy, often embodied by the current system. This enemy is created by a populist leader through dividing the society into two distinct halves. According to Cas Mudde (author of Populism: A Very Short Introduction), the political agenda of a populist leader is based on the notion that society is separated into two groups at odds with one another: “the pure people” and “the corrupt elite”. The populist leader emphasises on this very clear distinction in order to gain mass support. The idea is to create a narrative which oversimplifies the distinction between good and bad to the extent that there is no grey area left.

This kind of over-simplification of political issues is very evident in Pakistan today. Imran has used the age-old idea of the ‘corrupt elite’ as his political cash cow. While Pakistan has a myriad of problems, the former prime minister has always been most concerned with this ‘corrupt elite’. This is because it is crucial for the survival of his political narrative that he maintains the grouping of society into – “the pure people” and “the corrupt elite”. Imran tapped into this tried and tested method of politics to build his mass following in 2014 when his party rose to power on dharnas aimed at defaming the ruling elite. In late 2014, political protests of an unprecedented scale and duration took hold of the capital city. The air felt revolutionary as everyone hopped onto the “the pure people” bandwagon, finally ready to put the political elite behind bars.

All this seemed in good faith until the captain of the pure people came into power himself in 2018. This was when the tables turned and Imran found himself as the leader of the ruling elite – a group he had spent his entire political career campaigning against. Even when he was in the government, his addresses to the nation started and ended with a heart-felt lecture on the former government’s corruption. This is because maintaining this narrative is key to his popularity. Dividing society into good and bad, with nothing in between, means that if you are not standing firmly with the self-proclaimed ‘good’ people, you are automatically the enemy.

While Imran has now become the face of populist politics in Pakistan, he is not alone in this race. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have also tried their hand at this kind of a political stance. An evident characteristic of populist leaders, which is common in all of the above mentioned parties, is that once in power, their economic policies are short-term and based on gaining popularity. This is because these leaders come into power by opposing unfavourable economic conditions for the common man and hence they pass laws to maintain this stance without regard of the consequences for the country such as inflation or debt. An example is the petroleum subsidy levied in the country by both the current and the former government.

However, despite most politicians in the country clinging to the populist handbook, Imran seems to have taken the lead. He has managed to use the populist approach to gain followers like never before. This is because populism isn’t the only trick up Imran’s sleeve. The captain’s followers view him not only as a political leader but as the political messiah, the only hope for an otherwise doomed nation. In a classic populist move, Imran has recently broadened the horizons of the perceived enemy of this “doomed nation” from the “corrupt elite” to “opponents of an Islamic state” and even “enemies of national security”.

Imran has been a beloved celebrity all his life. He has spent more than 60 years in the limelight, convincing people of his ‘oh-so pure’ nature. Pakistanis love their celebrities, especially cricketers who win us world cups. And Imran has managed to channel this popularity into his political career. According to a United Kingdom based cult therapist, Rachel Bernstein, some leaders don’t realise their charismatic potential at first, but once they do, they become egomaniacs. Bernstein states that this type of leader may start as a teacher, street preacher, or in another public-speaking position in the limelight. Eventually, they realise people cling onto what they have to say and run with that skill.

“(They) suddenly realise that everyone listens to everything they say, and they are pied pipers, and people will do things just because they told them to do it. And they start to morph into this kind of ego maniacal monster,” says Bernstein.

Imran has also managed to build an image so his followers cling on to every word he says while continuing to drool over his natural charisma.