Electable politicians are joining Imran Khan because they stand to benefit from his rising popularity.
LAHORE: Every day dozens of electable politicians are joining Imran Khan. While some of them believe in him, many are most likely joining his party because they stand to benefit from his rising popularity. There is a whole history behind many of these turncoats. Most of them have been part of various governments and even military juntas. There is no doubt that educated and talented men like Jehangir Tareen, Ishaque Khan Khakwani and others will be an asset for Imran Khan but there are many who will damage his party with their unethical practices. We must remember what happened in the post-1940 era, when the Quaid-i-Azam as a consequence of an understanding reached in 1937, inducted Muslim electable members of the Unionist Party, a coalition of Hindu, Sikh and Muslim landowners. According to the agreement, these Muslim members of the Unionist Party were to constitute a Muslim League Party in Punjab legislature, but this never happened and instead they dominated provincial parliamentary boards tasked with the distribution of election tickets. The Unionist Party continued to function as a separate parliamentary group in Punjab Legislature till 1944, when Khizr Hayat was expelled from the League.
Pakistan has suffered because of the domination by these remnants of the Raj. These feudal elements were created by the British through the allotment of state land in return for their loyalty. One can only hope that their descendants don’t do the same to the politics of today.
Malik Tariq Ali
Published in The Express Tribune, December 22nd, 2011.
