The question to be countenanced now is whether he should keep waging a war of words even if the PM does not resign.
DUBAI: A few rapacious and spineless individuals who are pro-status quo are trying to discourage and dishearten Imran Khan. These great advocates of democracy and human rights are themselves its worst violators. The fact is that Imran is dubbed truthful and honest even by his enemies.
His party did well in the 2013 elections, particularly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and he also has a good number of seats in Punjab as well. However, the party needs to do a lot of work in Sindh and Balochistan.
In the venal world of Pakistani politics today sincerity and humility might seem like alien quantities. The question to be countenanced now is whether he should keep waging a war of words even if the prime minister does not tender his resignation. In a democracy, even as we value dissent and also recognise that citizens have an unassailable and undeniable right to express dissent, we cannot allow emotions to overcome reason at any cost. Specially in a democracy as nascent as Pakistan’s. This rule is applicable not only to all of us but also to our leaders, including Imran Khan.
What now? Imran has to be cautious while negotiating the perilous road ahead. Simultaneously, the party’s public discourse has to be saner. What’s needed is tact, not tantrums. The truth is that he has performed shoddily. He’s not only let us down, he’s let himself down.
Asif Masood
Published in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2014.
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