Incompetence versus corruption

The current politics in Pakistan revolves around selecting either of the lesser evils. The nation is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. As a spontaneous reaction any person with the slightest of leanings towards moral values will opt to ignore inefficiency and strongly reject corruption. But very few people realise that inefficiency or mal-administration is the progenitor of corruption. Corruption can never be obliterated in our country because it is congenitally ingrained in the DNA of our society as a whole. The psyche of a nation can be changed but for that you need an iconic leader. Pakistan has unfortunately produced run of the mill politicians and there are several reasons for it.

If the democratic system in a country is based on solid foundations then even a nondescript politician like Modi can lead a country as huge as India. Imran Khan an Oxford educated cricketer having a charismatic persona failed to steer Pakistan out of the woods because the institutions and the putrid democracy did not let him function with infallible determination. He had to make compromises by the day and thus unwittingly added to the heap of corruption indulged in by the coterie of his ministers/advisers who were rather thrust upon him. Consequently, the eradication of corruption echoed around Sharifs and Zardaris also met with stark failure due to our equally putrescent judicial system.

This dilemma has now come to a logical conclusion and all the beneficiaries of the corrupt status quo have joined hands to oust Imran Khan from the government while the establishment has postured its neutrality in so many ways. It pains me to see Imran Khan’s anticipated and unceremonious exit but that is how the politics in Pakistan has treated a few reformists who by dint of luck entered politics and believed that they could catch the bull by the horns. Imran Khan may have been a misfit in politics but his puritanical intentions cannot be doubted even for a moment. He will at least leave a legacy where the people of Pakistan will start differentiating between honesty and corruption. Even if we have made a beginning, it is still a great achievement.

Imran Khan howsoever undiplomatic in his interviews and meetings with world leaders has shown his countrymen the pride and honour that he maintained in representing Pakistan so befittingly. He never minced his words where as others failed to gesticulate and at times stammered reading a written piece of paper. Imran Khan will always occupy a coveted place in the hearts of his followers who believe that breaking the shackles of mental slavery is far more difficult than getting rid of physical bondage. Imran Khan deserves this verse to be dedicated to him.

Nikal laya hun aik pinjrai sai ek parinda,

Ab is parinday ke dil se pinjra nikalna hai

If the vote of no confidence is somehow managed in his favour by Imran Khan amidst looming hostilities all around then it will be nothing less than a miracle. But IK is deceptively so confident that his friends and foes are equally perplexed and cannot stop guessing. IK is capable of pulling out a rabbit from his hat any moment. It will be unfair if we do not acknowledge the biggest achievement of Imran Khan’s tenure. He was so vocal, articulate and tenacious in his dealing with Islamobhobia that the world came together in passing a resolution in the United Nations fulfilling the aspirations of the Muslim world. Whether Imran Khan stays or goes one thing is absolutely certain that despite the economic woes during his tenure, IK’s popularity has not dwindled and he will always remain a potent political figure. Punjab will continue to serve as a battleground between PML-N and PTI while PPP will exist on the fringes.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2022.

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