Pakistan, political morass and PTI

Imran has used this unwarranted, ill-advised and ill-timed act to his political defence successfully

It was 1994 and Benazir Bhutto as the 13^th PM of Pakistan (1993-96) was addressing the graduating students at the Command and Staff College, Quetta. In the ensuing Q&A session, in reply to a question about apparent ‘manipulation’ for power, she justified it, saying, “you never know when you get the next opportunity”. This is a dilemma every PM anywhere in the world, including Imran Khan, faces, and it explains the clinging to power on his behalf and the mad rush for power by the combined opposition in the not so pretty, no holds-barred manner.

One has often been critical of Imran Khan in this space for his inexperience and PTI’s combined incompetence for mismanagement of the economy and the unbearable inflation. However, if the ‘letter by the known unknowns’ is a fact (and it seems so), such brazen interference in Pakistan’s domestic affairs is callous, non-democratic, against human rights (if Pakistanis indeed qualify) and against all diplomatic norms. This is the second time recently; the powerful forces are arm-twisting Pakistan. European ambassadors’ letter being the first instance. And that causes concerns among all patriotic Pakistanis, irrespective of the political divide.

Imran has actually used this unwarranted, ill-advised and ill-timed act to his political defence successfully. His decision to go to the masses for a jalsa on 27^th March was a political masterstroke, whose reverberations would be felt far and wide. The fact that the jalsa was well-attended by the otherwise silent majority of middle and affluent upper middle-class citizenry, including a large number of ranking and senior veterans, was unprecedented. These folks generally do not vote, and have been mobilised for the second time only in our political history, after ZA Bhutto’s roti, kapra aur makaan days. And this has created a lot of pressure over those stakeholders, preferring to stay neutral.

This vibrant, influential and important group with deep links is rightly declaring that ‘Pakistan is not for sale’ given the stories circulating over media about the injection of huge sums of foreign money for ‘vulture-trading’ (horse is a decent animal). Floor crossing and defection for monetary gains, technicalities aside, is not standing up with conscience. It is otherwise and it stinks and stinks badly. Pakistan sided with an overtly non-corruptible leader with Islamist credentials, nationalist outlook and a spine to stand up to the powerful. And this is a winning combination in our political culture. Those not knowing and/or denying it would learn it with grief in toe.

Second, the motley crowd of opposition forces is perceived by this otherwise silent majority as simply longing for ‘power grab’ at any cost; since none of these parties see others eyeball to eyeball on any issue, less pleasing their foreign paymasters to remove Imran Khan. And that ‘money politics’ needs to be stopped if we have to salvage any remaining dignity as a nation and as a people. And that is the reason electorate is willing to look sideways and ignore Imran’s many U-turns, his inexperience and his glaring incompetence.

Third, the voters today differentiate between Imran the person and PTI the party. PTI’s lower apparatus, sadly, is no different from their criticised predecessors, as cited elsewhere. Governance is a badly neglected area under PTI’s stint in power, with its most energies spent on petty squabbles and fighting unnecessary storms in national tea cup. However, the phenomenon of Imran Khan, with unprecedented ability for mass-mobilisation creates a possibility, if correctly channelised.

Fourth, PTI has packaged Imran as ‘last chance’ and the ‘only alternative’ to the tested and tried cabal of corrupt and convicted political elite. Nobody perhaps has enjoyed so much solid support from the expat Pakistanis and the cited silent majority. The ‘pulse’ gleaned from the official strata is also supportive of Imran’s ‘dig your heel and fight back’ strategy, to take head-on the alliance of the wily, the corrupt and their foreign backers. And as alluded to earlier, PTI top echelons echo Imran’s indispensability and lack of any palatable alternative with the miltablishment. This is despite his brusque, bruising and non-compromising style.

The vote of no-confidence can go either way. Either he survives or else most likely he becomes a political martyr. However, it has rocked our political foundations like never before. It has exposed money, mostly foreign money, in our politics; it has revealed the always known but covert and threatening embrace of some foreign powers; it has laid bare the vulture-like propensities of our political elite, who would gladly accept foreign diktat for financial and political gains; and it has demonstrated that the power of conviction is enduring.

And this saga, whatever the outcome, leaves important lessons. One, Imran, if successful, needs to focus on nothing but governance and shun the propensity of a foul-mouthed mother-in-law, abusing all and sundry from the top of a container. Such populist politics is short-lived, if amusing, and it ties you to your perceptions, however wrong and faulty. Demonstration of ability through governance and delivery is lasting.

Second, politics is the art of possible. Rome was not built in a day, neither was Riasat-e-Madina. Political compromise here and there with patriotic and sincere political forces is good policy.

Third, every criticism does not need to be responded to, as it drains the not-so-abundant positive energy and wastes the limited time, besides being focus-deflecting.

Fourth, efforts should be made to shield oneself from political blackmail of smaller parties, through earlier and public agreements, as possible.

Fifth, correct reading of the situation and ‘pulse’ is important for the other pro-Pakistan forces. Majority is never on the error-side. Personal ambitions and interest, however cloaked, have the potential of derailing the system, and harming national interests. Instability hits at the economy, and cleavages are exploitable by the nemesis. And unprincipled compromises generally come back to haunt.

Sixth, prolonged political agitation is bothersome to citizenry.

And lastly, grace and dignity should be the watch words, besides effort to leave a healthy ‘legacy’.

In this drama, between the ‘rational actors’, our 75^th Pakistan Day was bargained. Although the OIC delegation attended, Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, the would-be chief guest, could not come, ‘ostensibly’ unsure of Imran’s staying in office.

One may conclude that the Chinese, Saudi, Turkish and OIC interlocution would lead to pro-Pakistan and pro-stability outcomes. How small of us, to be tutored like this.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2022.

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