![is the pti an establishment party is the pti an establishment party](https://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/416536-DrPervezTahir-1343920817.jpg)
More than history, it is important to understand what is happening right now. Protest, populism and extremism — the elements of the old typology, explaining the emergence of a third force — are no help. IK was busy protesting in the days of the lawyers’ movement. So was everyone else. Insofar as IK connects with ordinary folks in their yearning for justice, populism could be a possible explanation, but only a marginal one. No one can accuse the PTI of extremism, an ideology that may create a third force. We have to look for an explanation elsewhere. There is an establishment but there is also a political establishment of the parties. This political establishment is as protective of its space as the establishment we know. Barriers to entry are maintained with tacit collusion. A lot of research has been done by political scientists on anti-political-establishment parties. It is surprising that our political scientists have not paid any attention to it.
The research has focused on two hypotheses. First, there is the polarisation hypothesis. The established political parties are poles apart on every issue, creating space for an ant-political-establishment party. It takes a position in the middle or a centrist stance. One might jump to the conclusion that such a polarisation does indeed exist between the PML-N and the PPP. What better evidence of that than the chief minister of Punjab personally marching on the streets against the PPP government. But the polarisation is more apparent than real. They began as allies in the government. Then, there was mutually beneficial cooperation in parliament on constitutional amendments and on some other legislation. As the elections draw closer and closer, the political temperature has increased. It did not, however, prevent covert give and take. Some key appointments furnish the evidence for this. So the polarisation hypothesis does not explain the rise of IK and the PTI.
It is, indeed, the convergence of the main parties — the second hypothesis — that seems to explain the space created for an outside party. In the eyes of the public, it is difficult to tell one party from the other. Both are ruling and both are blaming each other for their own failures. The performance of the Punjab government gives the public a foretaste of things to come when it is the PML-N’s turn to pack its bags for Islamabad. When IK says that both parties are the chips of the same block, he is profiting from their convergence rather than polarisation. He has thus managed to give the PTI an identity, which voters can see as distinct from the established parties.
Creation of the establishment or not, the PTI is certainly an anti-political-establishment party.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 3rd, 2012.
COMMENTS (34)
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@Mozart: To me 'right' is 'right' no matter if it's 'center right or moderate right' or whatever. When all is 'right', there is no left. That's what I meant to say exclusively and not to discourage you from your school of thought at all. What I actually was anxious about behind my question was to know how PTI can turn the awful situation, of almost 200 million Pakistanis, around in matter of days or months as claimed by the leader of the party himself.
After the belief of making of man from clay, the belief of somebody roaming about the universes in matter of hours, the belief of eliminating corruption in ninety days from Pakistan, the belief of running cars on pure water, what's left next? The belief have spared nothing after religion itself, politics and sciences here in the 'land of pure'.
Discrimination is a bigger crime than corruption in this world. Discrimination leaves the generations paralysed behind in the forms of religious extremism, sectarian extremism, gender exclusion, caste and color exclusion, regional/ethnic/racial discriminations etc. We have, along others, evolved the worst of kind of discrimination and that is Madrassa production versus other educational institutions' production. How would PTI solve it all even when the PTI does not talk about them at all? Looking forward, Shoaib-
@those who wants proof of PTI as an establishment's party: I don't want to give you a detailed paper but just a recent example of NATO supplies, why they didn't start a march against the re-opening of these supplies because these were reopened on the directives or at least by the consensus of the establishment. No one comes with piece of papers to satisfy you, you will have to raise your level of understanding that what rhetoric establishment is giving and what IK or PTI are suggesting.... Both are going parallel to one another.
@Muhammad Shoaib Akif: :) I think we need to learn how to respect others opinions. Did I say your choice of Zardari is wrong or did I say you need to vote for PTI? You have done a good job proving "left-wing revolution" is the only solution for Pakistan. Well good for you, I also hope it is.
I don't know about 'left-wing revolution' but we need to learn to be tolerant. You asked me my reasons and I told you what they were. Now do I have to validate my ideology from someone before I can start practicing it? Seems like molvis are not the only culprit ;). Anyways, I seriously doubt your knowledge of center-right, its called Wikipedia my friend.
@ Mozart Well, just at the beginning, the state of Pakistan decided to adopt pro-right, pro-rich and pro-political-religion policies. Consequently, the left was declared an anti-state element and harassed to such a degree that whatever leftism we had had vanished. As a result, there was no force left to oppose feudalism. Things changed when the first martial law was imposed in 1958.
But it was a strange change. To curtail feudal power, the generals decided to reduce the land-holdings of the feudal lords. They also decided to create a feudal class from within the army and hundreds of thousands of acres of agricultural land was allotted to armed forces personnel. This practice still continues. The feudalisation of the military had one good side though: the generals started respecting one section of the civilians: the patwaris.
Things changed again due to the emergence of an unorganised urban economic class, which, using state facilities, became so rich that it too decided to acquire feudal power through the purchase of vast pieces of land adjacent to cities. Things changed in yet another way. An urban class other than the so-called entrepreneurs also became rich due to the assets acquired through inheritance, gifts or games.
This class also acquired the feudal mindset of looking big. The palaces-like homes in big cities, cantonments and suburbs reflect this ‘look-big’ mindset. Things will positively change through democracy. But this change will come slowly. Finding solutions in 'center-right', 'moderate-right', militarism and militancy will only tear us apart which means facing many East Pakistan-like debacles. The only other way is if somehow the revolutionary left re-emerges. But given the expansion of radicalisation, a leftist revolution seems impossible.
@Muhammad Shoaib Akif: Well for me PPP represents left-wing-authoritarian, PML-N represents punjab-authoritarian and PTI represents center-right (moderate-right). Before PTI there was no party which represented this class. I think center-rights make the majority in Pakistan.
@Mozart: May I know your 'very realistic reasons to support PTI'? It might help improve my realisticism, Mozarat. Frankly speaking I never casted my vote in life for any party simply because I've never been impressed and convinced by any party but a single politician, in the history of Pakistan, and he is President Asif Ali Zardari.
Inshallah PTI will form the next majority government...at least they have given the PEOPLE of PAKISTAN SOME HOPE for a better future then the current political mafias i.e PPP n PML N losers!!!
@Muhammad Shoaib Akif: Even though I am not politically aligned with PPP and ZAB I believe ZAB was an exceptional personality and that is why he won majority seats in West Pakistan. I think we have an inflated view of the capabilities of establishment in making a leader popular. I seriously doubt that establishment can win you elections. The fact is that people (like me) have very realistic reasons to support PTI and establishment is not one of them.
The PPP was created by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, himself a foreign minister in Pakistan's government, who used to refer to Ayub Khan as his father.
@Mozart: After the decades of civil-military dictatorships and break up of Pakistan, without the consent of the establishment, the initiation of democracy would have been impossible in this country. You must at least give ZAB credit for being the inventor of consensual constitution and democracy in this 'land of pure'.
@Faheem: please provide any prove that PTI is the establishment’s party as so far no evidence has been given that PTI is the establishment’s party.
PPP couldn't (or won't) do it, PML couldn't (or won't) do it, IK could do it...
Based on that alone, it's worth a shot.
An excellent article. One of the few saner pieces on the subject on ET.
"No one can accuse the PTI of extremism, an ideology that may create a third force".
What about PTI sitting in the lap Difa-e-Pakistan Council and the General Hamid Guls of this world?
Good read! I think establishment-party propaganda is just a political gimmick. By the way, when ZAB started his election campaign people used the establishment-party rhetoric against him as well.
Populism is at its best and it doesnot necessarily to be right everytime. If the views of PTI or IK echoes with the establishment, then what does it mean? Pro establishment doesn't necessarily mean to get financial and other favors from military - by echoeing on the same lines mean that you are strengthening an already strong institution and which is responsible for country's poor performance, terrorism, extremism, a conservative doctrine in a pluralist society. Establishment would be happy that their purposes will be solved swiftly without doing anything :)
If Agha Waqar were to establish a 'political party' today, he would leave IK and PTI high and dry.
The reasons are subject matter of deep research.
One possible hypothesis that can be explored is an ingrained belief in a saviour, with super human qualities, evidencing divine sanction for his leadership, could be one.
Just look at two recent events.
PMLN accuses SKMH Board of investing its funds speculatively and not showing the losses on the books, when the investment crashed. Even IK admits the investment and the crash. However, not one PTI supporter is willing to look at this from the angle of Principles of Accounting. All of them are absolutely convinced that IK's critics have to be wrong.
The Agha Waqar phenomena was even easier to examine. Take his 'kit' fit it on another car, fill the tank with water, turn the ignition. See if it works.
But no, in both the cases raising questions is synonymous with high treason and negation of the vision of Iqbal.
Definition of a idiot is " to do same thing over and over again and Expect a different Result". People of Pakistan had been electing these two parties for the last 40 Plus Years and What has changed? Will it change anything next time if the same Parties are elected? This is the same thing doing over and over again and expecting a different result. A classical example of Lunicity and imbalance. I think People are responsible for their Today's Fortune in which there is no Electricity, Gas, petrol, Daily commodities available today, no jobs either.Both , Provincial and Central Govts are responsible for this chaos. If someone wants to run away from the responsibility then He is dodging the nation. Those who Govern are responsible for the aftermath. So neither, PML(N) or PPP, or MQM, or ANP are exumpt from this.They are all aprt of this Govt. under which today People Of Pakistan are in 20 hours on average Black outs. So, whatever is going on is indirectly the responsibility of People who elected these Rulers. Things will change when You will elect those who can do something for us But I a sure they are not from those above mentioned Parties.
For the first time in the history of Pakistan all main stream political parties are in power. PPP and PML N were allies in Punjab till Jan 2011. So if anything it is the worst performance of these parties that gave an opening to PTI. PTI will continue to grow and I will not be surprised if it wins majority seats in coming elections.
i maybe wrong but i am beginning to sense a very big upset in the upcoming elections.
Yes PTI is an established Party not an establishment party. All this heart burn does not stop PTI from becoming the biggest party of Pakistan Bibi and Baboo must check their performance and corruption before opening their mouth against PTI. This jealousy does not mean anything. PML@ and PPP@ is a party of nothing more than a bucket of corruption mafia.
We are sick of this bhutto and anti-bhutto doctrine...it is pethetic.....let,s move on and IK is next leader
PTI stands for Pro Taliban Initiative. Such kind of initiatives had always been from civil-military establishment. Since, army and central bureaucracy can never come into power again due to being from Punjab predominatly (more than 80%) they have initiated PTI to damage the true democracy now here in Pakistan. Punjab produces much much less than what it consumes through national budget is the only reason behind its political last resort that is called as PTI. With the end of Taliban the Pro Taliban Initiative will also doom maximum by 2013.
The article is radiant in content and emulates the thinking of ordinary Pakistani citizens.
LOL usama baig has either not understood the article or is so desperate to still bash PTI without reasonable facts and enter the lounge of pseudo intellectuals
U gotta be kidding Doctor sahab what u saying ISI wants PTI to rules next five years the biggest joke of the 2012.
Dear Dr PT, it seems you smell some opportunity for yourself in the coming months. Trust me there are already too many Sikray waiting for their turn first. PTI is the establishment's party, and it was established just to divide the peoples' vote further so that uncertainty prevails in the country and certain interest groups could hold and control the power centers.
Dear Dr. sahib;
I think you cannot differentiate between leaders and criminals, please dont try to comapre PTI with criminals wings like PPP, ANP, PML, MQM etc. next time
IK and PTI is our hope
thanks
I have to agree with the author. If PPP could not do it, I don't expect much better from PML-N either.
Certainly good to see an insightful piece without the usual PTI bashing
YEss its obvious that establishment z behind Imran khan's politics!