Kaptaan’s innings

The reason for the cricket metaphor in the election campaign is understandable as it is the most popular support among young, old, males and females, urban as well as rural folks. Being a cricket-loving nation, we know the meaning of Kaptaan’s innings — when the captain gives his best for the team’s victory, disregard the outcome. Imran Khan had given his best for over 17 years — the longest and the most persistent political struggle of any leader — without any background in politics. It is apparent to me when I write these lines a day before the elections that he has changed Pakistani politics forever with his ideology of Naya Pakistan. Its further simplification or translation would mean: change.

There are three important signs of change that the Kaptaan’s perseverance, hard work and appeal of the ideology of change have brought about. Whatever number of seats his party gets, no party, leader or traditional political manoeuvring can so easily erase the impact of these changes. The first change is mass mobilisation through grass-root politics. No leader or other party has done this since the 1970 elections. The benefit that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had was that he rode on the wave of a popular mass movement and he captured the leadership of that by his charisma. He was already an established national politician. Imran Khan started fresh. He was a new player in a new game — politics. Neither the dynastic party leaders nor the general public took him seriously. The traditional political establishment of the country thought he would leave the scene exhausted, frustrated without a dynastic political network on his side. They thought he would fade off like Asghar Khan. Instead, Imran has awakened the people. How it will translate into numbers in the assemblies is another matter. Although numbers would be significant, the impact of the political awakening might be seen through the many elections to come and the political behaviour of the traditional political establishment if it is able to retain its dominance, which is very doubtful.

The second major change is galvanising the youth of Pakistan. No other leader, after Bhutto, has ever attracted the youth of Pakistan. Nor was it a priority for the traditional political class, as it has developed an electoral politics based on biradari networks, electable individuals and influential political dynasties. Imran Khan has challenged the dynastic, biradari based politics. He has been able to win the support of the young voter. Never have we seen any elections of Pakistan, including the first one in 1970, with so many young men and women campaigning vigorously and in so many constituencies. The Kaptaan has achieved a miracle in giving hope and self-confidence to the youth that they can bring about change — a revolution — by voting. If you see unexpected results on May 11 for the traditional parties, it will be due to the young voter stamping on the bat.

Also, the Kaptaan has succeeded greatly in delegitimising the old politics of Pakistan — the dynastic politics. The ordinary citizen of Pakistan, in general, and the urban middle class, in particular, views politics as corrupt, dysfunctional, status quo-oriented and frozen in time. They don’t see any hope for them and for the country if the two established political parties — the PPP and the PML-N — continue their turns in office. The Kaptaan’s catchphrase that both parties had four to five terms in office and have done little for the country has made an impression.

Finally, the silent majority this time around is going to vote. If it does, it is because of the message of change, the ideology of Naya Pakistan and the confidence and motivation that the Kaptaan has generated. Whatever the ranking of the PTI in the numbers game, it has already changed Pakistan and the politics of the country very positively.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2013.