No tsunami, thank heavens

PTI should sagaciously proceed towards forming its government in K-P, convince us it may well be a party of future.

Ever since Imran Khan gave his political quest the name “Tsunami” I have pleaded with the PTI to please change the name to, say, “clean sweep” or “landslide victory” or whatever, for tsunamis are hugely destructive storms that can devastate whole towns and cities, even countries, and kill hundreds of thousands of people, animals, trees: whichever and whatever comes in their path.

As it happened, while it did not arrive anywhere else, a weakish rainstorm did hit Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), where the PTI is in a position to form a government with the help of allies. While one congratulates the party for doing well in the elections, one has to castigate Maulana Fazlur Rehman for trying to subvert the PTI’s mandate. Even if he tries any argy bargy, the governor must pre-empt it by immediately asking the majority party to form a government within the stipulated period.

Interim reports from Peshawar are not heartening however: the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has reportedly demanded the senior minister and education portfolios as its two pounds of flesh and the PTI has acquiesced. This is hardly “change” nor is it a signal that K-P will soon see the beginnings of Naya Pakistan. Education has long been the JI’s favourite love: witness the absolute rule of the IJT in the major educational institutions since the dark years of the obscurantist tyrant Ziaul Haq.

Indeed, way back in the early 1960 two activists and young enforcers of the IJT were well known for introducing knives and pistols (some said sten-guns too) onto Lahore’s campuses for the very first time: there were mercifully no Kalashnikovs then. I know, for I was in Forman Christian College then, and first saw an IJT activist lift his shirt and show a revolver tucked in his shalwar waistband.

IK also says he wants a uniform system of education all across the country: well, if the JI is going to be its architect, starting in already traditional and conservative K-P, God help future generations of Pakistani children.

Which brings me to the elections and the PTI’s allegations of rigging. Sadly, there are as many differing allegations/demands as there are spokesmen/women of the PTI. Hamid Khan says they want a recount on four seats; Ahsan Rashid says elections on all seats in Punjab are suspect; Ijaz Chaudhry says results of 15 NA and five Punjab Assembly seats are suspect; Imran Khan himself has given a three-day ultimatum to the ECP to carry out recounting and forensic examination of “fingerprints” of the voters in four NA and two Punjab Assembly seats or else.

This is not nice, not nice at all. The PTI should realise that it has done very well in the elections indeed, considering that it collected unto its bosom lotas of every description, some veterans of many a political party, at least one of them of five. Of course, it must thank the PPP for providing it this opportunity by giving the country rank bad governance and scandals galore. Incidentally, it is to the PPP’s credit that it has accepted the results of the elections despite having its own reservations about rigging on some constituencies.

The PTI should pipe down, sagaciously proceed towards forming its government in K-P and doing well there, convince some among us that it may well be the party of the future. More than that, Imran Khan should immediately stop issuing threats of agitation, specially in view of the fact that he used very bad and abusive language against his political opponents during the campaign and thus taught a whole generation of young folk hate and rancour. Indeed, he must immediately apologise for his party trolls going to the unacceptable extent of calling Punjabis illiterate and uncouth for not voting for the PTI. This is disgraceful and shameful.

As to forensic examination of the votes including verifying the thumbprints (not “fingerprints” please, everyone!) of the voters from the Nadra database, Saad Rafiq has the right idea: let the votes cast in the four constituencies identified by Hamid Khan be forensically examined along with four constituencies to be identified by the PML-N. What could be fairer?

Be that as it may, one has to admire Nawaz Sharif for being unfailingly polite towards Imran Khan even during the campaign, even when the Great Khan was threatening to lagao phainti with the balla; and for having the bigness of heart to visit Khan at the hospital and asking him to let bygones be bygones.

Imran Khan should immediately, if not sooner, ask for and see Nawaz Sharif’s speeches at his rallies as he recovers in hospital, and learn some manners: learn how politicians and statesmen should address one another. He is no longer in his cricket team’s dressing room where he could kick people around (for good reason I am sure); he should realise that rude posturing got no decent politician anywhere at all.

Let me end with a fervent prayer to the Almighty to grant him a quick and complete recovery from his seemingly serious injuries. May he have a long and healthy life, please God.

Stop Press: This is what I wrote at the end of my piece in this space last week: “Former PM Yousuf Raza Gillani’s younger son Ali Haider has been kidnapped at a corner meeting in Multan. Shame on the ECP and the Punjab government for withdrawing the former PM’s guards.”

I am gratified that caretaker CM Najam Sethi himself responded by email to me in the following words: “The fact is that like all bigwigs, security guards were provided to Mr Gilani for 24-hour escort and protection and at no stage were they ‘taken back’.” I stand corrected. Thank you, Sethi, for responding with alacrity.

P.S. Prayers also for Ali Haider’s safe return ...

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2013.