Counter spin: Imran Khan vs Chaudhry Nisar

Even his worst critics privately concede that Bill Clinton is fast proving to have been the most successful president of the United States since the 1990s. Many columnists of influential newspapers like the New York Times and Washington Post have also begun to weigh the possibility of Clinton contesting for another presidential term, constitutional provisions notwithstanding.

Bill Clinton is all about charisma and the ability to generate a feel-good mood for his people. Serious observers of his politics, however, believe that the real secret of his appeal is the knack of “usurping the cause” that his potential rivals can adopt and use to upstage him.

Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who seems more reclusive and arrogant, is no patch on Clinton. Yet he did succeed in playing many winning strokes on a day when celebrity cricketer-turned-politician, Imran Khan, finally came to the national assembly to take oath and deliver a 40-minute speech.

The crowd-pulling strength of the charismatic Khan was on display the moment you reached the main entrance to parliament Wednesday morning. There hardly was any space left for parking vehicles and visitors’ galleries were full to the capacity.

Although in his speech, the PTI leader kept repeating the dreams and desires that he had been selling to the nation through his solo appearances on popular TV shows and later via the fiercely-led election campaign, he was still heard in absolute awe. Only the hearty desk thumping from the PTI benches, occasionally joined by the rest of the opposition members, intermittently broke the pindrop silence. He would certainly have gone home like a conqueror after his maiden showing in the national assembly.

As a hardened player of parliamentary games, Nisar denied him the pleasure, though. Immediately after Imran took back his bench, the interior minister took the mike to dampen the feel-good edge of his political rival. Nisar was deceivingly humble in admitting at the outset that Imran had not spoken like a bigot partisan. “He has rather expressed feelings that all patriotic Pakistanis cherish in their hearts,” pronounced Nisar to earn a hearty desk thumping from both sides of the house.

After softening the other side with appeasing words, Nisar went on to demolish the core points of Imran Khan’s narrative with deadly manipulation of words. The hardcore PTI zealots strongly feel that the elections held on May 11, 2013 were not free and fair and that the PML-N candidates won thanks to some insidious game. Perhaps for the consumption of his diehard fans, Imran Khan had to reiterate the demand that the Chief Justice of Pakistan should take the initiative to facilitate a comprehensive review of at least four national assembly constituencies.

The PTI strongly feel that forensic analysis of the polling day activity in these constituencies and recounting of the votes polled with digital re-checking of thumb impressions can produce substantive content to their suspicions. Imran, however, also sounded sincere in repeatedly stressing that he was not pressing for selective recounting to question the legitimacy of governments established after May 11. His real and ultimate objective was to set up a fault free system that ensures free, fair and impartial elections in times to come.

Hardened politicians like Chaudhry Nisar do not go by noble intentions, however. They are in politics to grab power and continue holding it. The forensic review of poll results in four national assembly constituencies that Imran would identify can lead to unintended consequences. Involving the Supreme Court to supervise the said process may also affirm the status of our apex judiciary as the ultimate arbitrator regarding all political disputes in this country.

Nisar was brilliant in preventing the flight of this idea. He acted being gracious by suggesting the establishment of “an independent commission of people with impeccable repute that the government and the opposition should select by consensus.” This commission can review not four, but ten to twenty national assembly constituencies identified by all political parties having representation “in this assembly.” He was also willing to adopt “any law”, wholeheartedly, which the PTI legislators desired to be passed by the national assembly for ensuring free and fair elections.

Stopping drone attacks is another core point of Imran Khan’s politics and on this count Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan sounded more passionate than the PTI leader. “Soon,” he revealed, “the prime minister would invite various heads of political parties to collectively brainstorm for a strategy that leads to stopping these attacks and convey it to the world that Pakistan is not a country ruled by (a dictator) Musharraf anymore.” Imran had no choice but to profusely praise Nisar for passionately “owning” his ideas.

Both also recalled the good old days, when they played cricket together as students of Aitchison College, Lahore. As if to reaffirm the bonding among bosom pals, Imran invited Nisar to his seat and warmly shook his hand for cameras before leaving the house. Things have never been so hunky-dory between the two. I seriously wonder how the zealot fans of Imran Khan would take it. Perhaps it is time for me to browse the facebook and twitter accounts.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2013.