Reforms or revolution?
The kaptaan is right to say that the match is not over yet and he will stay here until the finish.
No single leader after Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in our history has made so much impact on Pakistani politics as has Imran Khan — whatever standard you may choose to measure it. Unlike Bhutto, and many other leaders that dominate our politics today, never has he served in any military regime. Nor does he come from traditional dynastic, tribal, land-owning political families of the country. Unlike most of them, he is Oxford educated, urban and an achiever both in cricket and community service — charitable causes.
There are three aspects of his character that are widely acknowledged and I believe admired as well. These are: integrity, commitment to great causes, and perseverance. This is what constitutes an optimistic outlook of such persons — meaning, there is something that needs to be done, I can do it, and I must do it. It was with this optimism that he cast himself for a political role — a more complex, unpredictable, and an ugly support than a‘gentlemanly’ world of cricket.
By any measure he has not failed in politics, so far. He has succeeded in mobilising Pakistani youth in every corner of the country that is widely attracted to his party, his leadership and his message of hope. He has founded a party, a second in Pakistan’s history after the PPP, that has emerged second in the 2013 general elections on the basis of popular vote count — leaving the PPP, once a party of the people, far behind. He still remains a popular leader; perhaps some notches down the scale since marching farther towards Parliament and the prime minister’s house. Some other events have equally hurt his reputation, notably storming of the PTV by ‘workers’ or goons, aligning with Allama Tahirul Qadri, and heavy shadow of well-known political intriguers that have flourished under the military rule. These characters from the past would like to see ‘right’ conditions created for the military’s intervention in politics. That will be a disaster for the country.
The kaptaan is right to say that the match is not over yet and he will stay here until the finish. This is what every captain must say and prove. Using the analogy of cricket, many matches that IK played, some must have ended in a draw. The question here is what is going to be the endgame? Drawback to old political positions — after so much drama, pain and investment of political capital will hurt him very badly. Not sure if daily appearance on the evening political show, and repeating same lines every day and his routine of picking up from where the famous Qadri ends throwing his political pearls is helping him either. No matter how much his diehard supporters justify his ‘long march’ becoming overstay, I see Imran hurting his political cause by overdoing and overplaying.
Imran made many bad political calculations about the numbers marching with him, vulnerability of the government and about the ‘umpire’ raising his finger. Yet another blunder is overcommitting to not-leaving-the-place until he forces the prime minister to resign. Rather, the government’s counter strategy not to use force and allow him to fume and exhaust himself has worked in some ways.
The stalemate doesn’t help the government either. It is weakened greatly by the nightly tirade of allegations about rigging, corruption, bad governance and the controversial past. This unique political confrontation may end up in all political men falling together, if they fail to capture the spirit of the moment.
The spirit is for real reforms in the electoral process, governance, delivery of services, rule of law and judicial system. Once done, that will be our true liberation and revolution.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2014.
There are three aspects of his character that are widely acknowledged and I believe admired as well. These are: integrity, commitment to great causes, and perseverance. This is what constitutes an optimistic outlook of such persons — meaning, there is something that needs to be done, I can do it, and I must do it. It was with this optimism that he cast himself for a political role — a more complex, unpredictable, and an ugly support than a‘gentlemanly’ world of cricket.
By any measure he has not failed in politics, so far. He has succeeded in mobilising Pakistani youth in every corner of the country that is widely attracted to his party, his leadership and his message of hope. He has founded a party, a second in Pakistan’s history after the PPP, that has emerged second in the 2013 general elections on the basis of popular vote count — leaving the PPP, once a party of the people, far behind. He still remains a popular leader; perhaps some notches down the scale since marching farther towards Parliament and the prime minister’s house. Some other events have equally hurt his reputation, notably storming of the PTV by ‘workers’ or goons, aligning with Allama Tahirul Qadri, and heavy shadow of well-known political intriguers that have flourished under the military rule. These characters from the past would like to see ‘right’ conditions created for the military’s intervention in politics. That will be a disaster for the country.
The kaptaan is right to say that the match is not over yet and he will stay here until the finish. This is what every captain must say and prove. Using the analogy of cricket, many matches that IK played, some must have ended in a draw. The question here is what is going to be the endgame? Drawback to old political positions — after so much drama, pain and investment of political capital will hurt him very badly. Not sure if daily appearance on the evening political show, and repeating same lines every day and his routine of picking up from where the famous Qadri ends throwing his political pearls is helping him either. No matter how much his diehard supporters justify his ‘long march’ becoming overstay, I see Imran hurting his political cause by overdoing and overplaying.
Imran made many bad political calculations about the numbers marching with him, vulnerability of the government and about the ‘umpire’ raising his finger. Yet another blunder is overcommitting to not-leaving-the-place until he forces the prime minister to resign. Rather, the government’s counter strategy not to use force and allow him to fume and exhaust himself has worked in some ways.
The stalemate doesn’t help the government either. It is weakened greatly by the nightly tirade of allegations about rigging, corruption, bad governance and the controversial past. This unique political confrontation may end up in all political men falling together, if they fail to capture the spirit of the moment.
The spirit is for real reforms in the electoral process, governance, delivery of services, rule of law and judicial system. Once done, that will be our true liberation and revolution.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2014.