PTI: lost or in transition?

It would be sad to consider that amongst the millions who adore Imran, he doesn’t have one well-wisher who has his ear

The PTI’s lower cadres are perhaps the only well-defined faction of the party. The workers, steadfast and unflinching in their determination and love for their Kaptaan, have always risen to the occasion and offered him their lives when necessary. It is the middle and top tiers that seem to be nebulous at best, wafting in and out of view as and when they desire, maintaining little consistency in their resolve to get the job done, whether on the ground or at the policymaking table. Except for Dr Arif Alvi and Asad Umar, all the top brass seem to have taken a vacation from politics. The PTI pole star should have been not only to become the precise antithesis of the PML-N and the PPP in all respects of morality and governance, but also to chart out a new direction for a truly Naya Pakistan. None of that seems plausible now as time wanes. And at this time, Khan admits to having become tired, proving his naysayers right that the Peshawar incident offered him a convenient exit strategy. The PTI looks quite lost for the first time since the 2013 elections.

Doubts are cast on the many MNAs still enjoying the perks of a position they claim to have relinquished. After Khan cited the example of the South Korean president, who resigned following the boat catastrophe about a million times over from the pulpit of the container, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chief minister continues to retain his position even after children were massacred under his watch. The lack of organisation in the party is appalling. No one wants to do the spadework. Hierarchies have to be established and adhered to even if it means skipping the glory of the moment and having a story to tell about how ‘I was standing inches away from the Kaptaan’. Also, there’s the strange simultaneous PTI dilemma of overdoing and understating. Many innovative developments in K-P have gone unnoticed and unannounced when in this day of media hype the smallest achievements require broadcast and proclamation or the opposition will bury the news conveniently and quickly.

From all accounts, we hear Khan is a rational man who listens to reason. But it seems he has no one to listen to. He is a spontaneous man with no wiles and shoots from the hip. It is one of the most alluring aspects of his personality and draws millions to his side because he is immediately believable. His honesty, scrupulousness and sense of fair play are evident in every word and deed. When he goes to condole with families or with the injured, the events are not photo ops for him. He comes away genuinely moved, with tears in his eyes and an aching heart. But the downside to his frank openness is that he ends up saying too much too often with too little thought. He must remember that every word he says publicly goes on record and may come back to haunt him. All the wild helium balloons of hope that Khan let fly into the air during the 126 days of the dharna are now clogging the gutters of Islamabad. Dashed hopes, unrealised dreams and not a plan in sight for tomorrow. Is it all over?

To make matters worse, the timing for his wedding couldn’t have been worse and has spread a pall of gloom over many followers. The journalist Rauf Klasra stated that in smaller villages when someone dies no one marries for the next six months and if there was a predetermined wedding, special permission is required from the family of the deceased. This is not an Islamic requirement but a tradition in some parts of the country. To rub salt on the wounds of insensitivity, Khan declared at the Workers Convention on January 18 with a flourish that tabdeeli had come to his house, a crass unnecessary allusion to his marriage. It would be sad to consider that amongst all the millions who adore this man, he doesn’t have a single well-wisher who has his ear; who would have the gall to tell him to keep quiet when necessary. Who, if any, is the voice of caution? Don’t over-promise, Khan. Let’s wait before you over-commit. State the facts only; they’re enough to indict the perpetrators. It’s time to back off. It’s time to oust the bad eggs in the party no matter how loyal they’ve been to you. And no, as much as you may disbelieve this, marrying Ms Khan was not the happiest moment in the lives of PTI workers. In fact, the less they hear about it, the better for now. A low profile is the best way forward and hopefully people will come around. It is said you are a lucky person if you have a sensible but incisive critic close to you who has your best interests at heart and doesn’t mince their words. Khan sahib, find one.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th,  2015.

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