Saturday 25 July 2015

Imran Khan's flawed politics and way forward

Some of the decisions of Imran Khan in last year or so, cost his party and nation loss of millions . Third umpire's finger, second marriage and Judicial Commission. Except marriage he is left with nothing to suckle on & ironically this decision will also prove wrong like all previous personal & political decisions he took in his past life. Whether early life flings, marriage with Jamima, supporting Musharraf, reinstatement movement of Iftikhar Ch, Taliban support, support for appointment of Najam Sethi and Fakhru Bhai ECP head, support he happily accepted from establishment, timings of dharna, maximalist & illogical demands from govt during dharna, happy marriage again, calling off dharna short of its objectives, going back to assemblies , bogus statements about rigging without substance; his life is fraught with wrong choices.  His worst mistake has been that he founded his party on Justice and pushed himself too deep in the mire of rigging allegations. True that he enjoyed popular support and still people stand by him. But someone has to puff some sanity in his mind. All previous huffing and puffing proved counterproductive. He usually did not listen to anyone or if he did, he committed political blunders because his advisors were inept.
I agree with people in general, what choice do we have? They have none. Don't mistake Nawaz Sharif for his ostensible Bhola looks as he is the most shrewd politician on the circuit. Entire judiciary and executive is in his pocket and report of Judicial Commission says it all. It did not happen overnight, PML (N) continuously invests in different departments. For example they appointed son in law of sitting Election Commissioner as envoy of Pakistan in Switzerland. Now imagine the pressures of our societal makeup, can Election Commissioner go against the will of his Lordship. This is just the tip of iceberg. This JC report had to absolve two important persons who bestowed special favors on NS during Elections 2013. Firstly, Najam Sethi an employee of a media group with tainted history and weird way of life, who was made interim Governor then rewarded for his services and appointed as PCB Chairman. Obviously, PML(N) refutes this as political point scoring and wants us to believe that there is no real pattern in this all. Secondly, Iftikhar Ch who was reinstated due to all out support of Noon with certain conditions. He did not fiddle with Mian sb and family during his tenure and never opened pending cases. Likewise, he extended full support to Royal Family for winning elections. He was promised important political portfolio on completion of after service ban of two years. His son was given extremely lucrative position in Balochistan which was withdrawn under immense public and media pressure. Now he has been given clean chit in Judicial Commission to give him promised political life. But it may happen that under public and political pressure he may not be given important political office as there is too much dirty laundry in his backyard. They had to give him clean chit because he knows few things people don't know. But they will definitely not give him any important position because it will have greater political consequences. Hence, once again a win-win situation for Mr Noon. They can always go back to him and say, 'we want to fulfill our promise but pressure is too much to implement it'. Again, PML(N) would like us to believe that there is no pattern or substance in all this. Well played, the champions of dirty politics.
Reverting to our main topic. If IK really wants to change the fate of this nation then he has to mend his ways. Failure after failure and one wrong decision after the other should suggest that there is something wrong with the whole thought process. There are always number of failures before someone succeeds but people learn from their mistakes. IK has to learn from his mistakes.
At the moment, Noon is sitting pretty to make second consecutive govt. Few suggestions may help IK/ PTI achieve better results in General Elections 2018. Some soul searching like:
1. So far IK has failed the basic test of leadership which is to select the right team of advisors. He has to take some stiff decisions to make up for his fallibilities. Irrespective of their money like Jehanngir Tareen or political portfolios in previous parties, purge party of jaded horses who changed affiliations but proved no good to political success of PTI. Make it clear as policy statement, that no one with previous political affiliations will get tickets or hold positions if PTI forms govt in center including ministries and advisory positions. This will give you a measure of loyalty of these lotas. Look if Shah Mehmood Qureshi was FM of Pakistan, it did not change fate of Pakistan. It did not do any good to PPPP as political entity, likewise he will be no good to PTI or Pakistan in future as well. It is the contributions of Qureshi ab and likes that Pakistan stands where it stands today. They are people with "bad experience" is the same field. It is not required in case of Asad Umar because he left his handsome package of CEO to join PTI. You can easily smell rat or fragrance of sincerity in peoples' actions but strangely enough, garbage and waste of past from other political parties has made IK hostage to their stupid advisory. He is going nowhere with current core committee and he will never achieve anything with these alligators in his ranks. This country is loaded with Asad Umars and likes, just do some home work, you will find much better people to work with. If IK does not change his team and re-structure/ re-organize his party then nation can forget about change they have been day dreaming about. Then it is just sloganeering.
2. Re-organize party from grass root level. Give appointments only to old insafians or those who do not have previous political affiliations. Those with political affiliations can always turn back on you like Javed Hashmi. Though he was quite erratic due to age but others also are no different. First given opportunity in any other party, these lotas will simply leave PTI. Establish party roots away from GT road and urban centers. Make ingress in Sindh and Balochistan. PTI is the only replacement of MQM but it will not happen sitting at Bani Gala. People need to see presence and contribution of this party in their affairs. Trust youth and clean people. Give party leadership slots and tickets to people of integrity and then you may be able to make an impact.
3. Focus on issue based politics and be available as a stern opposition who has done her homework, not just wild statements against opponents. Engage everyone with logic and cool approach. If Murad Ali can speak for few minutes without breathing, it will not change PTI's fate. Instead of old crammed lessons, they should bring quality to politics and talk on issues with substance.
4. Pakistan only needs justice, which is the motto and name of PTI but this does not get much mention in their discourse. Justice is such a big problem that our own judiciary has become a threat to our national security now. Judges have not even convicted 7 terrorists against killings of 70,000 innocent Pakistanis. On every national issue, they opted for doctrine of necessity starting from Hamood ur Rehman till Memogate to Commissions on Model Town and General Elections 2013, judiciary has done much harm to the nation than good. Present a case as a political party to harness this menace of judiciary instead of sending Wada to London to hold protests against MQM. Really, who are your advisors? What kind of politics you people are engaged in? Do something about justice sir, this is what you apparently stand for, this is exactly what this nations needs. People are dying like flies and mice and there is no retribution or justice system in place.
5. Deliver in KPK. If you visit Chitral after floods and damage then what is difference between you, Shahbaz and Nawaz. They have been playing these gimmicks for the last three decades. You plan, invest and show how lives are saved. Take out silt during winters, focus on afforestation, raise bunds, make dams, deepen river beds thereby mitigation effects of flood. If you also go for a photo shoot on marooning of people then you  and your politics stand for status quo. Bring reforms. Let them mature. Let people see fruits of your policies. You seem to be in a hurry to make it to PM house. You have to decide, you want to do it through service of people or through ruling people like rest of the pack. If so then where is the difference? You are just toying around with people of this country like rest of them.
 
It is time to change or perish Mr IK. If you donot change your ways now, you will become a page in history who failed to make an impression on political scene of this country like so many other fine men in the past. You and your politics is standing on crossroads and still the ball is in your court to make right choices through some tough decision making. Gather yourself and may God help you.
 
Allah knows the whole truth. Pakistan needs sincere leadership to steer her through dire straits and present political army of politicians is doing greater harm than good to this country which is created for much greater purpose. May Allah protect this country and bring the change it deserves. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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